Fungus travels through spores. So if you have a fungal nail infection, there will be plenty of spores where your feet are most often – including in your bed sheets, making anyone your partner vulnerable to infection! Once a fungal nail infection starts, some find it very difficult to treat.
Your spouse is also at risk when sharing bed sheets, socks and shoes. As fungal spores can stay dormant but viable for up to three months in their favoured environments, your family may still remain vulnerable long after you've started covering up your feet or taking other protective measures.
Yes, toenail fungus is contagious. Typically toenail fungus spreads through: Direct contact with the infected person. Common household objects, such as towels or clothing.
If you share a bed with another person, the fungus may transfer to them via shared linens. Wearing clean socks to bed and washing sheets regularly minimizes transmission risk.
Fungi can be passed on if you use contaminated items such as clothes, bedding or hairbrushes. Or you may pick up fungi by walking barefoot on contaminated floors such as those in communal swimming areas. You can also spread the infection to other parts of your body – for example, by scratching.
White Distilled Vinegar – An excellent mould-killer, diluted vinegar can be worked directly into the stain – or you can pre-soak the clothing in a bucket of water mixed with one cup of vinegar. You can also add 1-2 cups of vinegar to your washing machine per cycle to kill any mildew odours and brighten your whites.
The fungi that cause this infection can live on skin, surfaces, and on household items such as clothing, towels, and bedding.
And fungal species (such as Candida albicans, which can cause oral thrush, urinary tract infections and genital yeast infections) can survive on fabrics for up to a month. Influenza viruses can also survive on fabrics and tissues for 8-12 hours.
Use hot water (140°F or 60°C) and your regular detergent for infected laundry. Lower temperatures will not kill the fungus and can transfer spores to other fabrics in the same load. For white cotton socks, you can use chlorine bleach along with hot water to disinfect the fabric.
Scrub your shower and disinfect it with a bleach-based cleanser, Andersen says. Spray your shoes with an antibacterial spray, especially if you've worn them without socks, and wash all socks in hot water with bleach to kill any fungi.
In households with someone who has a toenail fungus, making simple changes like using a different shower or wearing flip-flops in the shower will help to avoid direct contact with the fungus. In communal areas like hotel rooms, dorm showers, or public gyms or pools, try to avoid walking barefoot.
Don't share your personal items.
Don't share any personal care items such as shoes, towels, clothing, socks, nail clippers, nail files, antiperspirant, or razors with your partner. A fungal infection of the foot can be spread by indirect contact with an infected individual's personal care items.
As the fungal infection goes deeper, the nail may discolor, thicken and crumble at the edge. Nail fungus can affect several nails. If your condition is mild and not bothering you, you may not need treatment. If your nail fungus is painful and has caused thickened nails, self-care steps and medications may help.
If you just finished treating nail fungus, throw away shoes, boots, skates, and other footwear that you wore before you started treatment. Fungus can live in footwear, giving you another infection. If your footwear is expensive or new, you can disinfect them using an ultraviolet (UV) shoe sanitizer or ozone cabinet.
The fastest way to eliminate the infection is through toenail laser treatment. Laser nail therapy specifically targets the microorganisms under your nail while leaving the keratin intact. In just a few treatments, the infection can be entirely eliminated.
Fungus is made up of millions of tiny spores that can survive in a washer without the proper techniques and water temperatures. Here's how to successfully disinfect clothes from fungus in the washer: Keep items infected with fungus separate from other laundry items until washing.
Washing machines, especially high-efficiency front-loading models, can be the perfect breeding ground for mold. Warm temperatures, soil and bacteria from clothes, detergent and fabric softener residue, and a dark environment can all combine to leave you with a stinky, moldy washer.
Clean the Moldy Clothes in the Washing Machine
Choose the hottest setting on your washing machine. Most mold spores will die at temperatures above 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius), so cold and warm water cycles won't work. Add laundry detergent (regular detergent is fine).
Fungus is already a difficult infection to get rid of, and what surprises many people is that fungus can live in your shoes for up to 20 months. Thus, continuously treating your shoes throughout treatment is essential. There are many ways to treat shoes including Lysol, anti-fungal mists and UV shoe cleaning devices.
Mix one cup of bleach in a gallon of water, apply to the surface and don't rinse. Mix a 50/50 solution of ammonia and water. Spray on the surface, wait two to three hours, then rinse. Never mix ammonia with bleach or other all purpose cleaners; this will create toxic and dangerous fumes.
Fungal spores are passed between people through direct skin contact and by sharing objects such as towels, hairbrushes and bedding.
Your mattress also provides a nice culture medium for fungi. Humans naturally produce 26 gallons of sweat in bed every year. This moisture combined with the heat of a sleeping body provides an "ideal fungal culture medium" out of your mattress.
Yes, many types of toenail fungi, including tinea unguium, are quite contagious. You can spread the fungus to someone else through direct contact. You can also get toenail fungus by touching an infected surface.