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.
You can use a loofah or clean washcloth to thoroughly work the soap around your feet and toes. Fungi love damp, warm environments like the insides of your shoes. Each time you take a shower or bathe your feet separately, dry your feet thoroughly with a clean towel.
Toenail fungus is a highly-contagious, easy-to-spread, hard-to-treat infection. It thrives in warm, damp environments, like pools, locker rooms, and even showers. It transfers to other surfaces on contact, like your feet or things like towels and footwear.
Disinfect your shower
Does someone in your house have athlete's foot? Spray the bottom of your shower with a disinfectant to kill any lingering bacteria or fungus.
Try nonprescription antifungal nail creams and ointments.
Several products are available, such as terbinafine (Lamisil). If you notice white markings on the surfaces of the nails, file them off, soak your nails in water, dry them, and apply the medicated cream or lotion.
The best type of vinegar to treat toenail fungus is apple cider vinegar, a very acidic and strong solution that destroys toenail fungus at the source. To take full advantage of this, mix one cup of apple cider vinegar with at least 2 cups of water – this will dilute the vinegar so that it won't burn your skin.
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.
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.
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.
“Applying Vicks VapoRub to fungus-infected toenails can clear up the notoriously hard-to-treat condition. Michigan State University clinicians found that applying the product daily to the infected nail cleared the condition in 32 of 85 patients, though it took anywhere from 5 to 16 months…”
Always use lukewarm water. Avoid using very hot water. Hot water favors fungal growth in the body. Wash the affected parts with cold water once you are done taking a bath.
Yes, toenail fungus is contagious. Typically toenail fungus spreads through: Direct contact with the infected person. Common household objects, such as towels or clothing.
Warm, damp towels are an ideal environment for microbial growth, including bacteria, mold and yeast.
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.
The same goes with bath towels. Washing at a temperature of at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit (or 60 degrees Celsius) will be enough to take care of spores. The laundry hamper itself should be cleaned regularly with an antifungal bleach solution.
Effects of Washing socks & Fungus
It has been shown contaminated socks washed in a domestic washing machine at 40deg, with 36% of the socks still positive for fungal culture at the end of cleaning and drying cycle.
Miconazole antifungal powder is very effective, weakening the cell membranes of the fungi so it cannot replicate. It's a topical treatment, usually applied twice a day, and should be prescribed by a medical professional.
Soaking your feet and toes in a bath containing Epsom salts can help dry out fungal infections by killing fungal spores. Add 1–2 cups of Epsom salt to a footbath of warm water and soak for 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can add 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt to 2 cups of water and soak a cotton ball in it.
Baking soda works by removing excess moisture from your feet, a common cause of toenail fungus. While this home remedy has been shown to reduce fungal growth, it doesn't completely get rid of the fungus.