Does Bleach Work for Toenail Fungus? Watch the Video Below.

Toenail fungus is extremely hard to get rid of once you have a severe infection.

Many turn to the most powerful thing that they can think of; bleach. But you are probably wondering… Does it work? How do I use it for my feet?

In this article, we will go over how some people use bleach to treat toenail fungus and some cautions to look out for.

Why Use Bleach?

With so many OTC treatments circulating the market, it is hard to choose the right one.

Many turn to bleach because it is a household item that they can use today to treat their fungus.  Compared to other treatments, it is inexpensive.

About 50 cents or less per foot soak.  Even less if you are applying the bleach directly to your nails.

A lot of people have documented their successes with using bleach.  The soaks are great if you have a lesser fungal infection but for the more severe cases, a direct application would likely be better.

Like a lot of treatments, there is a chance of side effects.  This includes skin irritation, pain or discomfort.

While I personally have not experienced the side effects, they can be present for some.

It is recommended to not continue treatment if the bleach is irritating your skin or causing pain.  There are alternatives to bleach like treating your nail fungus naturally.

How to Use Bleach for Nail Fungus

When it comes to utilizing bleach as an at-home remedy, there are two main ways to use it.

# 1. Soaking Feet in Diluted Bleach 

One of the most common ways to use bleach for nail fungal infection is in the form of the soak.  This is effective because the water dilutes the bleach which makes it less irritating on your skin.

Here is how to do it:

1. Get a tub/pan that will fit at least one of your feet.  Fill it with warm water and add about a cap full of bleach into the basin. The exact ratio you will want is one tablespoon of bleach for one gallon of water.
2. Soak your feet for approximately 15-20 min in the mixture.  Promptly dry your feet.  Do this about once or twice a day depending on how your body reacts to the bleach.  IF it causes pain, discomfort, irritation or dryness – do not continue soaking your feet in it.

I had a more severe toenail fungal infection so the soaks did not work the best for me.

There are things you can add to the soaks to increase effectiveness.

This includes:

• Tea tree oil
• Epsom salts
• Oil of oregano
• Other essential oils that fight fungus

There is a foot soak that I personally recommend.  It is all natural and contains tea tree oil. If you’re interested you can read what some people have said about this foot soak.

# 2. Applying Bleach Directly to the Nail

The second way you can use bleach nail fungus is to apply it directly to the infected nail.  All you need is some bleach and a q-tip.

Here is how to do it:

1. Fill the cap with some bleach and dab the q-tip or cotton ball.  Then apply the bleach onto the affected nails.
2. Be sure to use the other end of the q-tip to wipe away any excess bleach off the skin.
3. Use with caution since the bleach is not diluted with anything.  It is best to do this only a few times a week.

After Application: See How Your Feet Respond

It is important to minimize the risk that you end up hurting yourself.

Getting rid of the fungus is high on the priority list, but a person’s overall health is more important.

Test to see if bleach is right for you.  Start out with 1:10 dilution of bleach and water.

If irritation does not occur, gradually increase the bleach to water ratio.

Putting the bleach directly on the nail should be avoided if you have sensitive skin.  If applying bleach directly to the nail is causing issues, then dilute the bleach and then try the application.

If bleach just is not working for you or causing pain and discomfort, there are alternatives.

Bleach Pen for Fungi

Another easy way to apply bleach to your nails is to use a bleach pen. A bleach pen is just as effective as the Q-tip method mentioned above. The bleach in the pen will kill the fungus that is causing the discoloration in your nails and let you apply on the go.

Bleach pens are great if you plan on traveling and want to still keep up with your anti-fungal routine. Just be sure to pack it in a plastic ziplock bag so it doesn’t leak on to your other stuff.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Bleach (Important)

It is vital to know the pros and cons of using bleach to understand if it is a sustainable treatment for you.

From this, you can determine whether or not this is a viable treatment to get you healthy-looking toes.

Toenail Fungus Affects Everyone

A toenail fungal infection can be extremely hard to treat but with the potency of bleach can help.

Toenail fungus is medically known as onychomycosis, which affects about 15% of the American population, including myself.  Well, I did, but I got rid of it.

If you have toenail fungus then it will be comforting to know that 50% of the people in the podiatrist office are in there for a nail fungal infection.

Bleach can be effective in the battle of fungus.  If you are not comfortable using bleach, I wrote an article on how to get rid of toenail fungus naturally.

If you just want to get rid of toenail fungus as fast as possible, I wrote about how I cured fungus on toenails. 

Causes of Toenail Fungus?

The causes of toenail fungus can vary from person to person.

One of the most generic ways people get toenail fungus is from public areas where their feet come into contact with the fungus.

This includes pools, public showers, humid climates, shoes, and socks.  Exposure of the fungus from other people is typically the cause.

Since toenail fungus is so contagious, it is important to protect yourself while in these types of environments.

Try wearing flip flops while at the pool or showers to keep a barrier in between your feet and potential fungus.

Also, if you live in a humid environment, are an athlete, physically active, or just have sweaty feet – invest in some foot powder.

If you are older and are male, the chances of toenail fungus are exponentially higher.  This is due to the body’s immune system becoming weaker and the decrease in circulation.

Other Alternatives to Bleach

So, you still aren’t sold on trying bleach for treating your toenail fungus?  That’s okay.  You’re not the only one.  I cover two different ways that actually work to treat nail fungus.

One of the best ways to treat toenail fungus with extreme effectiveness is to treat the underlying cause of the fungus.

Most prescriptions, ointments, and other over-the-counter products treat the symptoms of toe fungus, not the root cause.

What Toe Fungus Journey does is cut through the crap and find the products and strategies that will get you results.

I have personally seen how successful using essential oils was for my mom after she struggled with toenail fungus on her big toes which she actually got from sharing a shower with my dad who also had it.

The reason why she was so successful in treating her fungus was that the essential oils combined with a change in lifestyle and diet eliminated the fungus and candida in her system. Cleansing yourself from the candida in your digestive tract can be difficult.

Luckily, I outlined exactly what she did with her diet, the supplements she took, and the treatments she used. Essentially, it was a holistic approach to curing toe fungus. There is a lot of holistic approaches on the internet that are not backed by results and are just trying to sell you something.

Choosing the wrong way to eliminate the candida and fungus from your body is like trying to build your dream house with the wrong blueprints. These treatments I recommend are the blueprints that will help show you the exact way to eliminate the root causes of your fungus.

None of these treatments are going to pitch you anything but simply show you what worked for my parents and I used to treat our nail fungal infections.