Perhaps you have heard of people using bleach for toenail fungus (onychomycosis). This is a home remedy that used to be more popular but it has been largely replaced by prescription medications and commercial home remedies. The downside of home bleach treatment is that it requires twenty to thirty minutes every day, a time commitment that many people find difficult.

On the other hand, using bleach for toenail fungus is much cheaper than almost any kind of remedy specifically marketed for onychomycosis, and most people already have some with their laundry supplies. Indeed, you may already have some stored with your cosmetics: some people are already bleaching toenails for entirely different reasons.

Foot care professionals recommend a weekly foot soak in a solution of one part chlorine bleach to 100 parts water, just to keep the feet feeling fresh and clean. Others recommend a stronger solution of one part bleach to 10 parts water for bleaching toenails to remove stains. In this case, the solution is applied directly to the toenail. If you're using bleach for toenail fungus, however, you'll need to be a bit more aggressive.

First, it's a good idea to trim down the nail as much as possible, and even file it down from above so that you actually make the whole nail thinner. File it down as much as you dare. Most people recommend using very diluted bleach for toenail fungus - one tablespoon in a gallon of water - and soaking for 30 minutes daily. Even better, soak for 10-15 minutes morning and evening. Bleaching toenails in this gradual, gentle way will decrease the chances that you will irritate your skin with the solution.

Some people have used more concentrated bleach for toenail fungus: a one in four solution applied directly to the nail or undiluted bleach applied to the nail and washed off after three or four minutes. Some tough individuals have just applied undiluted bleach to nails daily and left it on. Keep in mind, however, that chlorine bleach is a hazardous chemical: it is corrosive, and will damage any skin that is exposed while you're bleaching toenails. In addition, the fumes from the chemical should not be inhaled. It is much safer to use a diluted solution.

If you decide to use bleach for toenail fungus, be prepared to set aside the time daily for a couple of months. It may even take longer than this. If bleaching toenails doesn't appeal to you, consider trying one of the commercial natural remedies for onychomycosis. They are more expensive than bleach, but less so than prescription drugs, and there is scientific evidence that some of them are effective against the fungus that infects toenails.