General Overview

White vinegar is the result of oxidation of natural ethanol from fruits or grains. There are many different kinds of vinegar, some used in cooking, but this particular kind of vinegar has been used successfully in the past to treat nail fungus.

How it Works

The acidity of the vinegar relieves the itching that may come with a nail fungus, and restores the pH balance in the nail and the surrounding skin. The acidic nature of vinegar will kill anything living on contact, like bacteria and fungus. Those microorganisms cannot live in an acidic environment, and the vinegar will make their food supply, your nail, inedible. They will die without food. Vinegar can kill existing fungus as well as stop future reproduction, so you may see positive results even before your nail starts to grow out. 

How to Use

Make a soak of 50% water and 50% vinegar and soak the infected nail(s) in it. You can use a cup for a fingernail if that works better. You must soak the nail for at least 30 minutes to ensure the entire nail has been reached by the solution. Make sure your nails are cut short, but not too short, as vinegar is an acid and any cuts or scrapes you have around the nail will surely remind you of this.You can also soak the nail in 100% vinegar for 30 seconds to a minute; long enough to ensure the vinegar has reached most if not all of the nail. Dry off your nail after the soak or topical treatment. 

User Experiences

Users recommend soaking the nail twice or three times daily for several weeks, or applying the vinegar directly to the nail bed as you would a topical solution for the same amount of time. White vinegar doesn’t have an outstanding success rate, at around 25% or lower, so expect a long treatment that may not produce the progress you were looking for. As always, contact your doctor if your nail gets worse, not better, after a few days/weeks of treatment. 

Conclusions and Recommendations

White vinegar is by far the cheapest natural home treatment for nail fungus. It is non-toxic, so you and your family and pets will be safe if they get into it. It is also widely available at the grocery store. There are no side effects to speak of, but the very low success rate is discouraging for some.