15 Home Remedies to Get Rid of Athlete’s Foot (Infographic Included)

Natural Athlete’s Foot Treatment: What Kills Athlete’s Foot Fast

Written by Montoya Sigafoose, founder of Home Remedy Shop · Medically reviewed by Veronique Claes d’Erckenteel, D.C., chiropractor since 1991 · Last reviewed: 27 October 2026

While everybody is searching for tea tree oil for athlete’s foot, there’s a magic potion you can make at home, on repeat, that kills athlete’s foot fast: an apple cider vinegar foot soak. Cover your whole foot in apple cider vinegar, soak for 15 minutes, dry it off with a new towel that goes straight in the wash, and rub your foot in with coconut oil. Do this daily: in my experience it takes one week, tops, to get rid of athlete’s foot. Add a morning shot of apple cider vinegar, never repeat your socks, and disinfect your shoes with baking soda and tea tree oil after every use. Athlete’s foot is a contagious fungal infection, so these habits also stop it spreading. See a doctor if it isn’t better in 2 weeks, spreads, or if you have diabetes.

Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis) is the most common fungal infection of the skin. It causes itchy feet in between the toes, peeling, cracked or white, soggy skin, burning and sometimes a bad smell. In this guide you’ll find what causes athlete’s foot, how contagious it is, my apple cider vinegar soak step by step, tea tree oil and other essential oils, and a natural athlete’s foot treatment plan that keeps it from coming back. For more foot care, see our guide to home remedies for calluses, or browse all our natural home remedies.

Table of Contents

• What Causes Athlete’s Foot?
• Is Athlete’s Foot Contagious?
• Athlete’s Foot in Toes and Itchy Feet in Between Toes
• What Kills Athlete’s Foot Instantly? My Apple Cider Vinegar Soak
• Natural Athlete’s Foot Treatment: 10 Remedies
• Tea Tree Oil for Athlete’s Foot
• Other Essential Oils for Athlete’s Foot
• How to Stop Athlete’s Foot Coming Back
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Causes Athlete’s Foot?

Athlete’s foot is caused by dermatophytes, a group of fungi that feed on keratin, the protein in the outer layer of your skin, nails and hair. The most common one is Trichophyton rubrum (Leung et al., 2023). These fungi love warm, damp, dark places, which is exactly what the inside of a sweaty shoe is. You’re more likely to get it if you:

• Have sweaty feet or wear the same closed shoes every day.
• Wear socks twice, or socks that don’t absorb sweat.
• Walk barefoot in gym showers, pools, saunas or changing rooms.
• Share towels, socks or shoes.
• Don’t dry well between your toes.
• Have diabetes, poor circulation or a weaker immune system.
• Have toenail fungus, which keeps re-infecting the skin.

Men, athletes, soldiers and older adults get it most often (Nigam et al., 2023).

Is Athlete’s Foot Contagious?

Yes. Athlete’s foot is contagious. The fungus spreads through tiny flakes of infected skin, both directly from skin to skin and, much more often, indirectly through damp floors, towels, bath mats, socks and shoes. It can also spread from your feet to other parts of your own body: your toenails, your hands if you scratch, and your groin (jock itch). In families, one person with athlete’s foot often passes it to others through the shared bathroom.

• Don’t scratch, and wash your hands after touching your feet.
• Use your own towel, and a new one after every soak.
• Wash bath mats, towels and socks at 60 degrees.
• Wear flip-flops in shared showers.

Athlete’s Foot in Toes and Itchy Feet in Between Toes

The most common type of athlete’s foot is between the toes, usually between the fourth and fifth toe, where it’s tightest and dampest. It starts with itchy feet in between the toes, then the skin turns white, soggy and starts to peel or crack. It can burn, sting and smell.

Other types:

• Moccasin type: dry, scaly, thickened skin over the sole and sides of the foot, often mistaken for dry skin or cracked heels.
• Blister type: small, itchy blisters, usually on the arch.

Is it athlete’s foot or just dry skin? Dry skin is usually not itchy between the toes and improves quickly with moisturiser. Athlete’s foot itches, peels between the toes and comes back. Eczema and psoriasis can look similar too, so if remedies don’t help, a doctor can take a quick skin scraping to be sure. Itchy feet without peeling skin can have other causes; see itchy feet, and for burning without a rash, burning feet.

What Kills Athlete’s Foot Instantly? My Apple Cider Vinegar Soak

This is the magic potion you can make at home, on repeat. The fungus starts dying from the very first soak, the itching calms down within days, and in my experience it takes one week, tops, to get rid of your athlete’s foot.

• Prepare the bowl: take a bowl or a container your feet fit in, and add a good amount of apple cider vinegar so it covers your whole foot.
• Soak: soak your feet for 15 minutes.
• Dry: dry them off with a new towel, especially between the toes, and immediately throw that towel in the wash.
• Oil: rub your feet in with coconut oil.
• Repeat: do this every day, and keep going for a few days after the skin looks normal so the fungus doesn’t come back.

If your skin is cracked or raw and the vinegar stings, mix it 1 to 1 with warm water. Raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar works best.

Natural Athlete’s Foot Treatment: 10 Remedies

Use the vinegar soak as your base and combine it with these natural remedies and habits.

1. The apple cider vinegar foot soak

My magic potion, described step by step above. Vinegar is acidic, and fungi can’t survive in an acidic environment.

• A good amount of apple cider vinegar, enough to cover the whole foot.
• Soak for 15 minutes, every day.
• If the skin is cracked or it stings, dilute with an equal amount of water.

What the research says: Acidifying agents like acetic acid, the active part of vinegar, are an established treatment for fungal ear infections and work against antifungal-resistant fungi (Yassin et al., 2023).

2. Coconut oil

After the soak, rub your foot in with coconut oil. It soothes the itchy, cracked skin and has antifungal properties of its own.

• Massage a thin layer into the whole foot, especially between the toes.
• Use virgin, cold-pressed coconut oil.
• Do this daily, after every soak.

What the research says: Coconut oil was active against all the Candida fungi tested in a lab study (Ogbolu et al., 2007).

3. A morning shot of apple cider vinegar

It’s also really good to take a shot of apple cider vinegar in the morning, to support your body from the inside.

• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water.
• Drink it through a straw and rinse your mouth with water afterwards, to protect your teeth.
• Skip it if you have reflux or a sensitive stomach.

4. Never repeat your socks

Make sure to never repeat your socks. The fungus lives in the fibres and goes straight back onto your skin.

• Fresh socks every day, twice a day if your feet sweat.
• Cotton, bamboo or wool; wash at 60 degrees.
• Put your socks on before your underwear, so the fungus doesn’t travel to the groin.

What the research says: Dermatophyte fungi have been found in the socks of people with athlete’s foot (Bonifaz et al., 2013).

5. Disinfect your shoes with baking soda and tea tree oil

Disinfect your shoes by adding a baking soda and tea tree oil mixture after every use, for as long as your feet stay itchy or red.

• 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 3 to 4 drops of tea tree oil per shoe.
• Leave it in overnight and tap it out before wearing.
• Rotate shoes so each pair dries for 24 hours.

What the research says: Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) has antifungal activity against the fungi that cause skin and nail infections (Letscher-Bru et al., 2013).

6. A new towel, every time

Dry your feet with a new towel after every soak or shower, and put it straight in the wash. The towel is one of the easiest ways to spread athlete’s foot.

• Dry between every toe.
• Use a separate towel for your feet.
• Wash towels at 60 degrees.

7. Tea tree oil

The most famous natural remedy for athlete’s foot, with good research behind it (see below).

• Mix 1 part tea tree oil with 4 parts coconut oil and apply twice a day.
• Never use it undiluted on skin.

8. Garlic

Garlic contains ajoene, a natural antifungal compound.

• Eat 1 to 2 raw crushed cloves a day.
• Don’t put raw garlic directly on the skin: it can burn.

What the research says: In a trial, a 1% ajoene cream cleared athlete’s foot in all patients, matching a standard antifungal cream (Ledezma et al., 2000).

9. Keep your feet dry and aired

Fungi need warmth and moisture.

• Go barefoot at home, or wear open sandals.
• Breathable shoes; never wet ones.
• Dust a little baking soda or arrowroot between your toes.

10. Flip-flops in public places

Protect yourself, and others, where people walk barefoot.

• Wear flip-flops in gym showers, pools, saunas and hotel rooms.
• Don’t share towels, socks or shoes.

Tea Tree Oil for Athlete’s Foot

Tea tree oil for athlete’s foot is what everyone is searching for, and the research does back it. In a trial with 158 people, a 50% tea tree oil solution cleared the fungus in 64% of people after 4 weeks, compared to 31% with a placebo. About 4% of people developed a skin rash from the oil, which cleared when they stopped (Satchell et al., 2002). An earlier trial found 10% tea tree cream relieved the itching, scaling and burning as well as a standard antifungal cream (Tong et al., 1992).

• Mix 1 part tea tree oil with 4 parts coconut oil (about 20%).
• Apply to clean, dry skin twice a day, between the toes and around the area.
• Patch-test on a small area first.
• Use it together with the vinegar soak, not instead of it.

Disinfect your shoes after every wear

The tea tree oil I mix with baking soda

While your feet are still itchy or red, a pinch of baking soda with a few drops of tea tree oil in your shoes after every use stops the fungus from coming straight back. Diluted, tea tree is also one of the best-studied natural oils for athlete’s foot.

• 3 to 4 drops in a teaspoon of baking soda per shoe, after every use
• On the skin: always diluted in coconut oil, never neat
• Patch-test first; stop if your skin gets red or itchy
• Not for children under 6; keep away from pets

Get the tea tree oil I use

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Other Essential Oils for Athlete’s Foot

Many essential oils have antifungal properties. Always dilute them: 3 to 5 drops in a teaspoon of coconut, olive or almond oil, applied to clean, dry feet once or twice a day. Never use them neat, and stop if your skin gets redder or itchier.

• Lavender: gentle, antifungal and calming for itchy skin.
• Lemongrass: strongly antifungal and a natural deodoriser.
• Thyme: rich in thymol, a powerful antifungal; use only 1 to 2 drops per teaspoon.
• Oregano: rich in carvacrol; very strong, so 1 drop per teaspoon of carrier oil.
• Clove: antifungal and numbs the itch; 1 to 2 drops per teaspoon.
• Eucalyptus: antifungal and cooling; not for children under 2.
• Peppermint: cooling and soothing for burning feet; not for children under 2.
• Frankincense: anti-inflammatory; 6 to 8 drops in a bentonite clay mask for 30 minutes on unbroken skin.

How to Stop Athlete’s Foot Coming Back

• Keep doing the vinegar soak 1 to 2 times a week for a month after it clears.
• Never repeat your socks.
• Keep disinfecting your shoes with baking soda and tea tree oil for as long as your feet are itchy or red, then once a week.
• Dry between your toes after every shower.
• Treat toenail fungus at the same time (see home remedies for toenail fungus), or it keeps re-infecting the skin.
• Wear flip-flops in shared showers and pools.
• Sweaty, smelly feet? See how to get rid of smelly feet.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kills athlete’s foot instantly?

Nothing clears it in a single moment, but an apple cider vinegar soak starts killing the fungus from the first soak and calms the itch within days. Done daily with coconut oil, fresh socks and disinfected shoes, it clears in about a week.

What causes athlete’s foot?

Dermatophyte fungi, mostly Trichophyton rubrum, that grow on warm, damp skin. Sweaty feet, closed shoes, repeated socks and barefoot walking in shared showers increase the risk.

Is athlete’s foot contagious?

Yes. It spreads through skin flakes on floors, towels, socks and shoes, and from your feet to your nails, hands and groin.

What is the best natural athlete’s foot treatment?

A daily apple cider vinegar soak followed by coconut oil, never repeating your socks, a new towel every time, and baking soda and tea tree oil in your shoes. Diluted tea tree oil and garlic also have good research behind them.

Does tea tree oil work for athlete’s foot?

Yes. A 50% tea tree oil solution cleared the fungus in 64% of people in 4 weeks, double the placebo. Always dilute it and patch-test first.

Why are my feet itchy in between my toes?

Itching between the toes, especially with white, peeling or cracked skin, is the most common sign of athlete’s foot. Dry skin or eczema can also itch.

How long should I soak my feet in apple cider vinegar?

15 minutes a day, with enough vinegar to cover the whole foot. Dilute it with water if your skin is cracked or it stings.

How long does athlete’s foot take to go away?

With a daily routine, often within one to two weeks. Keep going a few days after it looks clear. See a doctor if it isn’t better after 2 weeks.

Do I need to throw away my shoes?

Usually not. Disinfect them with baking soda and tea tree oil after every use and let them dry for 24 hours. Replace very old or heavily affected shoes.

Recommended

• Home Remedies for Calluses
• Home Remedies for Toenail Fungus
• How to Get Rid of Smelly Feet
• More natural home remedies

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montoya sigafoose

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