You’ve heard of the mouthwash, but have you heard of the Listerine toenail fungus treatment? It seems that a lot of people are soaking their fungal toenail infections in a basin of Listerine and getting good results. Like people who use other home remedies for this unpleasant infection, people who swear by this oral rinse tried it because they were trying to avoid expensive prescription drugs and their side effects, or had tried the other treatments with no success. Apparently it worked.

If you’re using Listerine for toenail fungus, be prepared to keep it up for a while – though some people claim the remedy works after soaking for 30 minutes a day for just a few days, most fungal toenail infections will take months to clear, whether you’re using Listerine, vinegar, or any of the prescription drugs. It just takes a long time for the fungus to die and the new, uninfected nail to grow in. Use it every day – never skip a day – and in a month or two, you should see some healthy nail growing in. Don’t stop using Listerine for toenail fungus until the entire nail is new and looks healthy and normal.

Many people find that when it comes to treating nail fungus Listerine and vinegar combined offer even faster results. Fungi do not do well in an acid environment, so adding vinegar to Listerine may give your home remedy a little extra punch, combining the acidic vinegar with whatever is in the Listerine (presumably the disinfectant) that kills the fungal infection. Some people have had good success mixing a half-and-half solution and just painting it on the infected nails several times a day.

There’s no guarantee that the Listerine toenail fungus treatment will work for you. It doesn’t work for everyone, and no published scientific studies have looked at the effects of using Listerine for toenail fungus, or gathered data on the number of people who used it successfully. If you have the time and the inclination to try it, however, it is certainly much cheaper than prescription drugs that can cost eight dollars a day, or even more, to use.

A solution that’s safe to put in your mouth is presumably perfectly safe for soaking your feet. It might even feel good! But if you’re going to try Listerine for toenail fungus, you should be aware of one potential side effect: it seems that it may turn your feet green! Temporarily.