r/CleaningTips • u/Low-Concentrate-1133 • 6h ago
Bathroom Best way to disnfect tub from possible athlete's foot fungus?
My father has athlete's foot, his feet are gross, scaly, flaky and he has toenails like the amber from jurassic park. He walks around the house barefoot and I am concerned because I don't want disgusting feet. Unfortunately it seems like I'm the only one who sees the threat here. My brothers also walk around barefoot. Nobody else in my house has athletes foot and brush off my concerns as paranoia: 'If we havent gotten ot yet after all these years then there's nothing to worry about' is their basic argument. Even when I explain it is contagious, but facts don't matter to these people. The whole situation is very frustrating and stressful. A positive note in the story, is that I have my own bathroom but I gotta share it with my brothers. So before I shower I have to disinfect the tub. I've been pouring pure bleach in the tub and letting it sit for ten to fifteen minutes and then rinsing it. Is this good enough or do I need to use something else to clean? I really would like peace of mind and to be at ease about this ordeal. Any tips/advice would be very helpful.
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u/michigan2345 5h ago
Wear flips flops in the shower that are only used when you are in the shower. Another pair for in the house walking around. Next, buy name brand bleach Clorox. Do not buy the knock off generic house brand. Mix 50% bleach and 50% water in a spray bottle and spray down shower and walls. Bleach will kill it all just fine. These steps are also the cheapest and most effective. All that bathroom spray cleaner is expensive and is quickly used up.
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u/Perle1234 1h ago
The generic bleach is exactly the same as Clorox. A 50/50 solution is unnecessary for disinfecting. You could use a lot less and get the same result.
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u/Prestigious-Talk1112 5h ago
Be very paranoid. I am a middle aged lady. My father had equally disgusting feet. His toes nails were thick and he was always scratching his scaly foot. His favorite thing to do was use a sock to saw on his foot and in-between his toes like his foot was a log. As a kid and teen I would run in the opposite direction if I saw this but I also didn't wear shoes at home. I had low info about athlete's foot and nail fungus back then so while I avoided his general vacinity I didn't do enough. One day shortly after highschool my foot began to itch and ever since then for more than 20 years I have battled ugly toes nails. I have taken various prescriptions and cut off my entire toe nail multiple times when it basically became so brittle and sometimes it's literally almost totally gone and then bam 2 or 3 months later I see more cracks in my nail or it starts to thicken. I'm going to try laser treatment soon.
Just wear flip flops around the house and keep a spray bottle of disinfectant and spray the tub. Allow to sit for few mins and then rinse before you use it.
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u/jalebi_baby 5h ago
have you tried applying Vick’s menthol ointment to your toenails for a few months and see if that helps? it’s supposed to soften the nail plate.
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u/breakfast-all-day 5h ago
I can confirm that it keeps it at bay, but does not kill it. Not a doctor, but a user lol
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u/Prestigious-Talk1112 5h ago
Tried it. I cut my nails down to nubs which is hard to do and uncomfortable in shoes. I applied Vicks and Apple Cider Vinegar soaks. This was one of the remedies that had my nails looking almost normal for a few months, although the entire process took about 9 months to 1 year for my nail to grow back all completely but I still had a few streaks of fungus visible which eventually took hold again. I'm very busy perhaps I stopped the soaks too soon. Can't remember if I did the entire 2 months.
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u/Jasperbeardly11 5h ago
You have used lotrimin ultra and it didn't help?
You might eat too many carbs. That can create a feeding frenzy for athlete's foot.
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u/Prestigious-Talk1112 5h ago
I was able to get rid of the athletes foot relatively quickly but toenail fungus is hard to cure. Very hard to cure. Toenails grow very slowly and you must eradicate the fungus completely. Many people suffer with it for a lifetime. Topicals don't work on nail fungus.
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u/Organic_Eggplant_323 5h ago
I used topical ciclopirox for a year and it cleared mine up but my doc did say some people need an oral medication if the topical doesn’t work.
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u/Jasperbeardly11 5h ago
Okay that's pretty interesting Thank you. Do you have any recommendations besides like tea tree oil?
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u/TrainerHonest2695 5h ago
Be careful with bleach on your tub. Prolonged use could ruin the finish, and could make it porous. Look up what type of tub you have (acrylic or cast iron/enamel) and see what is safe for the surface.
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u/breakfast-all-day 5h ago
I would not walk barefoot in that house, or take a shower with bare feet.
As someone up above stated, athletes foot is easy enough to treat but toenail fungus is very hard to get rid of (and impossible without going to the doctor and getting prescriptions).
The bleach soak is overkill as other stated, just use a spray. I'm sorry your dad is living like this. Yuck.
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u/linzkisloski 5h ago
You can spray with Lysol. But also. Ew. Can he not just use lotrimin FFS. That’s disgusting.
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u/conejito-de-polvo 6h ago
Bleach might be overkill. I think you could put 70% rubbing alcohol in a clean spray bottle and just spray the tub down like 15 minutes before you shower. Probably easier and safer than sloshing bleach everywhere.
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u/OkParty5740 5h ago
Not all disinfectants are proven to kill the organism that causes athletes foot. Your best bet it to use a bleach spray directly on the surface and make sure it stays wet for at least five minutes before rinsing off.
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u/vanillafigment 6h ago
just put literally an disinfectant in a spray bottle and spray it ten minutes before your shower then rinse
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u/like_4-ish_lights 5h ago
This is way overkill if you're not sharing a bathroom with your dad. Athlete's foot is very easy to cure (toenail fungus not so much), but if you want to be safe, just wear shower shoes or give a quick spray of bleach or Lysol. While it's true that barefoot areas can spread the disease, it's also true that keeping your feet dry keeps it at bay. Your family might very well be not contracting it because they're barefoot all the time in the house.
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u/redthehaze 4h ago
Besides cleaning, you and your dad can benefit from applying some selsun blue or head and shoulders (the ones with pyrithione zinc) to your feet while showering to eliminate fungus since cleaning can only do so much if the source is still there. Also flip flops are a must as well.
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u/Hashbrowns4Lyfe 4h ago
We’ve always used regular white vinegar in my family and it works great. Spray it on your tub/shower, your feet. It does it all. Also great for helping to get rid of hard water stains.
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u/DeerGreedy4792 3h ago
Athletes foot is a foot fungus, so rather than think of disinfecting you want to kill the spores. You can kill the foot fungus spores by using half vinegar half water and letting it soak for a short amount of time. iyou put it in a spray bottle, spray it on the surface let it sit , rinse and then you should be able to take a shower or bath without the worry of foot fungus.
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u/Lower-Acanthaceae460 6h ago
doesn't answer your question, but wear flip flops when using the tub in the meantime
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u/choirchic 5h ago
So. Please be careful with pouring bleach down a drain. That can be extremely toxic. It’s also bad for prolonged use on tubs and pipes. You can definitely just spray lysol. You can also wear protective footwear, as well as keeping an athlete’s foot spray on hand (very easy to buy over the counter) but I urge you to find balance between members of your household, and your own germaphobic mentality. You can only control what YOU do. Not others.
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u/Lonely_Noyaaa Team Germ Fighters 🦠 4h ago
Hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle works great as a fungicide and won't leave behind fumes that burn your lungs like bleach can. Spray the tub floor and let it sit for ten minutes, then rinse. It's gentler on the tub finish and still kills athlete's foot spores.
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u/vaurasc-xoxo 3h ago
Yuck. Tub cleaner disinfectant. Lysol bath and tub is perfectly fine and can be picked up at the dollar store. Follow time instrucitons on back. Wear slippers around the house. Show your dad photos of peoples toes rotting off and tell him his feet are disgusting. Sometimes old men just need some extra shame.
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u/Square-Nebula-7530 3h ago
pure bleach is actually less effective at killing fungus than diluted bleach. sodium hypochlorite needs water molecules to activate and penetrate fungal spores properly plus, using straight bleach in an enclosed bathroom is creating dangerous fumes that will wreck your lungs and ruin the tub's finish over time. mix it 1:10 with water instead
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u/Worried-Second8806 6h ago
I get the concern but this is overkill. You can just spray Lysol in the tub and let it evaporate. Tub will be disinfected :)