Listerine Foot Soak: Why It Works & How To Do It

When I originally encountered this Listerine foot soak, at first I had a hard time believing that anyone would actually soak their feet in Listerine! But if my years of blogging about home remedies have taught me anything, it’s that sometimes the wackiest ideas are the most effective, so I figured I should give it a try before writing off the idea entirely.

While I was fairly skeptical about using Listerine as a foot soak, I’m happy to report that this miracle foot soak actually works! After a 15-minute soak and a few minutes of filing, most of the thick dead skin was gone and my feet (and my heels most especially) were much softer and smoother. Just check out these before and after pictures:

While I do enjoy the occasional foot soak to soothe sore feet, knowing this foot soak with Listerine can also help to prevent and repair the dry cracked feet I’ve suffered from for most of my life is pretty great too! Here’s everything you need to know so you can try it at home.

Vinegar And Listerine Foot Soak: Recipe & How-To

Note: This Listerine foot soak recipe makes one quart of foot soak mixture. So you may want to double, triple, or quadruple the recipe, depending on the size of your foot bath.

1. Prepare The Foot Soak

Start by adding one cup of Original Listerine (or another yellow antiseptic mouthwash*), one cup of white vinegar, and two cups of warm water to a foot soaking bath. (Don’t have a foot bath? Any wide, shallow container that can fit both your feet in it will work!)

*Note: Bright blue or green menthol mouthwashes can have a tendency to stain skin. The stain fades quickly, but you can avoid potential stains entirely by using yellow mouthwash instead!

2. Soak Your Feet For 10-15 Minutes

Place your feet in the foot bath with the Listerine foot soak and relax for 10-15 minutes, or longer if you have a substantial buildup of dead skin. (For an antifungal effect, you can soak for up to one hour.)

3. Remove Dead Skin With A Foot File Or Pumice Stone

After soaking, use a foot file or pumice stone to remove the softened dead skin. Rinse your feet well, dry them off with a clean towel, and apply a generous amount of moisturizing lotion to your newly soft, smooth feet.

4. Repeat The Listerine Foot Soak As Needed

I found it easy to file off most of the dry skin after just one soak, and I have no doubt that a couple of repeat treatments will take care of the rest! If you suffer from dry, cracked heels like I do, I definitely recommend giving this a try — I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the results!

Other Benefits Of This Listerine Foot Soak

Soaking your feet in a diluted Listerine solution may also help with athlete’s foot and other fungal conditions. To eliminate foot fungus and toenail fungus, you should soak for 45 minutes to an hour, in order to allow more time for the vinegar and Listerine to soften your nails as well as your skin.

The vinegar in this soak has benefits too — the acetic acid can help kill yeast and bacteria, and may even aid in wound healing. (Don’t use Listerine or vinegar soaks if you have an active infection or open wounds, and stop using it and consult a doctor if you experience any skin irritation!)

Have you tried any foot soaks for dry, cracked heels and feet?