How to Get Rid of Warts on Your Feet: 5 Ways

Plantar warts are harmless growths on your skin that are caused by the human papillomavirus infection, also known as HPV. Although they usually go away on their own, there are some natural ways to speed up this process, and 5-Minute Crafts would like to share them with you.

Warning: If your warts are solid brown or black, if they change their color and size, or if they keep coming back despite home treatments, you should see a dermatologist or foot specialist.

1. Use apple cider vinegar.

What to do:

• Make sure that the skin on your feet is clean and dry.
• File your wart with an emery board to allow a deeper penetration of the vinegar into the skin. Don’t file thoroughly, simply going over the wart once or twice will do.
• Take a cotton swab and soak it in the apple cider vinegar.
• Apply the cotton swab directly to your wart.
• Hold it there for a few seconds, then apply a drop of skin oil to nourish the skin.
• Repeat 2 times a day, in the morning and in the evening.

❗ Don’t hold the cotton swab on your wart for too long, otherwise, you can burn your skin.

Why it works:

✅ Vinegar kills some types of bacteria and viruses.

✅ It slowly peels the infected skin, which causes the wart to fall off.

✅ It stimulates your immune system and helps it fight the virus.

2. Apply duct tape.

What to do:

• Cut a small piece of silver duct tape and apply it directly to your wart, making sure that it covers the wart completely.
• 3-6 days later, remove the duct tape, soak the wart in water, scrub it with a pumice stone, and leave it uncovered for 10-12 hours.
• Repeat the process until the wart disappears.

❗ If you have sensitive skin, be careful when using duct tape. It may cause redness, rashes, and even bleeding.

Why it works:

✅ Duct tape protects your wart against friction.

✅ It provides some exfoliation when you remove it from the wart.

✅ It prevents the virus from spreading further by stopping the wart from coming into contact with other parts of your skin.

3. Try tea tree oil.

What to do:

• Mix 1-2 drops of tea tree oil with 12 drops of a carrier oil (almond oil or castor oil).
• Add 3-4 drops of the mixture to a cotton ball.
• Place the cotton ball on the wart for 5-10 minutes.
• Repeat 2-3 times a day.

❗ Tea tree oil should be used with caution by pregnant or breastfeeding women and by children as it may affect your hormonal activity.

Why it works:

✅ Tea tree oil kills bacteria and viruses.

✅ It boosts your immune system and helps fight warts.

✅ It also accelerates wound healing.

4. Apply salicylic acid.

What to do:

• Prepare your skin by soaking the affected foot in warm water for 10 minutes.
• Then gently remove the top layer of the skin on your wart with a pumice stone or emery board.
• Once the skin has dried, apply the salicylic acid to the wart.
• Repeat the process 2 times a day until the wart completely goes away.

Why it works:

✅ Salicylic acid exfoliates your skin cells over the wart.

✅ It may also trigger an immune response and help build healthy skin cells in the affected area.

5. Use garlic.

What to do:

• Take 1 clove of garlic, crush it up, and mix it with some water.
• Apply the mixture to your wart and cover it with a bandage.
• Repeat the process every day until the wart disappears.

Why it works:

✅ The main component of garlic, allicin, produces an antimicrobial effect by destroying enzymes in harmful pathogens.

✅ It also helps treat fungal and viral infections.