Sock It to Me

Laundering at high temperatures will help to prevent recurrences of onychomycosis.

Recurrences of toenail onychomycosis are common. From where do the new infecting fungi come? Some people believe dormant spores in stockings or shoes may contain fungal organisms ready to re-infect their wearer.

To see if laundering of socks killed fungi, an Israeli group collected socks from 81 subjects with onychomycosis and tinea pedis. Samples of fabric from the toe and heel areas were washed with domestic detergent and water at either 40ºC or 60ºC in a domestic washing machine. Each laundered sample and each unlaundered control sample were dried and cultured on Sabouraud's dextrose agar without antibiotics. Cultures from 40 of 81 unwashed sock toe samples isolated Trichophyton species, with or without other organisms, as did 36 of 81 sa…

Reviewing Author

Mark V. Dahl, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory board Ulthera, Inc.; AuBio LifeSciences, LLC; Paris Therapeutics

Equity Elorac, Inc.; Makucell, Inc.; Paris Therapeutics

Editorial boards UpToDate

Leadership positions in professional societiesNational Rosacea Society (Chairman, Medical Board)