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Cold sores and bleach

Submitted by Nefertete

I used to be plagued for many years by cold sores on my lip. No longer!

Once you feel that familiar first tingling sensation, immediately grab a Q-tip, moisten it with water and then dip it in full-strength bleach. Squeeze the Q-tip so that it's just moist with the bleach solution. Then, place the Q-tip against the tingling area. Hold it there for about 3 minutes. Your cold sore won't develop!!

Why does this method work? Simple. Bleach kills EVERYTHING - including viruses. And, bleach is a gas. It penetrates through the surface of your skin and gets to the virus - NOW. When you use this method ASAP upon feeling that first tingle, the virus will not have a chance to reproduce. It's the offspring of those first ones that do the real damage.

And, the good news is that the diluted bleach will not harm your skin tissue. At worst, you might simply have a very slight abrasion. But, I had no marks or ill effects whatsoever from this treatment. However, a tiny abrasion from the bleach solution is far, far better than the cold sore, don't you think?

Visitors comments

Highlighting needed in Parent post - dip in water first!! Comments By: Your mom on 2004-08-20 2nd Sentance: Once you feel that familiar first tingling sensation, immediately grab a Q-tip, <b>_moisten_it_with_water</b> and then dip it in full-strength bleach. Add: There you have it. Diluted bleach solution on a stick. Some people just might miss it on the first run through and put full strength blean in their mouth.... Not good. Just being cautious. <p> TipKing Says: Thank you very much for advising this. I have highlighted the section   Helped immediately Comments By: Anon on 2004-11-21 I had bad ones coming on both corners of lip and mid-lip. This seemed to stop them dead in their tracks. mild redness lingered for a few days and crack at corner of mouth but no pain, they finally dried up also. I just kept doing the q-tip thing. Thanks!   ULTIMATE BURNING SENSATION!!!!! Comments By: Anon on 2004-12-27 OUCH! OUCH! OUCH!. This really stings and burns all at the same time. I already see results. the redness isn't spreading like it normally does. Hopefully there is a lot to gain after all of this pain!!!   Finally, a "fix"!! Comments By: Stacy on 2005-01-23 A friend told me about putting bleach on your fever blister as soon as you feel the tingling. I wasn't so sure.... a few days later, I felt that familiar tingling. I got some bleach and put it on a rag and held it on my lip for 4-5 minutes and it never came out, only a small scab. I could not believe it!! It worked for my husband too!! If only I had known about this 30 years ago!!!!!   hmmm Comments By: robert on 2005-04-06 Im not sure if this works, But im trying it. I was going to try the asprin and bleach mixed paste but i couldnt find the asprin :(   Awesome remedy! Comments By: Andi on 2005-07-24 Also, you can use ammonia. It sounds weird but it does just the same as bleach and it doesn't hurt quite as bad. The only thing is having to smell the ammonia all day on your lip; which kind of stinks. I work at a hospital and even bleach doesn't kill most viruses and infections. Ammonia does, however. Isn't that odd? So to sterilize the surgical rooms, they spray an ammonia mix all over. Try it, I promise it works!   Bleach...maybe? Comments By: Justin's Gurl on 2006-07-12 I have tried every home remedy there is and nothing has worked for me. Although I'm a little skeptical of the whole bleach thing there is nothing for me to lose, because I'm desperate for this thing to go away. They always seem to pop up in the worst times. If the bleach does work believe me I will be thrilled to tell you guys all about it. Ofcourse it will sting, but would you rather have it sting for a couple of minutes or suffer days of embarrasment?!! Thank you guys for the good advice!!!!!   Not sure yet.... Comments By: H on 2007-02-10 I just tried this last night. I felt the tingling sensation in the corner of my mouth....immediately after just getting over one already. Been getting them my ENTIRE life & sometimes I just wont leave the house...they get so bad. Anyway...last night & then all day today I've been applying bleach & I think it might be working. Normally by now I'd have a full blown blistery, bubbly sore but it hasn't reached that stage at all. It still hurts but definitely seems to be killing it...otherwise by now I'd have a huge clump of blisters. Hope it goes away. Anyone have any tips on getting rid of the scabs once it reaches that stage? Thats what I seem to have the problem with lately...I'm sure it doesn't help that I pick at them either...   Very important remedy 4 desperate ppl Comments By: redants on 2007-08-24 hi.if your like me,your cold sores appear jus before a very important event anu hate that.i woke up one morning with a cold sore.it wasnt yet formed yet but i felt the tingle.now this is what i did and i promise you that your cold sore will be gone in just 2-3 days.when i first feel the tingle i put an ice cube in paper towel and hold it there 2 numb the lip without removing it until the ice melts.after this i take a hot tea bag an place it on the area,.it will cool very quickly so u can repeat the process as often as u like.after that place some aloe vera on it an let it dry.then take the q-tip an do as above an apply as often as u like.when thats done.u can place witch hazel 2 soothe the area and finaly some ear wax.its gross but it works wonders.this is all from a half day experience.then u shud know wat will happen in 2 days following this process.gud luck.   no more cold sore! Comments By: anon on 2007-11-12 yey! this did actually work , dont get me wrong it hurt but it has stopped my cold sore developing. Its a bit scabby now but nothing like a coldsore, but just make sure you dont get the bleach on your actual skin becuase i did and it burned me!! but this is the thing to do if you dont want a coldsore! thankyouuu   Bleach Comments By: Roy on 2008-01-23 I've been doing this for years, except I use full strength bleach. It will also work once the blisters are formed, but it will form a bit of a scab thereafter. But, on the bright side, it kills all virus particles dead, dries up the area and you get to the scabbing stage of the outbreak cycle that day. By the way, I used to be a wrestler who got ring work from time to time---the bleach on a q-tip also works for ring worm.   Burns!! Comments By: Jen on 2008-04-07 This didn't help for me, I dipped the q-tip in wanter first and only held it on for a sec. and my lip is HUGE and I am getting married in 4 days! Hope the swelling and redness goes down.   bleach causes my cold sores! Comments By: looking for the cause on 2008-05-07 I was researching trying to figure out why every time I use bleach I get a cold sore when I came across this cure tip. I wish I could say that it is the miracle cure everyone on this blog have found it to be. Just using it to sanitize hard surfaces or laundry causes me to get a cold sore.   Bleach on Q-tip Comments By: Amy on 2008-05-26 This is the most rocking thing I've ever tried!!!! Thank you soooo much. Everytime I sunbathe I get one under my nose or on my lip,been like that all my life. Thanks.   HOLY COW!!!!! Comments By: MECHELE on 2008-07-20 IMMEDIATELY AFTER TRYING THIS, MY SORES SWELLED TREMENDOUSLY AND GREW RAPIDLY. I WAS TRYING SOME STUFF I FOUND ON THE INTERNET CALLED ALL STOP. THIS IS A TREATMENT FOR DRYING UP POISON OAK,IVY AND SUMAC...I AM GOING BACK TO THIS TREATMENT IMMEDIATELY...IT SEEMS TO KEEP IT AT BAY UNTIL IT IS GONE AND SOMETIMES KEEPS IT FROM SPREADING...I HOPE ONE DAY TO SEE A REAL CURE FOR THIS AWFUL THING...GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU SUFFERERS OUT THERE.   a cure at last Comments By: debbie on 2008-07-28 i have suffered cold sores since a little girl (for 40 years) i thought, hey, nothing to loose here, so tried the bleach stick method. WOW thank you so much, dried and gone in 2 days, no more expensive creams that dont work.   It worked instantly Comments By: John on 2008-09-21 I had the blisters develop over night after putting on abreva all all day. the creams had been doing anything all day except let the blisters get worse. I found your remedy and tried it. within three minutes the blisters popped wich burned but it actually did something. It already looks like they are going away. AMAZING!!! I also wish I had read this 20 years ago.   hope it works Comments By: Jen on 2008-10-03 I hope this work i was reading about the bleach and water. So i decided to try it out and hopefully if it works nomore waisting money on medication. i am just praying it goes away. I got them sincei was little and always been embarrassed to go out or even go to work, and i am 26 now. I hate getting them they are so painful.   Bleach/Germolene Comments By: James Wall on 2008-10-06 I have just applied bleach and water formula to my dreaded coldsaw and it does feel a bit better already after like 5 mins. i let the bleach forula dry then applied a coating of germolene antiseptic cream and im goin to go to sleep. i shall keep u updated in the morning :)   Using aftershave Comments By: Anon on 2008-11-05 i usually use aftershave on my coldsores, i woke up the other day and i had a coldsore on my top lip near the middle under my nose. i would usually use aftershave as soon as i felt the tingle but because the blisters were already there basically had to expose the coldsore by popping the blister then applying the aftershave instantly with clean hands. this usually works for me in 2-4 days depending on how large the cold sore is. I think I am going to try the bleach method as it seems to be working quite well with other people.   just did it Comments By: Anna on 2008-11-19 yesterday morning i woke up with 5 HUGE cold sores on my right upper lip and i just did the bleach thing i got a cap and mixed a little bit of water with alot of bleach then used toilet paper to get it on the bisters, because i couldnt find q tips..but it busted the cold sores, and no my lip is HUGE..but it has been all day...im just waiting to see what it does...ill keep you updated   skeptic Comments By: jackie on 2008-12-07 ok..like the rest of yourom theses horrid beasts.....i really hope this works...fingers crossed   At my wits end. Comments By: hurtin lips on 2008-12-08 I tried the bleach while at work and it made the blister itself go away but then my lip swelled like a mo fo and was very, very red. I got home and decided to try everything else I had read. I used peroxide, which just seemed to turn the whole sore a nasty white, then I used nail polish removed which did dry it out, but doesn't last too long. I also used salt throught the day and scrubbed it in every so often. I then tried arm and hammer toothpaste but it just seemed to make it start to swell again. At my wits end I decided to dip my finger in the nail polish remover and then in crushed salt. I held that in my lip for about a minute but just left the salt on. I can feel something happening, I am not gonna lie, it's stinging like a bitch, but hopefully it works. And hopefully I haven't made it worse by trying EVERYTHING.... Lol   I really hope this works Comments By: braceface on 2009-02-01 hey woke up this morning shocked i thought it would never come back my last one was FEB last year now its back same spot, anyway I tried the bleach and pray too God it works this is my only hope or I will have to wait 7 whole days,its burning but I will do anything to stop embarrasment.   going crazy here Comments By: lindz on 2009-01-24 I haven't done it as yet....the idea of it doesn't sit with me very well!!! but im starting to go more crazy about having this thing on my lip any longer!! Its so sore already im just not sure I could take much more pain by adding bleach!!   getting started ... Comments By: kitty on 2009-01-05 so this morning i woke up with the nasty bump, obviously a cold sore and dredding the day. so i've heard of the salt method which worked last time, just dip your finger in water then salt then on the sore. i used that about 4 times this morning of about 2 hours. at school i put lipactin on it about once every hour and a half. i came home and it was gross. 3 tiny bumps on my lip with little white tips. so the day goes on and its about 11 pm and i looked up a remedy because i dont think i can stand another day of this. sooo i tried the bleach method: filled the cap with bleach, ran the qtip under the sink tap to get it wet, then dipped it in bleach, shook it off so it wasnt dripping then held it on my sore for 3 straight mins. the white bumps are gone, for now. lets hope they stay gone. ill update tomorrow on my success or trubles. and if anyone reads this and im doing this wrong LET ME KNOW. i hate these things.   day 2 Comments By: kitty on 2009-01-06 alright, ive done this bleach trick 2 times since i've last wrote and its looking the same as it did when i did it the first time. it looks like its not going down and is staying the same size and redness buuut it looks like its tiny scabbing and hopefully it will be going down. its definatly dried out now, so is that the secret to make cold sores go away ? dry it out and it'll go away ? or do i have to attack it when its dried   PLEASE DO NOT PUT BLEACH, OR NAIL POLISH OR PEROXIDE PLEASE Comments By: BRACEFACE on 2009-02-07 I HAD A COLD SORE OR BLISTER ON MY LIP SUNDAY YRIED ALL THATS LISTED ABOVE MY LIP SWELL UP THE SIZE OF A DAM GRAPE GOT SOOOOOOOOO RED I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST SWELLING WELL GUESS WHAT THE THING SPEAD TO THE SIZE OF THE GRAPE AND I PROMISE U I STAYED IN THE HOUSE FOR A WHOLE WEEK,TOMORROWS SUNDAY AGAIN AND ITS GONE DOWN TO THE SIZE OF A STRAW HOLE, I RECOMMEND VALTREX AND ABREVA JUST IN CASE I WILL NEVER TRY BLEACH ECT. AGAIN PLEASE LISTEN TO ME THIS HAS BEEN A TERRIBLE EXPERINCE IMAGINE STYING IN THE HOUSE A WHOLE 7 DAYS, NO SUNSHINE NO RAN NO NOTHING!THANK GOD ITS OVER GOING GET A PERSCIPTION IF I WERE U I'D DO THE SAME.   Only thing thats ever worked for me... Comments By: H on 2009-02-09 I read & tried this bleach tip about 2 years ago & I haven't had a cold sore since! The trick is to put the bleach on the spot BEFORE the cold sore fully forms...the earlier, the better. Has worked ever since for me. Not that painful....although you might see a little redness....totally worth it though...this has been an absolute miracle for me.....wish I'd have known this years ago!!   3 years Comments By: b on 2009-02-16 I've used this method for three years. The people who say there's a hole the size of a straw have used WAY too much. Wet the Q-tip, pour a little bleach in the cap and dip it in, THEN I very quickly run it through water again. Hold it to the spot 30 seconds MAX.   Comments By: sean on 2009-03-10 I've had these cold sores for years too and they are sooo anoying. Been to different drs. but they are just cold sores from stress & not resting enough. As in terms of cures, do not apply chapsticks or lip balms cause they will make it worse. I always clean the area with some alcohol when I feel the tingling sensation or even when I have a sore. The alcohol keeps the area dry & presents the sore from forming somehow. Do not use toothpaste, it will swell up the sore, salt will cause more blisters (Doesn't work for me). I have't try the bleach+water yet but after reading few of the commnents here, I think it is useful before an outbreak, whereas using it after the outbreak causes an adverse reaction (Huge Lips). The fact of rubbing Ice on the sore is to ease the pain in case the sore is painful, especially good to do at the onset of a sore about every 10 minutes for an hr. The ice kind of prevents viruses from the nerve to the skin. Another good remedie for this is Aloe. Rubbing the juice from an Aloe plant on the sore also helps curing and preventing sores in the future. By the way, Vaseline will also help ease cracking and dryness but do not apply it on the sore or it will last longer. Apply the vaseline after the sore is gone on the dry spots. Not to forget ppl, your diet and hygiene are also important! Consume lots of vitamin C (Grapefruit is great), drink lots of clear fluids, thoroughly wash hands to avoid other outbreaks, always replace toothbrushes and apply sunscreen (at least 15 SPF) on lips before being exposed to the sun. Hope this somehow helps...   DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS LUNATIC!!!! Comments By: ANON on 2009-03-11 I AM CAUTIONING ANYBODY WHO IS EVEN SIMPLY THINKING ABOUT TRYING THIS OUT. DO NOT DO IT!!!!! THIS IS ONE OF THOSE PRANKS WHICH UNFORTUNATELY MAY BE FALSELY REGARDED AS CREDIBLE "HOME" SCIENCE BY UNSUSPECTING SUFFERERS. Being the idiot that I am, I tried this remedy and found my cold sore TWICE the size with BURN MARKS ALL AROUND IT from the bleach. I had been so desperate for a solution and wanted to get back to work ASAP but this has simply made my situation worse. My suggestion is simply to get Valtrex and combine it with some other agent (Lysine, Zinc, Echinacea, Abreva, Zovirax etc. Or even Ice, green tea etc etc) in order to limit replication of the damn virus. At least these are proven methods and they WILL NOT HARM YOU OR YOUR SKIN LIKE THIS BLEACH DID TO MINE. I HOPE WHOEVER POSTED THE ORIGINAL REMEDY GETS WHAT'S COMING TO THEM.   Follow Up Comments By: Anon on 2009-03-12 Just following up on the above post that I submitted yesterday. The whole bleach thing has resulted in a 1st degree chemical burn which will take approximately 1 month to heal at the earliest. While I hate cold sores, at least they only last for one week. I can only blame myself for listening to this can of bullsh*t in the first place. Now I have to miss more days of work and risk the possibility of permanent scarring due to this bleach burn. Please take care before acting on ridiculous home remedies that are now running rampant on the internet.   using bleach on cold sores Comments By: kayla on 2009-03-23 I just tried this method and it seems to be working. My cold sore has gone down and the blisters have popped. It trobbed for a while but after 3-4 mins it stopped. I only kept it on the sore and didnt touch my skin and I can safely say that I didnt get burnt (as some have said they did) I would recommend giving it a go as I am very pleased with the results.   Straight up Comments By: no name on 2009-04-06 So basically i though okay how about i put bleach on my face. so i figured for some kind of insurance i would look it up first. i found this. it works thank god i found this cause i was ganna put straight bleach haha. well thank dude this works.   WTH Anon Comments By: Cynic on 2009-04-21 Haven't tried this as yet, may use dilute Milton instead of the ambiguous "bleach". Anon, WOT, what concentration of bleach were you using to get a chemical burn? COMMON SENSE PPL KTHNXBYE   This has worked for me for years!! Comments By: Pat on 2009-05-08 I learned this from my father and mother who have been using bleach (not water and bleach, just full strength bleach) on their cold sores since I was a kid (now I have kids). It works, I actually hold the q-tip on my lip for a looong time - 10-15 minutes until the tingling and pain goes away. Not suggesting this for you, but it's what I learned and do. It creates a small red chemical burn, but it's smaller than the blister would have been and ends up healing in about 2-3 days, not 2-3 weeks.   BURNS LIKE HELL! Comments By: chrissy on 2009-05-11 NOT SURE IF THIS WORKS YET, I FELT A SORE COMNG ON, PUT THE BLEACH ON IT..NOW IM SOOTHING IT W/ ICE...i cant take pain && i have a date in two days!!!   Hell Yeah!!! Comments By: Nakeya on 2009-06-22 Hell yeah it works!!! It didnt clear it up yet but it dried it out and dat was less den 24 hours... I followed da direction given but i kept it on der a lil longer i think it varies per person plus mines was past da tingling feelon my cold sore was der full blown i still have a bump and a lil lil swellin but it dnt look as bad so i hope it works 4 whoeva reads dis next   best thing iv used so far. Comments By: amanda starr(; on 2009-07-08 I had been using the tea bags all that did was keep it small then i used tea tree oil..nothing. and my mother-n-law had suggested bleach and i decided to see what other people thought and everyone on here says its good. so I'm trying it now. hopefully in the morning it will be smaller if not gone, thanks for the advice!(:   COLD SORE REMEDY Comments By: lizzi on 2009-07-13 I have suffering from these EVIL things since I was a child. I have tried everything under the sun from over the counter products and homeopathic remedies. I woke up with one today and it ruined my whole day, because when I get one I feel like I have the flu. And the pain from it is non-stop and unbearable. I do not know what prompted me to think of bleach but I did so I decided to google it before I tried it. I have to say IT WORKS!!!!! For me anyway. The blisters have popped and yes the area is a little red and yes it did sting but not as bad as putting salt on it. This definitely works. And I DO recommend it. I would imagine that everyone is different and you have sensitive skin be cautious. But definitely give it a try. What do you have to lose.   Lysine, Releev, vitamin E and Erpace Comments By: David on 2009-08-18 Hi all. Both my gf and I suffer from coldsores and have done for years. The bleach remedy sounds very risky to me! I've found that by taking lysine it really cuts down the outbreaks. I don't take it every day so I don't build up a dependency on it. If I do get one then i increase the dose to 5000mg a day and use a combination or releev and erpace on it. Both our herbal remedies as opposed to zovirax. I've also found that liquid vitamin E can really help.   ummm damn Comments By: Mark on 2009-08-20 This is the third time I got cold sore and I ran into this tip. I tried it and uhh well i misread it and I didnt moisten the qtip with water it was just full strenght bleach and man it hurt I pressed it there for like 4-5 mins and it damn lol then I soaked another qtip and rubbing alcohol and pressed it there for another five minutes and then covered it up with abreva. umm is that enough to kill the virus? and also every time I apply abreva I clean the sore with qtip soaked in rubbing alcohol. and would the virus spread if i take a regular shower? Ever since I caught cold sore last year I have been just showering my body then I do my head after and i clean my face with a face cloth.   Not sure yet :/ Comments By: Nikki on 2009-08-20 I applied the diluted bleach to my cold sore yesterday morning after reading this tip. Finally I thought ''Yes, a cure!'', but after about 3hours of burning, my lip swelled up to twice the size it was already swollen to, and ive been left with a hideous scab. But it usually takes my cold sores 2-3days to reach the 'scab stage', so maybe this has knocked off a few days of torture and embarressment. I shall have to wait and see, hopefully it will clear within the next few days, and I hope to God there will be no scar after. Whether or not to recommend this im not certain. If you have the patience to deal with several hours of burning on your lip, then go ahead and try it out, the results are different for everyone. But I dont think I'll be using this treatment again.   uhh Comments By: brit on 2009-09-04 this did work for me but you have to be VERY carefull where u apply the bleach!! i wanted it gone so bad, i just pressed it hard to my coldsore, NOT A GOOD IDEA!!!! put it in the EXACT spot of ur coldsore, or ull have a brownish burn on ur face like me :(   gona giv it a go! Comments By: angie on 2009-10-14 just got a cold sore developing and am gona try the bleach thing.felt my lip tingle early this morning and put a cold sore patch on strate away but its stil swelling.   RUBBING ALCOHOL Comments By: MICHELLE SMITH on 2009-11-09 DUH I USE RUBBING ALCOHOL WIPES I HAD COLD SORES FOR ELEVEN YEARS AND WHEN I FEEL THE TINGLE I PUT RUBBING ALCOHOL WIPE ON THEM JUST WIPE IT WHERE IT IS. DNT RUB IT, THAT WILL MAKE IT BUST. I DNT KNOW ABOUT THE BLEACH I THINK IT WLD MAKE IT COME BACK CAUSED I USED BLEACH TO DYE MY HAIR ON FACE AND CAUSES COLD SORES JUST LIKE CITRIC ACID, SUN, TANNING BEDS, ANY FACE WASH WITH ACID CAN CAUSE COLD SORES, EVENS STRESS. BUT U CAN CARRY THE RUBBING ALCOHOL WIPES ON U ANYWHERE WHEN U FEEL THE TINGLE RUB IT ON THERE   WORKED FOR ME Comments By: Anon on 2009-11-13 So, I thought the same thing. I developed the little bumps and did not want to go through the 3 weeks of dealing with it. So, I was like, what about bleach. I found this yesterday and decided to try it. I went home yesterday, got a q-tip, put some water on it then bleach. Put the q-tip on the affected area for about 2 minutes. It burned a little. Then after it dried I applied some abreva. 2 hrs later I already saw a difference. Then i did the same thing a few hours later before bed. Woke up this morning and they are almost completely gone. there is a little tine scab. So, I am going to do it one more time tonight and see if that completely gets rid of them. THIS IS AMAZING! Forget about getting expensive creams or medication. This really works. Oh i also put some ice on the area for a little to bring down any swelling.   Ouchy Comments By: Lyn on 2009-11-30 Is all that tingling supposed to happen?When the bleached q tip is placed on the blister, it feels like my blister is having a party inside my lip! Hopefully its all the little blister baby's suffering and DYING! I hate them, kill the little suckers...LOL Stay tuned, I'll let ya know what happens.   do not use bleach Comments By: peewee on 2009-12-10 i used bleach and my mouth got so swollen and infected, now anything i use burns and it still looks inflammed. not worth it trust me!!!!   AMazzINg!!! Comments By: Jenn on 2010-01-05 i tried it and i had a HUGE cold sore then it like dried it and it shrunk!!! yay   Bleach works - only let it touch your lips, not skin! Comments By: good luck! on 2010-01-05 Works very well for me, and I keep contact with the sore until the burning ceases and my lip numbs. I just make sure it doesn't touch my skin around my lips or it will swell and redden (chemical burn).   do it with caution!! Comments By: jason on 2010-01-06 The bleach burns the blister. prevents it from forming!! I take L- lysine now and as long as I take it on a daily basis I do not have breakouts..   OMG! Comments By: Katie on 2010-01-14 So, i got this new boyfriend, who i've been dying to go out with, and i got a cold sore! I've had one for like two weeks now, and it sucked. SO, i put bleach on it, and IT WORKS! It was all dry and cracky, and it hurt so bad, but then i put the bleach on it, and it's not cracky and doesn't hurt anymore. I used laundry bleach, hahaha. This saved my life!   Very Helpful Use caution Comments By: Diane on 2010-01-22 OK so like most of you guys always dealt with cold sores. I've used the popping method don't do anymore they tend to spread when you pop them. I resorted to expensive medicated cremes maybe cuts the healing time by a day or so. Doing some research came across the bleach method. Skeptical Last night started feeling a tenderness on my left bottom lip took some lysine 1000mg. Woke up this morning full size blisters. So I figured I've tried just about everything else. Used water and bleach on a gauze strip applied to my lip. The blister popped and well 15 min later my sore is dried up and looks to be scabbing!! I'm going to do it again tonight before bed. Just be careful not to get on skin..   Hurts so good! Comments By: Misty on 2010-01-22 Alright so I'm almost 16 and I've suffered from cold sores since pretty much the dawn of time... I've had numerous prescriptions, went through tube after tube of Abreva, and nothing seemed to work. Even the ever-popular "salt on the sore trick" didn't seem to help. So finally today I woke up with a full-blown cold sore on my upper lip and decided to look for some other ideas. A already take L-lysine tablets as well as vitamin C and a multivitamin so I'm pretty sure nutrition/ vitamin intake is not my problem. I saw this post about putting bleach on the sore and I was skeptical. However, after reading so many positive comments, I decided to try it. IT'S AMAZING! I just wet a cotton square with some water and dabbed it on my cold sore. Then, I soaked a separate square in bleach. I held that on on for about 3-5 minutes. It burned really bad and made my lip get red and puffy, but the cold sore itch-pain-iwanthisthinggone feeling had subsided and the ooze had come out of the sore. After about at least a half hour my lip felt normal again and the sore was a faint scabish thing that I barely noticed. I then repeated the procedure and this time I put the water on the swab and then soaked it in the bleach and then held it on the cold sore. It burned, but not nearly as much. That was about 10 minutes ago and the swelling is pretty much gone and it's only a little red. IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AND ESPECIALLY FEEL BETTER, I RECOMMEND THIS METHOD 100% The burning is only temporary, and as is your sore. Good luck. I hope you found this helpful.   Better no more tingling... Comments By: Katie on 2010-03-30 I tried the bleach on a Qtip remedy tonight as after dinner I felt the burn of one coming on, it quite burning and tingling, then I put a dab of Tree Tree Oil on it, it feels better, hopefully it will be gone in the am, I also take Lysine every day for over 10 years, I have suffered with cold sores/fever blisters since 1st grade, Im 48 yrs old. Tried everything on the market and have a Valtrex prescription, but I am out of refills got one on 3-17 and need more pills, so I tried the bleach trick and it feels better. Thank you so much   Thanks! Comments By: JonB on 2010-04-03 Started getting the tingling feeling yesterday evening on my top lip. This morning I could see three tiny bubbles forming so I thought I'd give the bleach tip a try this evening. Dabbed some on top of the bubbles, repeated twice over two hours, bubbles have since 'popped', had very slight bleed/water discharge, but now, three hours later, the bubbles have gone as well as the tingling. I have a red patch and slight swelling on the top lip, but hopefully this will subside within a day, unlike a cold sore that usually lasts up to 10 days with me. If this works, I'll be so chuffed!   This works but stings! Comments By: sassysocialite on 2010-04-21 I had a mega cold sore that spread from my upper lip to my inner nostril. I was desparate to get rid of it because I felt like it was the center of attention when I entered a room. (which it probably was since it had it's own zip code)! I read this and thought oh well what could it hurt to try. I immediately grabbed my bleach and headed to the sink. I carefully soaked the q-tip in water then quickly plunged it in the bleach and began to wipe my cold sore for a period of 5 minutes. When I was done I rinsed my face well and started to feel a sting. I checked the mirror 10 minutes later and my cold sore was already shrinking. It's my opinion that the sting is worth the risk to rid yourself of that nasty beast invading your face and killing your social life!   nice! Comments By: nick on 2010-05-05 definatly going to try this. too bad i didnt know about it before i went out and spent $18 on a tiny tube of Abreva.   50/50 outcome Comments By: Mrs. H on 2010-05-22 I have been plegued with cold sore's since I was a teenager. recently I had followed a prosedure, of alternating between, proxide, rubbing alcohol, and abreva. Following this methode, I cut down the virus time by a few days. Just the other day (thursday) I felt another one creep up. I never get the tingly feeling I just wake up with blisters. At the moment I have nothing to put on it and no money to buy anything. I looked up home remedies and found this post. I know bleach is poison, and your not supposed to apply it to your skin, but my skin is pretty tough, so I figured what the heck. I applied straight bleach on a twisted piece of toilets paper (no q-tips) and pressed it to my sore. It did not hurt like I expected, it didn't even really sting?? The result however is sitting on the fence. The actual sore I have to admit has decreased in size dramaticly!!! The Bleach did dry up the area and crusted it almost right away! It is now saturday, and the sore is almost completely gone :)it's only been three days!!! My cold sores usually last for weeks, so to me this is a major mirical! However the down side is, I think I may have had an alergic reaction to the bleach, because the corner of my mouth is VERY swelled! almost looks like a bee sting. The swelling has gone down some but yesterday it just felt awfull! I guess in the end it is worth the bit of swelling and pain, to have the hideous sore gone. But bleach is not something I would nessarly suggest to someone. ANYONE with sensitive skin should NOT apply bleach to their skin! The bleach works, but is best left as a last resort methode. And I don't think straight bleach is a good idea. dilute it with water first!! So Happy my cold is almost gone, I have a event monday and is should be 100% gone by then WOO HOO. P.s. I am a real person living in ontario canada, I am not a hoax and I did try this methode and it worked some what for me. If you feel the need to try it to, use at your own risk, and don't hate me if something bad happens. (I'm sorry if it does) GOOD LUCK TO ALL FELLOW COLD SORE SUFFERES   works wonders for me Comments By: jane on 2010-06-15 well, I definitely think it works, at least for me. I tried the peroxide, toothpaste with salt and the usual over the counter stuff too. Nothing dramatic happened. I was scared of bleach because, hey, lets face it, it's bleach! You use that stuff to clean harsh stuff like bathrooms and all! But, I remembered, how a couple of months ago, I used it to get rid of a toe fungus that was starting to develop, and eventhough the lower lip is much different from a toe nail... I gave it a try. So, 5 minutes after applying it as it's supposed to (q tip, moisten with water and then bleach) it was all dry. It was an open sore already, and the toothpaste with salt and peroxide left my lip very swollen, but it started to reduce so dramatically I was just amazed. Its already showing a dry thin scab. Redness and swelling almost dissapeared by now, It's been 30 minutes. So go figure what will it be of that silly cold sore tomorrow! Yay! Back to my normal life!   up for the task Comments By: tay on 2010-07-09 i got cold sores 3 days ago and i have never been so sick in all my life. my girl friends dont hurt her but im almost ready to cut my lips off. no joke. i hope this works.   hopefully.. Comments By: anon.. on 2010-07-12 am DESPERATE cos my friends are planning a "surprise" bday party for me in 2 days.. neaaarly went for it with the bleach but after reading some of the horror stories above, i played it slightly safer and went for undiluted TCP. i soaked a little ball of cotton wool in it and pressed it to a blister on my lip and then after to a small cluster just above my lip(am nervous of the effects it'll have on ordinary skin ..) It stung slightly nut mostly just went numb. The pain was totally managable cos im so desperate. 10 mins later my upper lip which had been hugely swollen has gone way down. Hopefully by tomorrow this will have blistered and.. will nearly be gone? I think i may repeat this method in the morning if things are looking better.. will update soon. x   OWWW! Comments By: Hut Lip! on 2010-07-15 I have a q-tip to y face and it hurts! It seems like it's working! I have a date in a couple days so hopefully it's gone! Right now it's just a little red but still hurts! Keeping my fingers crossed!!! :)   Finally some relief!!! Comments By: Anon on 2010-07-20 I wasn't sure if I had poison or was getting a coldsore on my lip, but tried the bleach/water thing anyway. I think it may be poison since I have other spots on my arms and hands. Regardless, I tried the qtip trick and finally got relief from the itching. It it red, but feels sooo much better. We'll see what it looks like tomorrow!   Have a better one!!!! Comments By: Alexandra on 2010-09-17 I tried the nail polish remover but didnt quite work for me... i mixed it with Johnson's cornstarch baby powder, to make a paste, worked like a dream... I had a really bad cold and the rubbing of the tissue made my nose swell up with blister, my whole upper lip was swallen with cold sores, i have been putting the paste on for about 3 hours the blister are nearly gone... i'm left with a fat lip though.... better than blister :)   So Far Comments By: Nia on 2010-09-28 So Far SO Good Ive Tried The Salt nd Tooth Paste Meth tht Was Fine but, I Feel As Tho The Bleach Is Wrk My Family Said It Gone Down This is like my 2nd time in my whole life have a "cold sore" nd i Think It Came from my lip ring... Ugh! I Will Def Update 2morrow If Its Gone Or Not... *Crossing Fingers* I Hope It Is =)   Don't use Bleach, use vinegar Comments By: Mrs Lumby on 2010-09-29 Vinegar has been used for many things for centuries, from softening your towles in the wash to cleaning ur windows. I've been using vinegar on my cold sores for years, from the tingle, just dab some on the cold sore frequently through the day,as vinegar is acidic this dries it out so there is no blister forming, can also be used on a broken blister but it does sting. I have never had any swelling only slight redness from the vinegar, which goes quickly. Coldsore either does not appear or a tiny blister the size of a pin head comes up and dries and goes in about 2 days.   really? Comments By: bleach? on 2010-10-26 bleach...really...removes stains. Read cautionary statement on bottle. It says not to do this.   Trying Now!!! Comments By: Adrian on 2010-11-02 Everyone is Saying it Works. I aplied the bleach on for about 8 minutes and so far it looks a little swollen. Hopefully i will have a miracle story to tell later :)   This seems to be working. Very hopeful! Comments By: pieceofwork on 2010-11-15 I found this page during a recent outbreak and swore I would try bleach at the very beginning "next time." Well, OF COURSE, I only got over my last outbreak 10 days ago, and here I am again. I felt a tingle and ran to the bathroom to look in my magnifier mirror. I cursed. This did not help. I got a large ice cube, used a paper towel as a holder, and held the ice to my lip till it was completely melted. I then poured a very small amount of bleach into the cap of the bottle, soaked it up with a cotton ball, and dabbed it on my lip. Some stinging. Washed off my lip gently with lukewarm water and soap. Applied Abreva. Took 2 Valtrex (1 gram each) and 2 L-Lysine (1,000 mg each). Came back to this page and re-read. Re-examined lip in mirror. I could see a small white spot that was the start of a cold sore on my lip. It resembled a pimple, but it was not raised and was about the size of a head of a pin. I then switched to a Q-tip in bleach because I didn't want to burn the surrounding skin. I did not dilute at all. This time I held the Q-tip on the sore till it stung, took it off for a second, then re-applied. I did this a few times until I could see that my lip was red and was looking like there was some faint cracking. Thought, "that's enough!" Again washed off lip gently. A small bead of blood had formed where the white spot was. I dabbed it with a tissue, and that was that. Did something else for 15 minutes to get my mind off of it. Re-examined. No white spot, no blood, but my lip is just a little red and a little swollen. Applied Abreva. I will definitely come back and give an update in the morning -- but I think this has worked for me. On an added note, my last outbreak was severe, and I got the REALLY expensive prescription cream, Denavir, and had a horrible allergic reaction to it! I did not accuse the doctor of being a lunatic or of perpetuating a hoax. Come on people, everyone is different! I just know that bleach does kills just about anything, and I don't have sensitive skin as a general rule. I've also been elbow-deep in bleach water countless times throughout my life. I am willing to try anything to nip this awful virus in the bud! Oh we are desperate people!   anything worth a go Comments By: rachel on 2010-11-17 have the most hugest blistery coldsore and going out 2moro so prepared to try anything.read about the bleach and just tried it now...it made the blister sizzle away and im going to keep doing every 1 to 2 hrs.thanks for tip everyone   UPDATE: Five days later Comments By: pieceofwork on 2010-11-19 I recently posted a long detailed story of what I did the first night of tingle, which was Monday night (it is now Friday afternoon). I have concluded that following instructions EXACTLY is best. Q-tip in water first, then in bleach. I literally avoided the entire blistery stage this way! The next morning, my lip was red and swollen and looked like it was just dying to bust out into a zillion little blisters, so I used the diluted bleach on q-tip a couple more times. I was completely scabbed over 24 hours after the initial tingle, and the cold sore never got to a point where it was noticeable by passers by. However, I stopped using bleach once I scabbed over (anyone have input on this?), and this part of the healing process seems to be going at a normal pace. So...this is HALF the answer. Still, I have no doubt that I will be completely healed and kiss-ready no later than Monday...one week after the tingle began. Mine take 2-4 weeks to heal, so this is good. Plus, it never got way ugly and out of control. I continued to use Abreva, L-Lysine, and Valtrex the entire time. I'm seeing my doctor next week about going on preventative meds. I just have outbreaks far too often! But the bleach is a winner...definitely sent the virus into retreat mode. Thank you!   works Comments By: Anon on 2010-11-23 I wish i would have put bleach in/on my nose yesterday but better late -it hurts but I dabbed on full strength bleach on the blisters and red skin for a couple of seconds and in minutes it was feeling better. I will dab some more throughout the day and it does work. I am careful to treat only the affected area to avoid chemical burns.   So frustrated, hope this works. Comments By: ky on 2010-11-26 can take it anymore, no can I afford to miss any more work. I'm a bartender and mixing drinks with a huge cold sore on my face is not an option. I've never had a problem using bleach before, so I'm going to give it a whirl. I'll post again tomorrow with my results. Thanks for the hope, it alone is making me feel better.   rubby Comments By: nnn on 2010-12-13 It did cut the healing time in half and stop the itching right away .for those people who got a fat lip or burn you used way to much beach on the Q tip !! I just soaked the Q tip in water then quickly dabbed it into a very small amount of beach ( like 5 drops in the bottle cap of the beach bottle ) and squeeze the excess moisture out...... :) then on lip for 3 minutes or so and you are good :P   Ouch!!! Comments By: Anonymous on 2011-01-10 I tried bleach before and it burns so bad, but it definitely works, when is there going to be a real cure I'm tired of the pain and embarrassment   seems to be working Comments By: alex on 2011-01-18 I always suffer with horrendous coldsores on my top lip I've literally tried everything! I've just read through and thought I'd give it a go my coldsore is in the blistering stage so filled up a glass half way with hot water and quite a lot of bleach i dipped a piece of tissue in the glas and held it on my lip for a couple of minutes the blisters started to go down but my lipped swelled so I just filled a napkin with ice and placed it over my lip for another minute swelling has completely gone and so have the blisters now I just have a flat red patch which will probably scab tonight but I'm so impressed! One tip though I'd advise not pop the blisters! Thanks!   OMG YES! Comments By: Mike on 2011-02-21 I'll take the little bit of red skin OVER A BIG FAT SCAB ON MY FACE ANYDAY YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!! and OUUUUUUUUCH! :)   Works for me! Comments By: Jessica on 2011-04-14 This is the only thing that works for me! Yes it stings a little, but its a lot less painful than having a cold sore for a week! I tried salt & nail polish remover before, which gave me the worst cold sore of my life. At the first blister, I hold full strength bleach to it for a minute or so, it scabs up pretty much straight away. I have a red mark and a little scab for a few days but nothing that keeps me locked indoors!   Tried Comments By: Adrian on 2011-04-29 It Works Guys.. Be Cautious And Patient. Usually Heals To a Scab in about 12 Hours. Then You Apply Blue star Vaseline or Normal Vaseline. Good Luck.   Believe it or not Comments By: Bre on 2011-05-09 I dabbed some tissue in bleach squeezed it out and dabbed it on my cold sore. I gently washed it off with water about 30-45 seconds later. It was still jus cold sore bubbles so it wasn't an open sore yet...It's been one day and my cold sore has went from developin stages to a scab. A process wich usually takes in excess of a week. It worked like a charm. So effective it is unbelievable that it could put cold-sore medications to shame so thoroughly. I will never buy Abreva again. AMAZING. I can't tell you what to do if your wound is open because mine was not. But if it's developing use it. Try it!!   Don't pop the cold sore Comments By: Anna on 2011-06-23 Guys, whatever method you use, never pop the blisters, fluid inside of them is extremely contagious so you're just going to spread the virus even more   Great home remedy! Comments By: ljepica on 2011-06-28 I recently read about bleach and poison ivy. I decided to use it on my cold sore, figured it would kill viruses and dry it up. It's only been two days and the sore is already a scab. I used full strength bleach on a Q-tip, there was some swelling around the area but it went away. It also burned for few minutes but not too bad. Be careful, don't lick it and try to apply it only on the affected area few times a day. It works!   IT WORKS!!!! Comments By: mem1114 on 2011-08-18 I found this almost a year ago, and it does work!!! You have to catch it right when you feel it, or it will scab bad! But, it's better than going almost a week with a blister. If you get fever blisters like I do; Do not eat chocolate, nuts, or drink dark cola's, or get to nervous. All these things help fever blisters come out!   it works Comments By: floridagal on 2011-07-30 Been suffering for many years from cold sores on my lip and have tried almost everything. Out of desperation, I tried the bleach method and it worked. Almost immediately the itch was gone and the blister retreated. This is the ONLY thing that has worked immediately for me. Be careful though.   IT REALLY WORKS Comments By: TAMICA on 2011-08-15 HEY I BEEN USEING BLEACH ON MY BLISTERS SINCE I WAS 13 AND I'M 21 NOW I GET A QTIP DIP IT IN SOME BLEACH AND APPLY IT 2 THE BLISTER FOR 4 TO 5 SECS DEN I KEEP DOING IT EVERY OTHE HOUR IT WILL GET SCABBY I PILL DA SCABB OFF AND START APPLYING A&D OINTMENT IT WILL BE GONE IN 2 TO 3 DAYS TRUST ME   it works Comments By: kat on 2011-08-24 hi guys this method does really work...well it worked for me the last time....just woke up the morning with that horrible tingling feeling on my lip in which i diluted the bleach in water...now I've soaked a few Q-tips and put them in clingfilm...keep dabbing them every hour on my nasty coldsore hopefully tomorrow it will be gone!   A Method For the Swelling of Fever Blisters Comments By: Nikki Maxey on 2011-10-20 I too use alittle Bleach on a Q-Tip at the onset of a fever blister and it always prevents it from coming up. BUT, if you don't catch it at the tingling stage, don't panic. Its not too late, you can still use alittle bleach on it to kill the virus so that it won't spread. After you've done that, take Ibuprofen every 6 hours to keep the swelling down. It has helped me tremendously.