Apple Cider Vinegar UTI Bath Treatment: Does It Work?

Is an apple cider vinegar UTI treatment effective? Can it really help kill the bacteria responsible for causing the urinary tract infection?

Why try an apple cider vinegar uti treatment?

Approximately 50-60% of all women get at least one urinary tract infection (UTI) sometime in life. In fact, one in three will have one UTI with symptoms by age 24. (source) If you feel a burning sensation, can you get rid of it using home remedies?

More people are becoming aware of the dangers of taking antibiotics too often. So many are turning to natural antibiotics. That’s why more women are taking apple cider vinegar baths for a UTI.

Why the need for trying apple cider vinegar (ACV) in the first place? Isn’t preventing utis as simple as drinking a glass of cranberry juice?

Nope. Even though cranberry juice for years has been hyped, there is no proof that cranberry can cure a UTI. Maybe cran can help prevent one. But cure a UTI? Forget it. Besides, do you really need all that sugar from cranberry juice (31 grams per cup)?

One way to prevent UTIs naturally that’s been gaining in popularity is taking an apple cider vinegar bath.

And why not? After all, what can’t ACV do? There are dozens of benefits of apple cider vinegar. For instance, it has strong antibacterial properties. This makes it an effective acne fighter.

But when bacteria entering the urinary tract goes untreated, a kidney infection can result. Can ACV help once the immune system is under attack? Or is pouring some ACV in a bath with warm water only good for preventing UTIs?

This bring us to the question….

Does apple cider vinegar uti bath treatment work?

For many people, the answer is yes. However, there have been no research studies specifically on ACV for UTI bath treatments.

And not only is there no proof ACV baths cure UTIs, here’s an important disclaimer….

If you have a burning sensation or any other symptoms of a UTI for longer than 24 hours, go see a doctor.

Perhaps ACV can help kill some bacteria.

But if the UTI has progressed to the point of a kidney infection, ACV may not be of much benefit. That’s because the ACV in a bath doesn’t enter deep into your urinary tract. It’s not going to target the harmful bacteria in your urethra.

But that doesn’t mean taking a bath with the yeast-fighting acetic acid found in ACV can’t prevent a UTI. Unfortunately, there’s no clinical proof ACV for UTI baths work.

Yet, many studies (like this one and this one) prove ACV’s ability to kill bacteria and fungus. It makes sense then that a vinegar bath just might work.

This study says apple cider vinegar can help kill the bacteria, e. Coli. This type of bacteria is infamous for causing food poisoning. e. Coli. is also one of the most common causes of UTIs. Everybody has some e Coli in their gut. Most strains of it are harmless. But the bad ones can cause a UTI.

Apple cider vinegar UTI bath: How to take it

If you have pain in your urinary system including the bladder, take a 20-30 minute warm or hot bath. Add 1-2 cups of organic apple cider vinegar to the bathtub. Sit up in the tub with your knees up and apart. This way, the vinegar will easily enter the vaginal area.

Some people add freshly crushed garlic to the bath. Why garlic? It’s because garlic has strong antibacterial properties also.

White vinegar for UTI

For prevention, some natural health experts recommend drinking 1-2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar per day.

However, if you already have a UTI, some people suggest using white vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar.

As you might expect, there are also no research trials on white vinegar for UTIs.

But some online reports claim drinking a glass of white distilled vinegar helps get rid of a UTI naturally.

If you want to try this home remedy, be warned that not only is there no proof it works, it will also taste horrible.

One online testimonial claims after drinking white distilled vinegar:

“I was nauseous for about an hour and a half afterwards, and chased it with a couple of glasses of water.” She continues, “But, guess what? My symptoms were gone the next day, I swear to God.”

Granted, one testimonial does not mean that white vinegar will work for everyone with a UTI.

In fact, another testimonial on the same webpage says it not only does not work, it creates worse symptoms.

“I tried white vinegar and water for my bladder infection, and it did not work at all,” says ‘Laura’ from Ottawa.

“I put 2-3 tablespoons in a tall glass of water, then drank another glass of just water immediately afterwards. Maybe the infection was already too far along for the vinegar to be effective. But I just ended up with a sore throat and a vinegar taste in my mouth while I was sitting in the emergency room of the hospital at 1:00 am that morning.”

However, let’s get back to taking a bath for a UTI….

UTI bath remedy

According to this informational urine infection website, baths can indeed help with UTIs. The website recommends baths with Epsom salts, which contains magnesium.

To be clear, the website does not describe exactly how magnesium acts on UTI symptoms. However, it claims the magnesium in the Epsom salt soothes pain.  

The same website recommends this UTI bath soak for 20 minutes or longer. In fact, the author suggests taking this UTI bath 2-3 times per day. This, according to the author, instantly relieves bladder infection pain.

In addition to the Epsom Salts, you can also add some essential oils. However, a word of caution, do not use soaps or bubble baths with synthetic ingredients.

Chemicals may make your symptoms worse. Or, they may interfere with the healing of the Epsom Salt, apple cider vinegar and/or baking soda.

Apple Cider Vinegar for UTI pain

There are two common symptoms of UTIs: pain and frequent urination. However, UTIs can cause more problems than just pain and peeing a lot. In order to combat these symptoms, Dr. Oz has some suggestions.  

First, he recommends resetting the pH level of the bladder. “There’s evidence that three 8-ounce glasses of prune juice can help make your urine more acidic,” says Dr. Oz’s website.

However, if you can’t stomach prune juice, try a mixture of a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar mixed in with three tablespoons of water.

Here is one theory why apple cider vinegar can help treat UTI pain. The enzymes, and minerals prevent or even kill the bacteria that cause UTI pain.

If the bacteria in the urinary tract can’t grow, then at the very least, the UTI won’t get worse.

Using ACV Everyday As A Natural Antibiotic

Want to try apple cider vinegar as a natural preventative for a UTI? Here’s a simple way….

Just drink a little bit of it. Add 2 tbsp of it to 8 oz. water. To make it easier to drink, add honey or lemon juice and stir.

However, remember that to kill the bacteria, you’ll need to do this:

Drink the vinegar at least a few times a day for several days. Or at least until your symptoms are gone.

And don’t forget to manage your stress. In addition, urinate immediately after sex.

Also very important: avoid food and drinks with added sugars.

In fact, if you have a UTI, you may want to avoid most natural sugars all together. This is because bacteria multiply by feeding off of sugar.

Baking Soda Bath For UTI

It’s important not to feel bad if you get a UTI. It’s the most common infection. Some women even joke that UTIs are no worse than the common cold for the vagina. However, left untreated, infections are no laughing matter.

So keep that in mind before you try an ACV bath. Adding baking soda to a bath has also become a popular home remedy.

However, like ACV, there’s no proof baking soda in a bath can cure or prevent UTIs.

Trying the apple cider vinegar uti bath treatment: conclusion

It’s important to restate this fact: UTIs are typically located in the bladder or the urethra. When you take a bath, water doesn’t enter your urethra. So drinking ACV may be better than bathing in it.

If you’re getting frequent UTIs and you don’t want to take antibiotics again, change your diet. Ditch the simple carbs (bread, bagels, etc) that turn into sugar. Cut down on wine and beer. Eat way more green leafy veggies. Drink a tiny bit of organic ACV every day.

Maybe then, you’ll be able to naturally prevent UTIs with ACV.