Cleaning Your Home After A Lice Infestation: Do’s and Don’ts

If you are feeling that your head is itchy or your child is, it is important to check for lice. Itching is a major starting sign of lice.Your first priority should be to focus on the people and heads affected first. Go to a lice clinic to safely and efficiently treat the lice.  After a lice infestation, it is good to thoroughly clean your home. Once you’ve ensured you or your family is free of head lice, you’ll want to address any items in the house that may still harbor lice and eggs.

What To Do When Lice Are In Your Home 

Lice only spread from head to head contact, so you do not need to wash and vacuum everything in sight. The only concern you may have after a lice infestation are items that have touched the head directly. When checking for lice in your home there is a limited amount of objects that could still be carrying lice with them.

Possible Objects:

• A hairbrush that was used in the past 3 days
• A towel that was last used to dry your hair after a bath or shower
• Pillowcase (not the pillow itself; lice do not burrow)
• Stuffed animal or blanket used near the head
• Cloth seat back, like a car seat

To get rid of the possibility of another infestation you should use hot water when washing clothes, sheets, or stuffed animals. Hair brushes can be soaked in hot water to ensure any leftover lice or eggs are dead. Your seat back or car seat can be vacuumed and lint rolled. Any other objects you have concerns about, you can put them in a trash bag and do not use any items for three days.

The Don’ts of Cleaning

When checking for lice or looking for signs of lice, it is important to remember that you do not need to clean the whole house. Head lice lay their eggs only in the human head. They do not lay their eggs on our stuff, therefore there is no need to feel panicked that your home is going to become infested. When you or a member of your household receives a lice diagnosis, it is important to leave it to professionals and not get rid of everything. Fleas and bedbugs are the only parasites that require you to clean the whole house.

Get More Information and Get Help at Lice Clinics of America

If you start to see signs of lice on yourself or a family member, it is important to go to a lice clinic immediately. At Lice Clinics of America, we will safely and effectively rid the lice from the head. We can also help with any advice in regards to cleaning the home and the aftermath of an infestation. Come to our clinic in the Anderson area of South Carolina. We also have a clinic in Greenville, SC. Book an appointment today at our Anderson, South Carolina location.