Head Lice Prevention

Head lice prevention and education can help stop the spread of head lice, especially among school aged children.

Here are some steps to take in order to prevent and control the spread of head lice.

  • Hot Wash Cycle.Thoroughly wash infected clothing in hot water (or discard altogether) because lice and their eggs often live on your clothing. When washing, set to the machine to at least 130 degrees and use the hot cycle when drying. Very important to eliminating body lice!
  • Plastic Bags.Use plastic bags to store items that cannot be washed. Generally, these lice cannot live without a host for more than 7 days, so hopefully keeping these contaminated items separated will help to kill them.
  • Vacuum. Be sure to vacuum the floor and furniture in all areas where the infested person sat or lay.
  • Basically, quarantine everything! Well, that's our suggestion :)

Things to AVOID:

  • Hair-to-hair or head-to-head contact with another person who has head lice (this is why so many kids get it in school!... think sports activities and camp)
  • Sharing clothing, especially anything that goes on or near the head, like hats, hoodies, jackets, scarves, headbands, hair clips, etc.
  • Sharing personal hygiene tools or personal belongings like towels, brushes/combs. Make sure to disinfect all your own belongings if you have head lice.
  • Fumigant sprays or fogs - they aren't necessary for head lice and can be sometimes be toxic to your health.

If you have other ideas or tips and tricks, we'd love to hear from you! Just share with us using the box below.

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