Once you’ve gotten rid of the head lice from yourself, it’s necessary to give your home a full cleaning to ensure you get the lice that may be lingering in the fabrics of your furniture, sheets and comforters, and even your child’s stuffed animals. This is important in preventing you and your children from a second infestation of head lice.
Start by removing your bedding – including your sheets, mattress covers and comforters, pillow cases, and even the pillows themselves, and washing them in hot water with your usual detergent. You should also wash any and all towels, bath mats and other bathroom fabrics as well. This will make sure the remaining eggs, nits or lice in the fabrics are properly removed and killed.
Vacuum your home from top to bottom. Vacuuming all rugs, mats and other carpeted areas will destroy any of the eggs, nits or lice that may be hiding in your carpets. If you have a fabric couch, give it a vacuum over as well. Eggs and lice can attach themselves to vinyl or leather furniture too, so it’s best to wipe them down with a warm, wet cloth. Replace the vacuum bag immediately, and dump the old vacuum bag in a dumpster or trash receptacle outdoors. On the off chance that a few eggs or lice survive the vacuuming, you can make sure they don’t make themselves an unwanted guest once more.
Wash or vacuum any stuffed animals that come into contact with your children. Even if it’s an old bear hiding out in the closet, it’s always best to take these precautions so as to not allow another infestation. When you are drying them, place them on hot heat for around 30-45 minutes, as it will kill any of the eggs or lice not drowned in the wash. In extreme cases, placing all stuffed animals into a tightly tied off garbage bag for 2 weeks can suffocate the lice, though this is a measure best left up to your judgment.
Clean all hairbrushes, combs and other hair accessories by removing the excess hair and soaking them in a solution of hot water combined with head lice shampoo for a minimum of 30 minutes, and rinse thoroughly before using them again. Lice Squad – a prevention and removal of head lice company with franchises across Canada, including head lice Toronto, head lice Vaughan, and more – recommends that you educate your child on the importance of not sharing things that head lice can cling to, such as scrunchies and other hair accessories, hats, combs or towels – even if it`s with their best friend forever.
Being vigilant is key in the prevention and removal of head lice from your home. In doing everything mentioned above, you can help to ensure you and your family do not have to deal with another outbreak, and another full day of cleaning your home.