Lice are one of the main enemies of children's hair; schools and parks are important focuses, however, they also extend to other places. Therefore, removing them from the head does not guarantee that they will be completely exterminated, since lice can remain both in our clothing and in our bed linen.
The best known remedies to combat these parasites are those related to hair, however, your wardrobe also needs protection.
How to remove lice from clothes – step by step
If you want to know how to get rid of lice quickly, at we show you step by step how you can easily achieve it. There are two main methods: washing and drying.
Wash clothes to get rid of lice
We explain how to wash clothes in the washing machine to get rid of lice once and for all.
- Group the clothes you have put on since the moment you noticed the presence of lice. Includes all clothing: gloves, hats, caps, scarves, etc.
- Add the towels with which you have dried yourself in this period of time, as well as your children's toys.
- Make a washing machine with all the objects gathered at a minimum temperature of 54 o C to be effective in killing parasites in just one wash.
- After washing clothes, put them in a dryer and put them on high heat; the most effective would be for the temperature of the dryer to also reach 54 o C.
Get rid of lice from clothes by dry cleaning
The truth is that the best way to get rid of lice quickly is to put the affected clothes and toys in the washing machine and then in the dryer. If you do not have a washing machine but you do have a dryer, you should know that activating the hot cycle of this for 15 minutes is enough to get rid of all the lice.
However, we know that it is very unlikely that a person who does not have a washing machine will have a dryer, so we are going to tell you about an equally effective step-by-step that does not require the use of electrical appliances.
- Fold all the clothes you want to disinfect, then store them in a plastic bag.
- It is important that the bag is airtight or that you can store the clothes under vacuum.
- Seal your bag for two weeks and, after this time, remove it and wash it by hand. In this way, you will drown the insects and they will not be able to survive on your clothes.
Silk and wool are fabrics that should not be put in the washing machine, so you can also follow the same procedure for the plastic bag.
In addition, it is also important that you clean all parts of the house to ensure that you eliminate the infestation of lice. Although the probability of them falling and surviving on furniture, on the floor and in other rooms of the home is very low, cleaning your entire home is a good preventive measure.
How to remove lice from bedding
After a lice infection, it is very common that, due to the clothing and hair of those infected, the parasites survive in bed. If you are wondering how to remove lice and nits from bedding, at we present these tips:
- Wash the sheets in the washing machine as we have previously indicated and change them for clean and new ones. Observe the head of the person who has had lice daily, because if there were any left, you would have to repeat the process.
- Clean and vacuum the pillow, the armchairs and all those places where the infected person in question has lain down. In this article on How to wash a pillow , we explain this process step by step.
- Take all the objects that are on the bed (stuffed toys, clothes, etc.) and put them in a washing machine (if they can be washed). Otherwise, store them in a closed plastic bag for a couple of weeks as we have previously taught you.
- Clean the rest of the articles and utensils that are in the room, as well as those that are in the bathroom (brushes, combs, towels, etc.). Always wash such items with water as hot as possible. The following Tricks to disinfect the bathroom may be most useful to you.
- As a prevention method, we recommend that the person affected by lice wash their head with tea tree essence, since it is a very effective natural remedy to repel this type of infection.
How long do head lice live on pillows?
Knowing how to remove lice from clothes is essential for families with children, however, it is also essential for adults, since we must remember that lice can survive on almost any type of scalp.
Now, how long do lice live outside the head? Is it possible that they remain in your house even after disinfecting your hair? We tell you that lice live their whole lives in the hair and that, in fact, they can only survive 1 or 2 days off the head. This is because, after they hatch, lice need to feed on blood, so there is no way they can get it on furniture and other objects.
However, it is worth remembering that your head (or your child's) may still be infected with nits, so it is necessary to follow the disinfection steps mentioned above.
Another important fact that you should know is that lice need to be in the hair of the human being , because in no case can they survive in pets. In addition, lice do not jump or fly: they walk through the hair, so their infection only occurs by coming into contact with an infected garment, object or person.
