How to Kill Head Lice from Laundry and Clothes

If you’re a parent of a school-going child, you’ve most probably been at the receiving end of the dreaded call from school; your kid has contracted lice and must stay at home until all traces of the crawling critters have been removed. A lice infestation can mean missed days at school and work, in addition to weeks of frustration and misery. But head lice are quite common now, with millions of people being afflicted; it’s really nothing to panic about. Young children are bound to contract lice at one point in their lives. But how you deal with the outbreak is what matters. From removing lice from your kid’s hair to cleaning your home after the infestation; all traces of lice should be eradicated after an infestation. Here are a few ways you can rid lice from fabrics.

Step#1: Gather Together All Items That Have Been Exposed

The first step is to quarantine all items that have come into contact with lice over the course of the infestation. Any items that you or your kid has used or worn during the 48-hour period after the initial treatment must be sorted and separated. Head lice can live off a human host onto fabric for 24-48 hours. It is crucial that you separate all touched items in this period so as not to bring about a repeat infestation. Make sure you’re separating:
  1. Bed linens
  2. All clothing items and apparel
  3. Towels
  4. Hair accessories such as combs, brushes, hair clips, headbands, hats, or earmuffs
  5. Any upholstery items such as cushions and throw pillows
  6. Stuffed toys
  7. Faux fur items
  8. Fabric bags or totes

Step#2: Sort Out the Lice Infested Items

The next step is to sort out all the items into separate piles. Some items will be washable, some can only be dry cleaned, while some can neither be washed nor dry-cleaned. Washable items can be bed linens, clothes, stuffed toys, towels, and caps, etc. You can have them dry cleaned as well. For upholstery items or hair accessories, you will have to quarantine them.

Step#3: Cleaning Out the Exposed Items

In order to clean washable items such as clothing and bed linens, all you have to do is to wash them in the washer using the hottest water temperature available for at least 20 minutes. For items that are too delicate to be washed in this manner can be soaked in hot water with plenty of washing detergent for a few hours to kill off the lice. Items that must be dry cleaned should be sealed off in a plastic bag until they’re taken to the dry cleaners. Remember to inform the cleaner of the infestation so that they can clean it properly. Items that can neither be washed or dry cleaned should be tightly sealed off into a plastic bag and put in quarantine for at least one week. Afterwards, they should be vacuumed thoroughly. Another option is to freeze the bag in order to kill lice completely. If you can’t afford to go through all that trouble or want to be sure a 100% that the lice are gone, call in professional lice removal services that offer in-house treatment, such as Lice Troopers.  We are one of the top lice clinic Winter Park, Orlando. Call us now at 800-403-5423 to schedule an appointment!