Once you have treated your child’s hair, you will need to take a few extra measures to make sure it doesn’t come back. Don’t drive yourself crazy cleaning though. While you will have to clean a few items, there is no benefit in cleaning the house top to bottom.
Lice can’t hop or fly. They can crawl but only really survive on human heads. There entire life span is only 3 to 4 weeks and they can only live without food (the scalp) for 24 hours.
Here are a few basic housekeeping measures you can take, just to be extra careful, if your child has had head lice:
- Vacuum your child’s car seat cover every day, where she rests her head
- Change pillowcases, sheets, pyjamas, and towels every day.
- If possible, wash items such as hair bands or stuffed animals. If it is not possible to wash them, seal them in a plastic bag for two weeks.
- Wash combs and brushes in hot water every day.
Don’t worry about cleaning or quarantining your pets, as head lice don’t infest animals.
If you are unsure if your child has head lice, click here for a guide on how to check. If you want to know how to treat head lice click here.
