Got Lice?

The following is from Natalie Knows It, a guest contributor:

Well it can happen to anyone with school age children.   It’s not the worst thing in life, but it sure feels like it is at the moment.  Not only do you have to kill the lice and eggs from your child’s hair, but you also have to check everyone in the house and “clean” up your house and car.   As a courtesy, you should call anyone who had close contact with your child either in your home or theirs.

Now that your child’s hair as been treated (chemical or home remedy and every nit and lice combed out.  The drug store has a kit for around $25.00.)  It’s time to take all bedding including bed skirts from every room in the house.   Everything needs to be washed in hot water and dried on high heat for at least 20 minutes.  For those things that cannot be washed, bag it and seal it for at least 2 weeks.   It surely helps if two people are dealing with this.  My husband was in charge of treating the kid’s hair and combing all the lice and nits out.  We treated our daughter’s hair even though we didn’t see anything.  I changed all the bedding, vacuumed all carpets in the house and bagged all pillows & comforters that couldn’t fit in the machine as well as stuffed animals.  Don’t forget to wash all coats, hats, scarves, and school backpacks.

Moving on to the car(s).  I don’t have leather so I had to spray the lice killer and vacuum it all up.  We wiped down our leather couch and the leather in my husband’s car.  We also sprayed the material chair in the living room and ottoman.  Are you exhausted?  Well, you should be if you’re doing it right and thoroughly.   If you’re just reading this for fun, and don’t have lice, I hope you’re feeling for those who have had to experience this.   Wish this on no one.

Hair accessories? They (internet sites) say to let combs and brushes sit in very hot water for 10 minutes.   I boiled a big pot of water, but I think I should have let it cool a little because all the plastic brushes that were put in the hot water for 10 minutes changed a little and became dull looking- but they’re clean.  I threw in all brushes & combs, all of my daughters hair things, some of her Little Pony’s (as they were out), bagged the ones that lit up (water would have destroyed them), and anything else that touches hair or had fake hair (dolls).

It was exhausting, but what made it worse was that the lice were discovered at bedtime.  It took us 3 hours from the time we discovered them: going to the drug store, treating, combing out hair, removing all bedding, vacuuming floor, bagging everything that couldn’t be washed, to the time the little ones were in bed.  Thankfully, only our son had it, so with his short hair, it was manageable.  If my daughter had it – who knows?  My husband didn’t “comb” out her hair.

A friend who got lice from her sons, spent $85 at a place that treated and combed the lice and nits for her.  She had long curly hair and really didn’t want to trust her husband to take care of it.  I had another friend who also got it from her daughter and since they both had long curly hair, they went to the same place.  It took about an hour and a half for the treatment and comb out.  The salon recommended coming back in 4 days, but she couldn’t afford another treatment.    Why come back?  Well, just because you treated the hair, removed the dead lice and nits, and washed all bedding in your house, doesn’t mean they won’t come back.   The lice could come back in 5 – 10 days.  Some say 7 days to 2 weeks as the eggs could hatch if you didn’t comb them out and you would have to start all over again!  Ugh!!!

Note from Little House – I’ve come home many times and said, “My head itches. Check me for lice!” Thankfully, they’ve been false alarms. Cleaning so diligently takes time!