The most important area for you to focus your energy is removing lice from your child’s head. Lice is contagious via direct head-t0-head contact. Removing lice from the head is more important than anything else on your to do list. But once you’ve treated the head, naturally you will want to clean your home.
How do I clean my home after lice?
Do not be alarmed or let professional home cleaning services prey on your fear. Cleaning your home after lice is much easier than you might think. We provide a comprehensive checklist for cleaning your home along with tips for how to sanitize various objects in our guide “Parent’s Guide to Lice Removal.” You can get your copy here.
Lice cannot live off the head without a food source for more than 24 hours. You want to focus most of your home cleaning after lice efforts where your patient has spent the most time:
- Wash all the bedding and towels from your child’s bedroom and bathroom
- Wash their clothing and sanitize their outerwear (jackets, hats, etc.)
- Sanitize their school backpack
- Sanitize stuffed animals, dolls, and special cuddle blankets
- Sanitize all hair products: combs, barrettes, headbands, etc.
- Don’t forget personal items like sunglasses, purses, and helmets
You can find full instructions on how to clean your home after lice by referring to the checklists and helpful information in our guide “Uninvited: a mom’s guide to killing lice.” We outline the full list of items that should be cleaned along with a strategy for sanitizing everything from stuffed animals to mattress pads.
(HINT: We’ll also save you hours of cleaning time by outlining the things you DON’T have to clean!)
