1. Don’t stress out! Lice cannot live away from a human host
for more than 24 hours or so. They are
great at holding onto hair, since their life depends on it. Healthy lice do not just fall off of
someone’s head and ramble around your home.
Doing some basic vacuuming is a very good idea, but you don’t need to
panic and be really extreme about it.
2. Rather than wearing yourself out washing bedding every
day you can use this simple idea: Close
off a room for 24 hours or so. Have the
children bunk together for a few days, alternating into rooms that have been
closed up for at least a day. Obviously
you’ll still want to vacuum and wash the bedding, but you can save yourself
from having to do an extreme amount of work each day.
3. Don’t bother bagging up your children’s favorite toys and
blankets. Lice can’t survive in those
environments for long. Give your kids
back their stuffed animals, and to all a good night.
4. Please do not use the chemical lice sprays that are sold
for use on beds, carpets, and furniture.
These products leave a toxic residue and are then an ongoing health risk
for you and your children. The likelihood of live lice being on your home
surfaces is quite small, and can be solved simply by vacuuming.
5. Remember: Houses
don’t get lice. People do.
