Lice are a nuisance and can be very stressful to deal with, particularly when you're keeping the household free from these relentless pests. Typical questions about these would be whether lice could live in bedding and how one protects the home environment from them. So here are the facts and some actionable tips to keep the home free from lice.

Can Lice Live in Bedding?

Lice are obligate parasites that need a human host for survival. They feed several times daily on human blood, without which they cannot survive. Moreover, while lice drop from the head onto bedding, pillows, and other surfaces, they cannot survive for more than 24-48 hours outside a human host. Nits need the warmth of the scalp to hatch and can't survive on bedding.
 

Know the Facts 

Lice Life: The adult lice die within 1-2 days in the absence of a blood meal but can survive on a person for 30 days.

Nits survival: Nits mainly require warmth and closeness to the scalp to hatch, so they are unlikely to thrive on bedding.

Lice transmission: The major route of lice infestation is through direct head-to-head contact rather than through bedding and furniture.
 

How to Protect Your Home
Although lice won't really infest your bedding, some preventive measures with regards to personal environment cleaning and protection can be taken to prevent reoccurrence of the infection. 

• Wash bedding and Clothing: Wash all bedding, pillowcases, as well as new clothing wonr in boiling water, 130°F, and dry them on high heat. The combination of the hot water and heat from the dryer kills lice and nits.

• Thorough Vacuuming: Vacuum carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, and car seats to gather lice or hairs with attached nits that may have fallen off the host. Pay particular attention to the areas an infested person has sat or lain during the last two days.

• Store Non-Washable Items: Put items you cannot wash, such as *stuffed animals *, into sealed plastic bags for two weeks. Because no host is present for two weeks, they are now lice-free. 
  

• Clean Hair-Care Items: Set combs, hair brushes, hair bands and other personal articles in extremely hot water for at least 5-10 minutes to smolder lice and nits. Or, encase them inside a plastic bag and wrap them in a freezer for 24 hours.
  

• Avoid Sharing Personal Items: Do not share personal items like hats, hairbrushes, and pillows. Limit infestation – the chances of lice passing from one person to another are reduced. 

• Regular Head Checks: Regularly inspect the head of all family members, more so children from your family, to detect lice infection at an early stage. They adopt a fine tooth comb and thoroughly scrutinize the scalp and hair for lice and nits.

Tips for Peace of Mind 

• Education: Educate your family, more so children, on not sharing personal things, for instance personal combs and also avoiding head-to-head contact. 

• Routine Cleaning: Clean bedding and other items in the house on a regular basis, particularly during peak lice seasons, such as at the beginning of the school year.

• Lice Repellents: Use repellents that may contain some natural oils; for example, tea tree oil is in sprays and shampoos and might repel lice.

Even though lice don't live for very long off their host, there are proactive steps for cleaning and safeguarding your home that will reduce the possibility of lice transmission. Remember that lice have to have a human host to survive; with proper cleaning and preventive measures in place, you'll be well on your way to a lice-free home.

For more information on head lice and preventative care, there are professional head lice clinics such as our site in Elsternwick. We offer guaranteed, thorough treatments that will eradicate lice and their eggs, restoring your peace of mind.

Advantage Pharmacy Elsternwick can help take care of your head lice problems with a visit to our Head Lice Clinic. CLICK HERE to find out more or to book your convenient appointment today.

355 Glen Huntly Road, Elsternwick, VIC, 3185