How to Get Rid of Head Lice Without Pesticides

Having lice in your home is a terrible feeling! But remember it does NOT mean you are dirty, lice actually like clean heads. Getting rid of lice can be a very lengthy process ... months even. Over the counter lice treatments can be dangerous and alot of times don't do the trick. As a mother of two girls with long hair, I've been through lice, and finally found a way to treat and get rid of these little bugs safely without the over the counter chemicals. Lengthy process, but rids you of lice completely!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Listerine
• White vinegar
• Flea combs
• Shower caps
• Pack of plastic hair combs
• Coconut shampoo and conditioner
• A few hours!

1. First step is to gather all items needed to treat your family and your home. Go to your local store and get the following if you do not have available: 1. Listerine, Original. 2. Metal Flea comb from the pet section. 3. Shower Caps. 4. Big bottle of White Vinegar. 5. A pack of combs. 6. Lysol Disinfectant Spray 7. Garbage bags.

2. You can start the process while taking care of your home as well. Treat EVERYONE in the house who doesn't have a shaved head! Start by soaking your hair in Original Listerine. The flavored Listerine (mint) will make hair very sticky, so use original. Leave Listerine in your hair with a shower cap on for an hour or two. Listerine kills live head lice. You will see them in the shower cap when removed.

3. As your hair is soaking in Listerine, strip all bedding, blankets, pillows, etc. Wash everything in HOT water, the hot water will kill them. Anything not washable in hot water should be tied tight in garbage bags and stored away for a least two weeks. Lice will die within 24 hours off a human head, and nits (eggs) take about 7-9 days to hatch and must feed within 24 hours. Soak all combs and brushes in Listerine and/or HOT water for at least 3 hours.

4. Spray carpeting and furniture with Lysol Spray, if possible have carpets steam cleaned with HOT water. Let spray sit on furniture and carpeting for a few minutes, than vacuum. Make sure you vacuum completely all couches, carpets, mattresses, etc.

5. After you have soaked Listerine in your hair for a few hours, rinse and shampoo hair. I used Suave Coconut Shampoo, lice don't like coconut. You can also try tea tree oil shampoo, not as cheap but lice don't like the tea tree oil. Rinse the shampoo out of your hair and soak your hair with white vinegar. The white vinegar dissolves the glue that holds the nits (eggs) to the hair shaft so they will comb out easily. Put on a new shower cap and let vinegar sit in hair for at least an hour.

6. When you've soaked your hair with vinegar for an hour, before you rinse, comb through the hair with a metal flea comb. Metal flea combs for cats work best, the teeth in the comb are small enough to catch the nits. Section off hair and comb each section over and over. Make sure you get the whole head, this may take awhile especially with long hair.

7. When you've finished combing shampoo and condition hair as normal. Comb through hair again with plastic normal hair comb. DONE...

8. Repeat this process in 6-10 days, to be sure that all lice and nits have gone. One missed nit can repeat the whole cycle again, so be sure to repeat within one week. Comb through hair everyday for a few weeks. I shampooed and conditioned my kids hair with coconut and combed through with flea combs every night for three weeks to make sure they were all gone, and we were lice free in two weeks!!

Tips & Warnings

• When combing with flea comb, to rinse comb off, dip in small cup of Listerine. This will help rinse off and also let you see if you are getting anything.
• During lice season for kids in school, put a little Listerine in a spray bottle and just spritz on their heads, do not soak. This will keep head lice at bay.
• Vacuum daily throughout the whole process.
• Make sure everything is either bagged and stored or washed in HOT water, don't forget about coats, hats, pillows, etc.
• For children with long hair, while combing pop in a movie and let child sit and watch while you comb, it makes it easier for them to sit still for so long.
• Don't worry about pets, they cannot carry head lice!
• Mint flavored Listerine will cause hair to be very sticky to make combing through very difficult!

[knowball]

on 2/16/2009 Listerine? Wow never knew that would work. Great tip!