How to Get Head Lice Out of Upholstery

Vacuuming upholstery effectively gets rid of any stray lice.

Wingless insects, lice crawl on a host and feed on blood. Three types of lice feed on human blood: head lice, body lice and crab lice. They usually spread from one host to another through physical contact between the hosts. Treatment of the lice-infested person effectively controls the personal infestation, but lice can sometimes remain in upholstery and move on to another person who touches the fabric.

Things You'll Need

• Vacuum cleaner

Instructions

1. Find any upholstery items that the infested person has used in the last two days, including car seats, throw pillows and bean bag chairs. You don't have to treat every single upholstery item in the house. Lice don't usually stay on upholstery, because they can only survive for 24 hours without a host. Even people with severe lice infestations don't usually have live lice on their bed linens.

2. Vacuum the upholstery thoroughly to remove any live lice on it.

3. Remove the vacuum bag from the machine, seal it and dispose of it in an outdoor garbage bin.

Tips & Warnings

• Washing upholstery is unnecessary, because lice don't usually leave the host and vacuuming effectively removes any stray lice.

• Don't treat upholstery with chemical sprays, because they can cause allergic reactions and adversely affect people with respiratory problems.

References

• Iowa State University Extension: Head Lice: Frequently Asked Questions
• Wisconsin Department of Health Services: Pediculosis
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Managing Head Lice Safely