So, what can you spray on your furniture to kill lice?
In the spray bottle, combine 1 teaspoon of tea tree oil to 3 tablespoons of water. Shake up the mixture. Spray down your furniture and carpet. Allow it to dry.
Machine wash and dry clothing, bed linens, and other items that the infested person wore or used during the 2 days before treatment using the hot water (130°F) laundry cycle and the high heat drying cycle.
Certain essential oils, when added to shampoos or diluted into water and sprayed on items that come into close contact with your head can act as a natural lice deterrent. The oils and fragrances typically believed to repel lice include peppermint, tea tree, coconut, lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary and lemongrass.
Any chairs or couches that could have eggs or head lice should be scrubbed with warm wet cloths. If the surface is hard or leather, we recommend a cleaner such as bleach or Lysol that will not damage the furniture. However, hot water and soap with a little bit of elbow grease should do the trick.
Head lice are human parasites and require human blood to survive. They are not environmental pests so pesticide sprays for furniture and bedding are unnecessary. Vacuuming is the safest and best way to remove the lice or fallen hairs with attached eggs from upholstered furniture, rugs, stuffed animals and cars.
It's rare for head lice infestations to spread through the common use of furniture or carpets, but it's a good idea to do some post-infestation housework. Toss pillows and mattress pads in the washing machine, and use the hand tools on your vacuum cleaner to thoroughly clean mattresses, furniture, and car seats.
Use hot water (130°F) cycle paired with a high heat drying cycle. This process will dehydrate and kill any potential surviving lice and lice eggs.
Coconut, tea tree oil, lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary, lemon grass, and peppermint are scents popularly believed to repel lice. Using any coconut scented shampoo and conditioner is an easy way to increase your defense. At 1% concentration, tea tree oil killed 100% of head lice after 30 minutes.
Can head lice and nits live on pillows or sheets? Lice and nits can live on pillows and sheets. Lice glue their eggs to the hair strands of their host. However, if a piece of hair with an egg falls out while the lice host is sleeping, an egg could end up on pillows or sheets.
Routine vacuuming of floors and furniture is sufficient to remove lice or nits that may have fallen off the head of an infested person.
Washing Procedure
There is no need for special chemicals or detergents to kill the lice. You don't need any unusual equipment or special training. The primary weapon against these bugs is… heat.
But if you're wondering will disinfectant spray kills lice on a human head, know this is ineffective, unhealthy, and dangerous.
The answer is a strong and resounding—NO. Vinegar does not kill lice, nor does it harm lice eggs.
If your pillows or sheets are not machine washable, seal them in a large plastic bag and leave them for 7-10 days to make sure all lice and nits have died. You can also spray your bedding as an extra preventative measure, using sprays that contain insecticides similar to those found in lice shampoos.
Suffocate the Lice
Soak your child's head in olive oil or coconut oil. Cover with a shower cap for at least 2 hours (or preferably overnight). When ready, remove the shower cap, and separate the hair into small sections, then use a metal nit comb to carefully remove the lice and eggs. Rinse the hair well with shampoo.
Use hairspray to stick it to head lice
Hairspray makes it harder for the louse to grab hold. The smell of hairspray and the use of solvents (sad but true) in them can also deter creepy crawlies from finding their way in. Not to mention that if you're tying longer hair back, you've got a double whammy.
Use heat. Wash any items used or worn by the person in hot water, and dry them on high heat. Lice and nits die when exposed to temperatures higher than 130 F for more than 5 minutes. Wash anything that touched the person's skin or scalp, including jackets, hats, scarves, pillowcases, sheets, and headbands.
There's no need to wash your child's bedding every day.
Wash the pillowcase, but the comforter/blanket, sheets, and stuffed animals and other lovies can simply go in the dryer on high for 20 minutes. As for the bottom sheet, you don't even need to remove it from the bed.
This includes linens, bed coverings, your washable mattress cover and a washable pillow cover (or the whole pillow, if possible)—preferably at high heat. A temperature of 122 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes kills dust mites, according to one study.
As with furniture and carpets, adult lice typically live for around 2 days on pillows and sheets without human contact. Nits will not hatch and will die within a week. People should machine wash any pillows or sheets someone with lice has used in hot water of more than 130°F (54.4°C) .
But you might be wondering, “does tea tree oil kill lice?” And the answer is: not alone. Tea tree oil is a must-have ingredient for lice prevention, but it's not a remedy that could kill them off since it's not a chemical or pesticide.
Fairy Tales Rosemary Repel Daily Kid Shampoo
Easily the most popular repelling lice shampoo out there, Rosemary Repel smells great, repels lice with its rosemary formula, and it is just a heck of a shampoo.