Pillows and lice--what to do?

[Harriet Vane]

If a family has lice, what do you do with the pillows? What if said pillows are not washable? Two are latex, and two are wool, and all are kept carefully in zippered covers.

[littlebug42]

When my kids had lice a few years ago, I threw away all pillows in the house and started over. If they were in zippered covers, they might be OK but I don't know if I would chance it. If you could do without them for a couple of weeks you could try the putting them in a black garbage bag for two weeks and that may get rid of them.

[Laura Corin]

Lice don't live long away from a warm body. I didn't even wash the bedding when we had lice - I just treated our heads and it worked fine.

 

Laura

[missiemick]

Tie them up tight in a black trash bag and put it away for a while. I used to do this when a child in my classroom had lice -- never had an issue.

[kchara]

Tie them up tight in a black trash bag and put it away for a while. I used to do this when a child in my classroom had lice -- never had an issue.

 

:iagree: If you can stick it out in the hot sun, even better. That's what I did with ours when we caught lice. Works for stuffed animals and toys that can't be washed, but probably need to be, too.

 

ETA: You might want to make sure you LABEL the bags, though. When we had lice, DH thought the bag with all of my kids' toys from their baby days and such was trash, and threw it out. :P

[kwickimom]

Tie them up tight in a black trash bag and put it away for a while. I used to do this when a child in my classroom had lice -- never had an issue.

:iagree: We have been through lice a few times. We do this for at least 30 days and have never had a reinfestation from the bedding (all of ours are from a certain kid that dd went to ps with :glare:) I do this with all stuffed animals and dolls, etc btw

[SailorMom]

I vote garbage bag for a few weeks :)

[AuntieM]

I vote burn 'em. However, the garbage bag approach sounds much more rational. ;)

[Dobela]

I vote burn 'em. However, the garbage bag approach sounds much more rational. ;)

:iagree: I would replace the pillows. So much easier. If you don't properly treat the pillows (and other bedding) then you can reinfest your home.

[Cassy]

Lice don't live long away from a warm body. I didn't even wash the bedding when we had lice - I just treated our heads and it worked fine.

 

 

:iagree:We've had headlice just a couple of times over the past ten years, and we just washed their hair (the children that is, not the lice) with tea tree shampoo and combed through tea tree conditioner very thoroughly with a fine tooth comb every evening for about two weeks, or until we couldn't see any lice/eggs - quite a task with four children. I never washed the bedding any more frequently than usual, and certainly never washed or treated the pillows/duvet nor even considered replacing them. We never had any reinfestation. But maybe British lice are weedier than US lice :tongue_smilie:.

 

Cassy

[SweetMissMagnolia]

Tie them up tight in a black trash bag and put it away for a while. I used to do this when a child in my classroom had lice -- never had an issue.

 

I've always heard that too (and for stuffed animals)---but I'd probably just toss 'em out.....depends on your "ick factor" and how you feel about it....lol

[ChrissySC]

They make a spray. I would spray the sofas and matresses too.

 

I used garbage bags too. Sprayed some spray inside on the contents and tied it up. We sat them on the back porch outside for about 2 weeks.

[Wildiris]

A year ago I had my first experience with head lice. I wrote about the treatment (Head Lice Treatments~A Non-Toxic Remedy) I used to get ride of the little critters. It may help you.

 

I stuffed pillows and stuffed animals in to a garbage bag and forgot about them for a month. Once we got the lice off our heads we never -knock on wood-had them again.

Edited June 22, 2011 by Wildiris

[Virg]

As a daycare provider my advices is that anything that can't be treated or washed should be put in a sealed plastic bag for a few weeks.