When lice infest a scalp, they can also make their way onto bedding, leaving people wondering if their cozy beds are harboring these unwelcome guests. While lice primarily survive on human heads, it’s essential to understand how lice can transfer to bedding and what steps to take to prevent their spread.
How Do Lice End Up in Bedding?
Lice don’t fly or jump, but they are excellent crawlers. Their primary means of transportation is direct head-to-head contact with other people. However, lice can also transfer to personal items like pillows, sheets, and blankets. If an infected person sleeps in a bed, lice may crawl onto the bedding and linger there briefly. Since lice depend on human blood to survive, they are unlikely to live long on inanimate objects, but the risk of spreading lice to another person through shared bedding or furniture is still present.
How Long Can Lice Live on Bedding?
Lice thrive on the human scalp, where they can feed and reproduce. However, once they leave the scalp, their survival is limited. On bedding, lice can live for about 24-48 hours. Without access to a human host to feed on, they quickly dehydrate and die. However, this time window is enough for lice to move to another person if they share the same bedding.
Nits, or lice eggs, are a different matter. Nits are laid close to the scalp but can sometimes fall onto bedding or clothing. Unlike lice, nits are not immediately contagious, as they need warmth from the scalp to hatch. Even if a nit ends on bedding, it likely won’t survive or hatch away from its human host.
How to Prevent Lice from Spreading in Your Bedding
Prevention is vital when it comes to lice. If there’s an outbreak or an active case in your household, quickly sanitizing bedding and personal items can prevent further spread. Here are some tips:
- Wash Bedding Frequently: During an infestation, wash all bedding, pillowcases, and blankets in hot water (at least 130°F). Lice and their eggs cannot survive the heat, so running your bedding through a high-temperature wash and dry cycle is crucial.
- Treat Items that Can’t be Washed: Items that cannot be washed, like decorative cushions or stuffed animals, should be treated too. Use Licefreee Home to spray the items and allow them to dry thoroughly. Alternatively, seal items that can’t be washed—such as pillows, stuffed animals, or delicate fabrics—in a plastic bag for 72 hours. This will ensure that any lice trapped on these items die off due to lacking a human host.
- Vacuum Thoroughly: Vacuum areas where the infested person has been lying down, such as beds, couches or rugs. Lice may transfer to upholstered furniture or carpets, and vacuuming helps remove any lice or fallen hairs that might be harboring nits.
- Avoid Sharing Bedding: Until the lice infestation is fully treated, it’s best to avoid sharing beds, pillows, or blankets. Lice can spread quickly through shared bedding, so maintaining separate sleeping areas will help contain the problem.
What to Spray on Mattress for Lice?
If you’re concerned about lice lingering on your mattress, using a lice spray for furniture can offer additional peace of mind. Licefreee Home is an effective lice spray for furniture, bedding, and other household surfaces. This non-toxic formula helps kill lice on contact without harsh chemicals, making it safe for your home. Spray it on areas where lice might have transferred, such as mattresses, pillows, and upholstered furniture, to help reduce the risk of re-infestation.
Additionally, while Licefreee Spray works wonders on treating lice on the scalp, Licefreee Home adds a crucial layer of protection for your environment, ensuring that lice don’t find a way back onto your scalp through household surfaces.
Checking for Lice on Bedding and Furniture
While lice generally prefer the warmth of the human scalp, it’s worth checking your bedding and furniture for any signs of infestation, especially during an outbreak. Here’s what to look for:
- Live Lice: These are small, wingless insects that are typically gray or brown. While they primarily live on the scalp, they may crawl onto bedding or furniture during sleep.
- Fallen Nits: Though less likely to hatch without the warmth of the scalp, hair strands with nits attached may fall onto bedding. They are tiny and oval-shaped, sticking firmly to fabric or hair. You’ll most likely find them near the scalp, but occasionally, they end up on pillows or sheets.
If you discover live lice on bedding or furniture, follow the cleaning steps mentioned above to sanitize your home environment.
How to Prevent Lice from Returning
In addition to regular bedding hygiene, ongoing prevention methods can help avoid another lice infestation. Here are some tips to consider:
- Encourage Good Hair Care: Regularly checking your child’s hair for lice, especially during an outbreak at school, can help catch the problem early. Combing through hair with a fine-toothed lice comb, like the Licefreee NitDuo, is a great way to ensure that no lice or nits go unnoticed.
- Use Preventative Products: Licefreee Everyday Shampoo is an excellent addition to your child’s daily routine. It creates an unattractive environment for lice, which can help avoid infestations in the first place.
- Keep Personal Items Separate: Encourage children to avoid sharing hats, hairbrushes, or bedding with friends. In communal spaces like schools or camps, remind them to hang their coats separately from others’ items to reduce the chance of lice transfer.
- Act Fast During Outbreaks: Be proactive if you hear of a lice outbreak at school or daycare. Use Licefreee Home to spray down bedding and furniture as a precaution. This added layer of protection can stop lice in their tracks before they can settle in.
Protecting Your Home and Bedding from Lice
While lice may primarily live on the human scalp, they can transfer to bedding and other household surfaces, especially during an infestation. You can effectively protect your home from lice by understanding how lice behave off the scalp and following proper cleaning protocols.
