How to clean your house after head lice infestation

Finding out one (or more) of your family members have lice can feel like a nightmare. There’s the immediate panic, the itch that starts as soon as you hear the word “lice,” and the overwhelming thought of cleaning every single corner of your home kicks in. Trust me, I’ve been there, and I know just how stressful it can be. But here’s the thing: cleaning your house after lice doesn’t have to be a monumental task. It’s all about taking it step by step and knowing which areas are truly important. In this post, I’ll walk you through a super simple, no-nonsense guide to clean your house after head lice. Whether you’re a mum juggling a hundred things or just someone who loves keeping a tidy, healthy home, I’ve got you covered.

Let’s be real for a minute: lice don’t care if you have a pristine home or if you’re just getting by with the basics. They’re annoying little critters that can find their way onto anyone’s scalp. But the good news? You don’t need to bleach your entire house or toss out everything you or your kids have touched. Lice can’t survive for long off the human scalp, so the deep-cleaning process doesn’t need to be as intense as you might think. In fact, with some simple, targeted cleaning, you can get your house back to its cozy, lice-free state without feeling like you’re losing your mind in the process.

I remember having a mini panic attack when the school nurses called me to advise of a head lice infestation in my child’s hair this past winter. Those little girls with long, thick hair seemed to attract the lice’s attention and soon had a whole family of head lice move between the heads of our entire family. Thankfully, there are simple, effective solutions to clean your house after head lice. And with a little special attention, those little critters die pretty quickly.

So, let’s put on those metaphorical (or actual) rubber gloves and tackle this together. I’ve broken down this guide into easy, manageable sections, so you can focus on the things that actually make a difference. We’ll cover everything from hair brushes, bedding and toys to vacuuming and preventing future outbreaks. And I promise, I’ll share some tried-and-true tips that make the whole process easier and less overwhelming.

Before we dive into the specifics of how to clean your house after head lice, let’s clear up a few myths. Lice don’t fly or jump—they crawl. They also can’t live long without human contact. That means your cleaning strategy doesn’t need to involve fumigating your house or buying expensive chemical sprays. The focus is more on disrupting their environment, which makes them easier to get rid of. Alright, feeling a bit more at ease? Good! Let’s get started on transforming your home back into the comfortable, safe haven you know and love.

The Ultimate Lice Cleaning Checklist: How to clean your house after head lice

1. Treat and wash human hair

When it comes to tackling lice, the first step is to target where live lice they might be hiding. Hair is the obvious first step here. If this is the first time you’re dealing with head lice, rest assured that supermarkets and pharmacies stock special shampoo and over the counter treatment to target head lice. They’re usually a mild liquid with lots of tea tree oil, which kills, or at least stuns lice. 

How to do it:

• Apply the solution on dry hair, focussing on the hair shaft areas, and let it work its magic for at least 15 minutes. We often put on a movie during this time and treat the entire family at once. 
• After 15 minutes (or longer if you can), use a special fine-toothed lice comb to comb the lice out of your air. The comb is usually supplied with the solution, but can otherwise be purchased by itself. After each brush, wipe the comb on a clean piece of kitchen towel to remove the dead lice and nits. Continue to brush your hair until all strands have been throughly combed and your comb comes back clean. 
• Wash your hair in the shower as you usually would. An effective way is to wash and condition it twice, and again brush your hair with the lice comb in-between to remove even the stickiest of lice eggs. 

Why You’ll Love This Method:

The first thing to do is to treat the area those little critters are most likely to live in. It’s a common misconception that lice treatment needs to involve disease control. We really only need some basic items and a few active ingredients to treat those key areas. My girls love to have their hair braided and played with, and we try our best to turn treatment time into a fun game like hairdressers or spa rooms. 

Tips and Tricks:

• Before you get started with treating the hair, remember to remove all hair pretties. We’ll get to those in Step 4. 
• With head-to-head contact being inevitable in families, try and treat everyone at the same time. It’s worth having all family members sit through a round of treatment to avoid any later (re-)infestations. 
• While I will continuously refer to the hot cycle when washing items, you don’t need to go to extreme measures and wash your hair with hot water. Once you have allowed enough time for the hair treatment to work, you can wash your hair with regular shampoo and warm water. 

2. Wash Bedding, Pillowcases, and Clothing

Next, we want to think about all the fabrics the remaining lice could be hiding in. Think about anything that has come into direct contact with the infested person’s head— pillows, sheets, pyjamas, or even their favorite hoodie. Lice don’t last long on surfaces, but their eggs (nits) can cling on, so a thorough wash is essential.

How to Do It:

• Start by stripping all beds that your kids have used in the past 48 hours. Gather all bed linens, mattress covers, and any clothing items worn in the last two days. This includes your throw blankets or any pillows they might have cuddled into. 
• Wash everything in the washing machine using the hot water cycle (at least 60°C/140°F). High heat is a lice killer, so don’t skimp on this step. 
• If items can’t be washed in hot water, consider drying them on the hottest setting your dryer offers for at least 30 minutes. Heat is your best friend here. Dry cleaning is entirely unnecessary, unless of course the item itself calls for it. 
• For delicate items, place them in a sealed plastic bag or vacuum bag for at least 72 hours. Lice can’t survive without human blood to feed on, so this will give you enough time to eliminate any stray lice.

Why You’ll Love This Method:

There’s something incredibly satisfying about fresh, clean sheets, isn’t there? Not only does this step give you peace of mind when being in close contact with someone with lice, but it also leaves your home smelling fresh and cozy again. Plus, you’re getting rid of any potential nits that might grow into adult lice and cause a re-infestation.

Tips and Tricks:

• Instead of spending a lot of time on thorough cleaning, use this opportunity to declutter. Only put back what you actually need on the beds and in closets.
• Add a few drops of tea tree oil to your laundry detergent. Tea tree oil has natural insecticidal properties that head lice hate, and it leaves a fresh scent behind.
• Remember machine washing any stuffed animals or soft toys that have been near your child’s head. You can either wash these or use the bagging method.

3. Vacuum Upholstery, Rugs, and Carpets

Lice can’t live on furniture for long, because as mentioned, they need a human host. So how to clean your house after head lice should be a single day event. Nevertheless, it’s still a good idea to give your couches, chairs, leather seats, and rugs a thorough vacuum. Also include any hard surfaces like table tops. This step is all about ensuring that any stray lice or nits that might have fallen off don’t have a chance to make a comeback.

How to Do It:

Why You’ll Love This Method:

With so many treatment options, vacuuming is a super simple way to pick up any loose hairs or lice that might be lingering around. It’s quick, effective, and leaves your home feeling refreshed. Plus, it’s chemical-free, which is a win for those of us who try to avoid harsh cleaners.

Tips and Tricks:

• If your vacuum has a bag, dispose of it immediately after cleaning. For bagless models, empty the canister outside and give it the heat treatment by washing it in a pot of hot water. .
• Use lint rollers on fabric surfaces like cushions and pillows for a quick touch-up between deep vacuuming sessions.
• If to deep clean your house after head lice seems exhausting, keep any washed items like pillows, throw blankets etc. aside until you’ve confirmed a lice-free home. Sometimes, the most effective solution and best way of house cleaning is to eliminate the amount of household items that can get exposed to head lice infestations. 

4. Freezing Non-Washable Items

We spoke about all the big basics, but what about items that can’t go in the wash, like delicate fabrics, helmets, or hair brushes and hair ties? You know, all the other stuff that comes into contact with the human head. No worries! Freezing is a fantastic, easy method to address those personal items.

How to Do It:

• Place non-washable items like brushes and hair accessories in a plastic bag and pop them into the freezer for at least 24-48 hours.
• Make sure your freezer is set to at least -17°C (0°F). Cold temperatures will kill lice effectively.
• Once frozen, shake out the items outside to dislodge any dead lice or nits, then give them a quick lint roll for an even higher success rate.

Why You’ll Love This Method:

This is a fantastic hands-off method that requires zero effort on your part. We love an effective method that shows results without professional help. Plus, it’s completely safe for delicate items, so you don’t have to worry about damaging anything special.

Tips and Tricks:

• Use this time to “deep freeze” some of your kids’ toys that haven’t been played with in a while. It’s a sneaky way to declutter! Who knew your freezer had a secret tunnel to the North Pole…
• Make sure items are sealed well in bags to avoid freezer burn.
• Label the bags with a date so you don’t forget when you put them in.

Once you have cleaned your home and gave the rest of your family a head check, pour yourself a cup of tea and congratulate yourself to a job well done. It may have taken an hour or so, but you are back to living a lice-free life. And guess what, all that home cleaning will pay off when you look around and it’s all nice and fresh.