So can head lice live on pillows? Its the age old question that parents, carers and even kids want to know!
When head lice infest a family, most likely they would panic. Of course, the experience can be frightening or stressful but can totally be controlled. Lice are little parasitic bugs that attach themselves to a human scalp with hair. They hide in the hair and feed on the blood of the scalp. You can get head lice from direct contact with someone or clothing from a person with them.
A female louse (singular for lice) lays about half a dozen eggs or nits every day and takes about 7 to 10 days to hatch into little nymphs. The little nymphs take 10 days to fully grow into adult lice. The lice need a human host to survive and can’t live without blood for more than 24 hours.
So Can Head Lice Live on Pillows?
No, they can’t survive on their own. Lice feed several times a day and can’t live on surfaces such as pillows, sheets, or stuffed animals. Lice don’t fall on their own unless the hair they’re attached to falls. Nits need body heat for them to reach full term. So if it happens the nits fall off before hatching, they die.
Lice can’t live on animals or domestic pets. So if one member of your family has lice, you don’t need to fumigate the whole house or pack it up in plastic bags for weeks. All you need is to wash in hot water the clothes, towels, pillowcases, and beddings that were exposed to the affected person and dry them in high heat to kill all the lice and eggs.
It’s also important to wash all brushes, hats, backpacks, car seats, and hair accessories that may have been in contact with the individual with lice. Note that lice can’t fly or move at all. They only rely on hair-to-hair contact or hair items to move.
Can You Clean Your Pillows In The Washing Machine?
Naturally, after spotting lice in your family members, you want to throw everything out and light them on fire but it’s not necessary. All you need is to wash them in hot water and dry them in extreme heat to kill the lice and their eggs. But before you throw your pillows into a washing machine, there are a few things you need to know.
Pillows come with different fillings including feather, down alternative, cotton, and many more. Some pillow fillings can be cleaned in a washing machine. It’s a good idea to read the label with instructions on how to clean your pillow to avoid destroying them as you try to kill the lice. Let’s discuss how you can wash your pillow with different types of fillings:
Feather Pillows
Feather pillows can be cleaned in a washing machine but not all types. Be sure to read the label before stuffing all pillows in. If your pillow can dry-wash them and place it under the direct sun to dry. For the ones for washing machines, you can use a mild or soft detergent, cool water to avoid damaging the feather pillow. When drying, you can air-dry the pillows to make sure all the bugs die and their eggs too.
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Memory Foam Pillows
Avoid putting your memory foam pillows in a washing machine. This pillow is not designed for washing by soaking, it will be damaged. It’s best to hand wash the memory foam pillows by using a vacuum cleaner. You can dust off first with your vacuum cleaner, spot clean with mild detergent, and leave it out under the sun to dry. Make sure you let it sit for several hours and turn to the other side. You can avoid using the pillow for at least two days to make sure no lice or nit remains alive.
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Polyester Pillows
Polyester pillows are long-lasting and retain their shape, so it’s safe to put them in a washing machine. You can also hand wash it if you wish to. It’s okay to use warm water and liquid detergent to wash them. After you’re done, tumble them dry or leave them out to air dry. Make sure they dry completely before using or take them back in.
Gel Pillows
Gel pillows need extra care and attention. Avoid putting them in a washing machine. It’s best to wash your pillows with baking soda to remove odor and dampness. You can add some vinegar to help kill the lice and leave the pillows smelling fresh. Use a brush to scrub the surface and remove all the stains. After you’re done, make sure you air dry the pillows and avoid using them for about two days to make sure the lice and eggs are dead.
Do Dry Cleaners Clean Pillows?
Dry cleaning your pillow is one of the sure ways to remove dirt, stains, odors, and bugs without damaging the pillows. You can use medium heat to maintain the structure of the pillow and prolong its life. High heat strips down the oils and damages the fillings permanently.
If you’re dealing with bed bug infestations, dust mites, or lice, you can run the dryer on high heat for about 20 minutes then crank down the heat. Take out the pillows every 20 minutes and fluff them out before putting them back. You can repeat the process 3 to 4 times or until the pillow is completely dry and the bugs are dead.
To avoid future mites, mildew and mold, always make sure you dry the pillows thoroughly. Always read all the instructions before dry cleaning to avoid damaging your pillows. When placing the pillows in a dryer, you can add several dryer balls like tennis balls.
Dry your pillows for at least one hour or until it feels dry enough. If possible, empty the fillings to allow them to dry faster. Don’t use the auto setting because the sensors will stop the dryer once the exterior surface of your pillow dries, leaving the insides still cold.
Alternatively, you can air-dry your pillow out under the sun. you can place them on drying racks or clothing lines. Turn them after every hour and fluff the pillow to move the fibers inside and allow even drying. Make sure your pillows are completely dry before using them.
How to Prevent Lice On Pillows In The Future
It’s natural to be skeptical even after vacuuming, washing, and drying your bedding and pillows. For your peace of mind, you can make homemade or buy lice repellents. This step is unnecessary but acts as a preventative measure. That way if some stubborn eggs remain, they’ll die after hatching.
You can buy shampoos with insecticides to make sure even if you are exposed to hair that has lice, you’ll still be safe. Get some DIY bleach items and whip up a solution you can spray on your bed, furniture, toys, and bedding. Make sure the items you’re using are safe to avoid any reactions from it. To make the bleach, you only need 2 tablespoons of bleach, 1and a quarter cup of water, and a spray bottle.
Mix the bleach and water in the spray bottle and shake well. Before spraying all your surfaces, try with a small area first to see how the bleach reacts with the materials. Once you’re sure it’s safe, spray your bedding, including the headboard and any place the bugs might be hiding.
If your beddings or furniture can’t handle bleach, you can use essential oils as your alternatives. Some essential oils are natural louse repellants and leave your bedding to smell divine. You can choose any essential oil combinations you like, add 2 cups of water and pour into a spray bottle. Spray the mixture generously. You can also use the mixture on your head, it’s perfectly safe.
What About Spraying Pesticides on Your Bedding and Pillows?
As much as you feel tempted, kindly avoid using pesticides on your beddings. First of all, lice have become more immune to pesticides. Secondly, pesticides may be harmful to you and your family’s health. There’s no need to subject your kids to such chemicals especially when it doesn’t even kill the bugs.
Pesticides are made with harmful chemicals that when inhaled so closely on surfaces like pillows for days, weeks, or months, can affect human health. Some experts suggest that pesticides can cause abnormal neuro-behavioral development in young kids and might turn into cancer.
As you can see, you don’t need to put your kids at risk for a substance that is ineffective on lice. Alternatively, use rubbing clinical alcohol and spray it generously over your pillows and mattress. The rubbing alcohol kills them quickly and will cost you some cash. If you can’t afford it, you can use other methods mentioned above to clean your pillows easily.
Final thoughts…Can Head Lice Live On Pillows?
Lice are terrible little creatures that feed off human blood. They require a human host to survive and transfer from one person to another through hair contact. Lice can’t fly or jump so you can avoid hugging people with lice.
If these bugs find their way to your family, you don’t need to throw everything out and fumigate. You only need to clean the mattress, bedding, pillows, and everything else that might have been in contact with the affected head. After washing your pillows and drying them properly, spray generous amounts of essential oils around to prevent future outbreaks.
So can head lice live on pillows? No! They simply can not survive on their own.