1. Pinworm Eggs Stick to Everything!
Keeping your home clean is the best defense against getting pinworms, particularly if there's a known case in the house. Pinworm eggs are minuscule, sticky and rugged. They can survive for as long as three weeks on clothing, linens and towels and will continue to be laid as long as there's an active infestation. Provide everyone in the house with his own towels, and wash them--along with clothing and linens--frequently. Since the most common way to get pinworms is by accidentally ingesting the eggs when shaking out clothing, make sure to use a hot dryer to kill any remaining eggs.
2. Wash, Clean and Wash Again
Clean utensils, plates and glasses in hot water even if they've only been touched, not used, and keep your toilet seats sparkling clean. Invest in a cleaning solution that contains bleach and use disposable cloths or sponges when washing dishes and cleaning counters or other common surfaces. If you pick up any pinworm eggs when you clean, it won't be obvious, so throwing away your cleaning cloth or paper toweling is the best way to make sure you've disposed of the eggs.
3. Keeping Pinworms Out of School
Wash toys, vacuum rugs and insist upon children washing their hands after every little scratch or nose-pick. Children are more likely than adults to get pinworms, because they are less likely to practice impeccable hygiene. When a child with pinworms scratches--as she's bound to do, since pinworms cause intense itching--the eggs can stick to her fingers and get underneath her fingernails. A casual lean on a classmate's desk, a hand on the water fountain handle or an hour spent reading books in the school library can cause the eggs to spread from child to child.
4. Get Those Pinworm Eggs Out of Your Mouth!
Encourage your child to keep his hands and belongings out of his mouth, as sucking on his thumb or tasting his toys can cause a re-infestation of pinworms. Because of the parasite's life and breeding cycles, it's possible to have eggs around the house before you even know your child is infected. By nature, children tend to be itchy and twitchy, so it's easy to overlook the initial signs of pinworms. If that scratching is related to the infection, eggs can be transferred from his fingers to his mouth, beginning the cycle all over again.
