Lice are commonly spread in schools, where young children play close together and share their belongings. Lice are small, parasitic insects that live on blood and can live in the hair, on the body or near the pubic area. You can treat lice with a medicated shampoo or soap from the drugstore or one prescribed by your doctor. After using the medication, use home remedies to kill lice on your body and around the house.
Vinegar
If you are afflicted with head lice, use vinegar after scrubbing the hair with a doctor-recommended shampoo, says the Mayo Clinic. Vinegar will help keep stubborn nits and lice from hanging onto the hair shaft. Wet a clean washcloth or rag with white vinegar, then grab a small section of hair in the cloth at the roots. Carefully but firmly pull downward to saturate the section, from roots to ends. Repeat with each section of hair to kill and remove head lice.
Fine-Toothed Comb
For children under the age of two, using a commercial shampoo to kill head lice is not recommended, says the Mayo Clinic. Instead, remove the lice by wetting the hair and carefully combing through it with a fine-toothed comb. As nits become dislodged from the hair, dip the comb in vinegar to kill them. Continue to comb the hair until all visible lice and eggs are removed. Repeat this process every four days for at least two weeks. For individuals over the age of two, you can remove lice with a fine-toothed comb in combination with other treatments, like medicated shampoos,
Seal Furniture
To remove lice from the home, seal up all furniture by placing it in plastic bags. If your furniture is too large to fit in one bag, cut the bags open and tape them together with duct tape, and then seal the bags around the furniture. Leave the furniture in the bags for at least two weeks to keep the lice from their food source, which will kill them. Place any stuffed animals or household items that you can't wash in sealed plastic bags for two weeks to kill lice.
Wash Clothing
Wash all clothing, bedding and washable stuffed toys in the washing machine in water that is at least 130 degrees F. After washing, dry the items for 20 minutes or longer on high heat.
Petroleum Jelly
Lice may live in the eyelashes and can be stubborn and difficult to remove. To remove lice, apply petroleum jelly to your eyelashes, recommends dermatologist Karen E. Burke. Petroleum jelly smothers the lice and keeps them from moving to other parts of the body. Carefully rub a thin layer of petroleum jelly over the eyelashes twice a day for two weeks.
