After treating head lice in your hair, it's important to clean clothes and other fabric items to make sure the lice are completely gone from your home. The easiest way to get rid of fleas from clothes is to machine wash them on high heat and then place them in the dryer. If your clothes are not suitable for washing using a washing machine, there are a number of alternatives that you can try.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Washing Clothes to Get Rid of Head Lice
Step 1. Gather your clothes
If you have fleas, you will need to wash your clothes to help ensure that you and your home are free of fleas. Before doing so, you need to determine which clothes need to be washed. Collect all clothing that was worn or worn in the last two days before becoming aware of the lice and treating them.
- You must include every item, including items like scarves and hats.
- While doing so, you'll also need to collect all towels, sheets, and fabrics that have been used in the last two days.
Step 2. Wash the clothes in the washing machine
After collecting all the clothes, you will need to wash them at a high temperature in the washing machine. You must set the temperature to at least 54°C. A washing machine that washes clothes at this temperature will kill fleas.
- If for some reason you can't use the washing machine, you can try soaking the clothes in hot water, at least 60°C.
- After washing the clothes, dry them in the tumble dryer on high heat.
Step 3. Take the clothes to a dry cleaner
If there are clothes that can't be machine washed, you may want to try a number of other methods to kill fleas. You can take these items to a chemical laundry and have them washed there. This is a way to clean clothes without damaging them, and still kill fleas.
- This method can be used for woolen garments that you don't want to shrink in a hot water wash, or silk garments that are too delicate to wash in the washing machine.
- You will need to tell the chemical laundry staff about the flea problem so they can provide additional treatment.
- You may be able to use a dry cleaning kit at home if this involves putting the clothes in the dryer on high heat for at least fifteen minutes.
Method 2 of 2: Trying Other Options for Unwashable Items
Step 1. Use the dryer on the heat cycle
Using a tumble dryer after washing your clothes will help make sure all the fleas are dead. However, if the clothes are not suitable for washing using a washing machine, a cycle in the dryer can kill the fleas by itself. Place the clothes in the dryer, set the cycle on a heat cycle, and let the clothes sit in for about 15 minutes.
Step 2. Place in a plastic bag for two hours
Another way to get rid of fleas on clothes is to place them in a sealed plastic bag and let them sit for two weeks. Store it somewhere safe and make sure you let it sit for a full two weeks before opening it again. This is not the most practical method, but it can be useful if your clothes are particularly delicate or cannot be washed in the normal way.
- For example, this method can be used for leather and suede clothing.
- This method can also be used for fabrics that cannot be machine washed, such as wool and silk.
Step 3. Clean around the house
Getting fleas that have fallen on carpet or a piece of furniture is unlikely, but taking a number of follow-up steps to deal with fleas that may have entered your body and clothes will help limit your chances of getting fleas. Clean floors and furniture using a vacuum cleaner, paying particular attention to places where people with fleas have been.
- Wash sheets, towels and other cotton and linen items that have been touched by an infected person.
- Compared to head lice, this step is more important for body lice, which generally live on clothing.
Tips
- Follow all instructions listed on any equipment purchased.
- Wash the comb in warm water and tea tree oil or soap. If the comb is not washable, you can try placing it outside in the sun. As another option, consider changing the comb.
- Check for fleas on other family members.
- Exposing the tick to temperatures over 51ºC for 10 minutes will generally kill it.
