Lice and vacation

[Philly Mom]

Stop all the cleaning! Don’t bag crap. Just leave. They will all be dead when you come back. There will be no reason to vacuum or anything! They will be dead!

I swear, the worse part of getting lice is all the bad information out there not based on science that works us up into a frenzy. (And don’t get me started on no-nit policies at school!)

Read the CDC site.
Treat before you go.
Don’t share pillows, towels, hats, combs.
Do a comb out or two if your obsessive, but I wouldn’t on vacation.
Retreat when you get home at appropriate time.
Have a good vacation.
https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/prevent.html

I agree with most of this. I wouldn’t do a thing at home. I would do comb outs every day until
I didn’t find anything, but since you used professionals that will be probably be right away.

We had lice while away out of the country. I did nothing when we got home except for change their bed, which i needed to do anyway. While away, In our rental cottage I put the pillowcase in the drier a few times but I did not vacuum or do anything else. I just did comb outs with conditioner. No other treatment. It wasn’t a big deal. Annoying but not horrible. And I had to do my own hair because DH is useless in these things so really it is not horrible.


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[KrisM]

Stop all the cleaning! Don’t bag crap. Just leave. They will all be dead when you come back. There will be no reason to vacuum or anything! They will be dead!

I swear, the worse part of getting lice is all the bad information out there not based on science that works us up into a frenzy. (And don’t get me started on no-nit policies at school!)

Read the CDC site.
Treat before you go.
Don’t share pillows, towels, hats, combs.
Do a comb out or two if your obsessive, but I wouldn’t on vacation.
Retreat when you get home at appropriate time.
Have a good vacation.
https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/prevent.html

Yes, I was reading the CDC site, which contradicts some of what you suggest.
From the CDC:
"Machine wash and dry clothing, bed linens, and other items that an infested person wore or used during the 2 days before treatment using the hot water (130°F) laundry cycle and the high heat drying cycle. Clothing and items that are not washable can be dry-cleaned OR sealed in a plastic bag and stored for 2 weeks."
and
"Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay."

So I figured washing sheets, bagging up stuffed animals from beds, etc is what they recommend. I'm not fumigating . I vacuumed DS2's room and washed his sheets and put the pillow in the dryer. And I'll wash the clothes he had on yesterday. DD put stuffed animals and pillows into a bag and I'll do her sheets and vacuum the floor.

DH vacuumed the couch and I'll dry the pillows. DD has really long hair and it kind of gets everywhere.

This is too much you think? CDC says to bag for 14 days and we'll be gone for 8.

[dogmom]

Yes, I was reading the CDC site, which contradicts some of what you suggest.
From the CDC:
"Machine wash and dry clothing, bed linens, and other items that an infested person wore or used during the 2 days before treatment using the hot water (130°F) laundry cycle and the high heat drying cycle. Clothing and items that are not washable can be dry-cleaned OR sealed in a plastic bag and stored for 2 weeks."
and
"Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay."

So I figured washing sheets, bagging up stuffed animals from beds, etc is what they recommend. I'm not fumigating . I vacuumed DS2's room and washed his sheets and put the pillow in the dryer. And I'll wash the clothes he had on yesterday. DD put stuffed animals and pillows into a bag and I'll do her sheets and vacuum the floor.

DH vacuumed the couch and I'll dry the pillows. DD has really long hair and it kind of gets everywhere.

This is too much you think? CDC says to bag for 14 days and we'll be gone for 8.

I don’t really understand the 14 day thing. Nits theoretically can live 7 days, but then they got to get back on you by then or die. They don’t jump. A full grown louse that reproduce only lasts a day or two off humans. They need body heat and food. I think they are just breeding machines by them with high metabolic demand Maybe it’s a buffer? I really think it’s for the stuff that kids sleep with.

I did a ton of reading on the life cycle of the louse when we got them. They actually aren’t that hardy of a creature. If they would we would never get rid of them, lol. I really do think the worst part is the hype and the ick factor. Have a good vacation! I’m envious of Maine right now in this heat!

[KrisM]

I don’t really understand the 14 day thing. Nits theoretically can live 7 days, but then they got to get back on you by then or die. They don’t jump. A full grown louse that reproduce only lasts a day or two off humans. They need body heat and food. I think they are just breeding machines by them with high metabolic demand Maybe it’s a buffer? I really think it’s for the stuff that kids sleep with.

I did a ton of reading on the life cycle of the louse when we got them. They actually aren’t that hardy of a creature. If they would we would never get rid of them, lol. I really do think the worst part is the hype and the ick factor. Have a good vacation! I’m envious of Maine right now in this heat!

I don't know. But, I'd probably do all the sheets shortly after vacation, so doing them now instead works well enough. Laundry was pretty much all done for vacation and should be fine. So we only have 1 bag of stuffed things and it can sit in the bag for 2 weeks and I'll be good.

The bonus thing is that the kids and DH are doing a bunch of the cleaning without complaint...so I'll take it!