Any type of common head louse treatment, in order to be thoroughly effective, must include treating the entire house as well. Although a louse does not survive for long after falling from a host, they are still easily passed from person to person, and a missed nit or egg can re-infest the whole household. It isn't necessary to spend a lot of money or time using commercial products to rid a house of lice.

Here are some easy tricks for ridding your home of lice and their nits:

- Lice cannot survive in a high-heat environment, so all bed linens, including blankets and mattress pads as well as the sheets, should be washed in very hot water. Water hot enough to kill lice and their eggs must be at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit or over 54.4 degrees Celsius. Clothing should also be washed in water of the same temperature and then put in the clothes dryer on the hottest setting for at least 20 minutes. If you have clothing that cannot be washed in this manner, use a dry cleaner instead.

- Any items that cannot be washed and dried or dry-cleaned, such as stuffed animals or plush toys, should be sealed in airtight bags for at least two weeks.

- All carpets and upholstered furniture should be thoroughly vacuumed. Don't forget the car and any throw rugs you may have.

- Wash hair-care items in very hot water or soak them in medicated shampoo for at least an hour. You may also soak items such as barrettes, headbands, brushes, and combs in rubbing alcohol for an hour to kill head lice.

Another helpful but common head louse treatment tip is to simply wet the hair, which temporarily immobilizes the lice, before thoroughly combing the hair with a special, fine-toothed comb. Some swear by home remedies such as completely saturating the hair with petroleum jelly or mayonnaise, or using natural, herbal oils including lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus, and oil of rosemary.

The following common head louse treatment methods are simple and effective, yet gentle on even sensitive skin and don't use any harsh or toxic chemicals:

- Mix a teaspoon of garlic paste with an equal amount of lime juice and apply to the scalp. Leave on for about half an hour before thoroughly shampooing.

- Grind almonds into three teaspoons of lime juice, applying to the scalp and hair for half an hour before shampooing.

- Mayonnaise or petroleum jelly may be applied to the scalp and hair in an attempt to suffocate the lice, although both are rather difficult to remove from the hair, requiring several washings.

- Mix a few teaspoons of tea tree oil with olive oil, applying to the hair and scalp and leaving in place for about an hour before rinsing out and shampooing.

Copyright (c) 2008 Kristi Carter