If your family has ever had to tackle head lice, and you've searched endlessly for lice cures that work, you know very well how frustrating the process can be. This can be even more of a nightmare if you have tried several different, over the counter; lice cures that failed to rid your family of lice.

If you use an over the counter lice cure, you could end up spending hundreds of dollars every time someone in the house brings home head lice, and then there is a chance that the treatments won't even work.

A better alternative may be to try a home remedy. Most of the time, home remedies are much less expensive, safer and more effective for killing lice. There are several, safe, non-toxic home remedies that you may wish to try before sinking hundreds of dollars into over the counter, or prescription lice cures.

Of the many lice cures that are, one home remedy that has been recommended by pediatricians is the use of real mayonnaise. To use mayonnaise as a lice cure you must saturate the hair and scalp in mayonnaise, and then cover the head with a shower cap. The treatments must be kept on for several hours.

When it is time to remove the mayonnaise, you simply wash the hair with dish soap a couple of times, and then use a specially designed comb to remove the dead lice and nits. After treatment, it will be necessary to thoroughly clean all of the surfaces in the home. Vacuum all carpets and furniture; wash bedding, clothes and coats. Anything that cannot be washed should be stored in an airtight plastic bag for at least two weeks.

The process should be repeated every four days for about two weeks to ensure that the head lice infestation is under control.

There are several home remedies that are said to work good as lice cures; they include using olive oil, or tea tree oil as apposed to mayonnaise, and regular use of a shampoo that contains coconut oil is suppose to work wonders for keeping your household free of head lice.

The most important step you can take in preventing head lice infestation in your home is to educate your children on the risks of sharing personal items, such as brushes and hats, with other children. Head lice spreads by the hair having physical contact with a louse found on clothing objects, furniture, combs, etc.

If your child is sent home from school with head lice, don't panic. With some careful research are sure to find good lice cures that works.