Does freezing hair brushes kill lice?

As if dealing with head lice isn’t challenging enough, the variety of “home remedies” and questions that come along with it from the internet can be overwhelming. One such question is whether freezing hairbrushes will kill those pesky bugs. So, for all you curious souls out there committed to kicking lice to the curb – let’s dive in!

Introduction

First of all, let’s talk about what head lice are before we start dreaming up ways to send them packing! Head lice are tiny greyish-brown insects that feed on human blood by biting into your scalp. They love nothing more than making us feel itchy and uncomfortable.

While they don’t spread diseases or bacteria like some other pests do (thank goodness!), unfortunately, they spread extremely quickly through direct contact – sharing things like combs or hats.

One way many people wonder if they can combat head louse populations is by throwing their brushes in the freezer for a while.

The Science behind It

So does freezing brushware work? Well, first of all: “Like most untested home remedies there may be a little truth here but not enough to tackle headlice fully unless used alongside proven treatments“.

Lice can survive without feeding off humans for around 48 hours, which means placing infected objects such as combs/brushes etc., between two pieces of dry ice dusted with table salt or leaving items placed inside a plastic bag at temperatures under minus 15 degrees Celsius (-22°F) should cause them significant harm. However; “significant” doesn’t mean dead!. It’s likely that any living bugs would have slowed down considerably by the time your hotly anticipated dinner party rolls around.

While this will help slow them down — potentially causing their elimination upon re-entry)— killing them entirely requires other measures beyond simply chilling’ them. One of the most effective treatments against head lice is using an insecticide-containing lotion or shampoo – such as permethrin, dimeticone, benzyl alcohol etc..

Other Methods

If you’re not up for slathering a neurotoxin on your scalp (which sounds like something only someone who lost a bet would do), some other things can be done to clear out human head cooties properly:

Quarantine

First off isolate all objects that may have come into contact with any infected people including carpets and bedding! Lice can’t jump so are spread through head-to-head contact so it’s often during sleepovers at home where breaks in cleanliness create their prime breeding zone.

Washing Items

Just-throw-everything-in-the-machine washing (every piece of clothing/bedding items combs brushes towels hats) helps ensure everything returning to the house is bug-free.

Hot water laundry cycles i.e., above 60 °C /140°F will kill bugs (who knew?) but putting items you just purchased in direct sunlight or an airing cupboard overnight will also make them more likely perished!

Hairbands scrunchies and soft toys that cannot withstand hot washes immersed in boiling water for about six minutes – this should nuke ‘em pretty good&hllip;

There we go — problem solved(ish)!

But wait…there’s one small caveat: do NOT put products containing flammable substances near open flames after boiling— naughty folks (you know who you are) who insist on brushing vigorously while tucked next to candles need reminding too.

You could ignite conditions if sprays/hairspray/lighters are used incorrectly…

Disinfectants

Secondly, cleansing hard surfaces with disinfectant wipes whether single-use moist kitchen paper towels infused with liquid anti-bacterial cleaning agents from well-known brands or via biodegradable cloths infused with essential oils and rubbing alcohol.

Conclusion

So if you think by freezing your hairbrush, you’re wiping out an entire lice colony — think again. Freezing can disorient them for a while but will not serve as the death of all headlice in your world…(sadly). Instead try to stick to treatments that have been approved and backed up by doctors or other certified experts. Remember— prevention is better than cure!

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