Hot Water Treatment for Lice-Infested Clothing
Washing clothes in hot water at temperatures greater than 60°C (140°F) effectively kills head lice, and items should be dried in a hot dryer for 15 minutes to ensure complete eradication. 1
Recommended Washing Protocol
Heat-based treatment is the only reliably effective method for killing lice on fabrics:
- Wash clothing and bedding in hot water at temperatures exceeding 60°C (140°F) 1
- Follow with hot dryer cycle for at least 15 minutes to ensure complete mortality of both lice and eggs 1
- Cold water washing does not kill head lice and should not be relied upon 1
Important Context About Environmental Decontamination
The actual risk from clothing and bedding is extremely low, making extensive environmental decontamination unnecessary:
- Only 4.2% of pillowcases from actively infested individuals contained live lice, representing just 0.11% of the total louse population 1
- Live lice found on pillowcases were only present within 2-9 hours after removal from the bed 1
- Extensive environmental decontamination is not necessary after pediculosis is diagnosed 2, 3
Practical Recommendations
Focus treatment efforts on the scalp rather than the environment:
- Changing and washing the pillowcase is a reasonably cost-efficient strategy to minimize the already-low risk of re-infection 1
- Wash clothing and bedding that had direct head contact in the 24-48 hours before treatment 4, 2
- Items that cannot be washed can be sealed in plastic bags for 2 weeks (the maximum survival time for lice off the human host), though this is rarely necessary given the low transmission risk
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Do not waste time and resources on excessive environmental cleaning: