How to clean combs from lice? - briefly
Soak the comb in hot water (≥50 °C) with shampoo for 10 minutes, scrub the teeth with a nail brush, and rinse thoroughly. Then disinfect by immersing in a 1 % bleach solution for five minutes, rinse again, and let air‑dry.
How to clean combs from lice? - in detail
Removing lice and their eggs from hair‑comb accessories requires thorough mechanical and chemical actions. The process can be divided into preparation, cleaning, disinfection, and storage phases.
Begin by isolating the combs from other household items. Submerge them in a container filled with hot water (minimum 55 °C) for five minutes. The heat weakens the adhesive bond of the lice eggs to the plastic or metal teeth.
While the combs remain immersed, use a fine‑toothed lice comb to scrape each tooth, forcing any attached insects and nits into the water. Perform this action repeatedly, rotating the comb to expose all surfaces.
After mechanical removal, transfer the combs to a solution of 0.5 % sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) diluted with water at a ratio of 1:10. Soak for ten minutes to ensure lethal exposure to any remaining parasites. Rinse thoroughly under running water to eliminate residual chemicals.
For additional safety, place the rinsed combs in a dryer set to high heat for three minutes, or allow them to air‑dry on a clean surface exposed to direct sunlight for at least thirty minutes. Sunlight’s ultraviolet radiation contributes to final disinfection.
Finally, store the cleaned combs in a sealed, airtight container to prevent re‑infestation. Repeat the entire procedure after each use during an active infestation, and continue weekly for two weeks after the last observed lice to break the life cycle.
Key steps summary
- Heat soak (≥55 °C, 5 min)
- Mechanical scraping with a fine lice comb
- Bleach soak (0.5 % sodium hypochlorite, 10 min)
- Rinse and dry (high‑heat dryer or sunlight)
- Airtight storage
Adhering to this sequence eliminates live lice, eggs, and residual contamination from hair‑comb tools.