Can Head Lice Live In A Car?

If someone in your family has already suffered from a lice infestation, the last thing you want is to further spread it or get reinfected. While lice is not dangerous or a health hazard, it definitely is a nuisance. Between the itching and scratching, children not able to return to school until it’s gone, and the phone calls to those you’ve been around, lice is simply no fun. So, once you finally get rid of the pests, you want to be sure they are completely gone. But where can lice live beside our scalps? Many people who have experienced a lice infestation go to great lengths to clean their homes and clothes, but most forget about the exposure in their cars. In this blog, we’ll discuss facts regarding how long lice can live without a human host, and what you can do about it.

Can You Get Lice From Sitting In A Car?

While head lice can survive in your car for a short time, it is very unlikely that they will be found there. Lice are insects that feed on human blood, and they cannot live without a human host. Once they fall off their human host, they have about 48 hours to find a new host. If they don’t, then they will die. This time of survival varies depending on the temperature of the environment that the lice are in. If the car is extremely hot or extremely cold, the lice will die faster. Vehicles below 0 degrees F and above 130 degrees F will kill lice in several minutes. If the car is warm or humid, the lice will die within 12-24 hours. Unfortunately, lice in cold, but not freezing, environments live the longest. Lice in cold temperatures are the ones that make it to 48 hours of survival without a host. Lice are most commonly spread by head-to-head contact, so even though lice in cold conditions can live for up to two days, it is still rare to get lice from a vehicle. 

How To Clean Your Car After A Head Lice Infestation 

Even though you probably won’t catch lice from the inside of a car, it still is possible. Therefore, it may be worth the time to thoroughly clean your car just to be sure they are eliminated. This is especially true if the lice infestation was recent. Just as lice can fall off heads and latch onto pillows or couches, lice can fall off heads and cling onto seats in a car. If someone sits in that seat shortly after, the lice could attach to them. Lice are a huge nuisance, and after dealing with an infestation, the last thing you want is to get them again. So, follow the steps below to thoroughly clean your car of any possible living lice so you can keep your family lice-free.

1. Put car seat covers in the dryer. If you use car covers or have a car seat that was used by a child with lice, the first step to eliminating lice in your car is to remove the seat covers and put them in the dryer. Lice can live for a while underwater, so you can skip the washing cycle and focus on the drying cycle. The heat of the dryer will kill them, so be sure to put your dryer heat on a high setting. 

2. Vacuum the car. Using a handheld vacuum or a vacuum with an extension hose is one of the easiest ways to clean your car after a lice infestation. If you do not own one of these, local car washes have vacuums available for use. Run the vacuum over all areas of the car, but especially over areas where head contact is frequent. Thoroughly vacuum headrests and the fabric around the car windows. Be sure to clean out all small crevices where eggs or lice could be hiding. If your car has leather seats, you can simply wipe those down with a damp cloth since lice do not cling to leather well. 

3. Use a lint roller. Rolling a sticky lint roller over all car seats is another step you can take to ensure lice are gone. Use it in all areas of the car where people sit, especially where the infested person has sat. Replace the sheets of the lint roller while using it to maintain stickiness and effectiveness. When you’re finished, safely dispose of the used sheets to prevent further spreading of lice. 

4. Clean loose items in the car. Remove any loose items in the car, such as clothes, bags, and toys. Any items that can be put in the dryer should be dried on a high setting to kill any possible living lice. For items that cannot be put in the dryer, seal them in a plastic bag. The bagged items can be put in the freezer for 12 hours or can be left at room temperature for five days. This will guarantee that all lice are dead.  

5. Apply repelling lice spray. Some flea sprays and other pesticides are labeled to kill lice. You can spray these repellents inside your car and close the doors to fumigate the car. This will help you be certain that any lice that may have gotten into air vents or small crevices are killed. 

Lice Clinics Charlotte Is Here To Help

While preventing a reinfestation is an important step in the process of eliminating lice, so is the lice treatment plan that you choose. There are many treatments out there that are not guaranteed to work, but here at Lice Clinics Charlotte, we can assure you that our one-stop treatment method will get rid of lice for good. We can eliminate lice in a safe, natural, and non-toxic way. Trust our professionals to get your lice treatment plan started today so you can return to normalcy as fast as possible.