At No More Lice, our mission is to fight against lice and nits, and that means making sure that all mums are armed with the best information to help beat nits forever!

Here are the 8 Things All Mums Should Know (to Protect the Kids from Lice)- once and for all.

1. Lice Can Live Without a Host.

If lice fall off the body, they can survive for 1-2 days without feeding.

This means that they can live on surfaces and spread to other hosts within this time period.

2. Beware of Sleepovers!

They can give parents much needed alone time, but if your child returns home with lice, it might ruin your love of sleepovers forever!

To prevent this, many mums send their children off to their friend’s house with their own pillow and blanket to use for the night (to prevent cross-contamination).

3. Wash Often.

One easy way of preventing kids from getting headlice is by keeping on top of the washing.

While it might sound obvious, lice can be passed from other children or adults to your children’s clothes, so washing them regularly at temperatures greater than 55°C/ 130°F is definitely a habit to maintain and keep on top of.

4. Nits Can Survive for One Week, or Longer!

If they are kept at temperatures similar to that of the scalp, nits can indeed survive and hatch without needing a host.

In fact, lice can often hatch on clothing and then pass onto the scalp.

5. Relax, But not Too Much!

If you’re starting to think that there are a lot of ways cross-contamination can occur between children, you’d be right!

Another potential cause of headlice is leaning back on upholstered furniture. Cinema seats, chairs in the doctor’s office or in showrooms could be infested with headlice.

Unless you know for sure it has been disinfected since it was last sat on, don’t take the risk!

6. Beware of Changing Rooms

Much like sleepovers, changing rooms (in clothing stores or public swimming pools) are the ideal spot for the transmission of nits and headlice.

To prevent the transference of lice to your children’s clothes or from clothes in the store to your child’s scalp, practice caution!

Remember- never let your kids try on hats in store and always store their clothes while they change in a clean bag you have brought from home.

7. Grownups Can Catch Lice Too!

This isn’t often spoken about, but just like kids, grownups can get headlice too.

So, in the same way that all mums should be vigilant about their kids getting lice from other kids, remember to practice the same preventative techniques with adults, and always remember…

8. There’s nothing to be ashamed of!

Sometimes both adults and kids can feel pretty embarrassed about getting lice, but it doesn’t have to be that way!