Almost just as important as treating your body when diagnosed with scabies is cleaning your house or home environment.
If you don’t eliminate the scabies’ mites and eggs from for surroundings, then you will never eliminate them from your body. I have read some places that say eggs can only survive up to a week off of a human body, but I’m not convinced. I think they can survive much longer and even survive a washing machine cycle if it isn’t done properly.
Here are some steps to follow when you need to eliminate scabies mites and eggs from your home environment.
Steps to Clean Your Surroundings
- Your Bed– This will often have the highest number of scabies’ and mites and eggs. Since the itching is usually severe at night, you have no doubt spread the eggs everywhere with your hands and fingernails. Wash your sheets in hot water and dry them in a hot dryer. Put your pillows and big blankets in plastic bags and keep them sealed for at least a month. If you live in a place where hot water or dryers aren’t available, you may have to wash your bedding with insecticidal soap. Tea tree oil can also be used.
- Your Clothes– These can also be heavily contaminated. Wash everything in hot water and dry with a hot dryer. Things that can’t be washed can be dry cleaned or placed in a sealed plastic bag for at least a month. Again washing in insecticidal soap may be necessary if hot temperatures can’t be used where you live.
- Your Bath Towels– Wash these in hot water and use bleach if they are white. Dry on high heat. Again use insecticidal soap if necessary. Throw away anything you use to bathe or shower with ie. sponges, luffa’s etc.
- Vacuum– With a hepa filter vacuum, go over all surfaces including mattress, rugs, carpets, furniture, bare floors etc.
- Kid’s toys– If your kid has been infected with scabies, it’s important that you wash all their plastic toys with hot water and bleach. Any soft toys need to be washed in the washing machine as described above or also sealed in a plastic bag.
Conclusions
I know all of this cleaning seems like hard work, but you’ll be glad you made the effort because this is a huge step in making sure scabies doesn’t return. Also as an added precaution, during treatment wash your towels, sheets, and clothes after each use.
How long can scabies live in the carpet for?
Can scabies live in dresser drawers?
How long?
Do scabies live on counter-tops?
How long?
Correct me if I am wrong: But, it seems that it might be easier, although maybe expensive just to discard all of the clothes, and towels, even curtains and then go on a shopping spree?
And hire a carpet cleaner to steam clean/ carpet clean, clean tiles the whole house?
Right?
No, it’s not quite that bad. Scabies mites are usually only found on things you have had direct contact with like clothes, bedding, towels etc.. carpet, drapes and surfaces aren’t usually a problem. Scabies mites/eggs aren’t airborne.. Just wash things as prescribed and vacuum.
my clothes still have the scabies even after going through all the steps
scabies will not leave clothing even after washing and drying in hot water, suggestions.
Scabies mites although very hardy generally, do not survive more for more than 3 – 4 days away from human skin. It is important that all articles of clothing should be washed in hot water using an insecticidal soap and then dried in the clothes dryer on a high heat setting and if practical stored in sealed plastic bags. An added precaution is to place articles of clothing back into the dryer for 20 minutes on high prior to wearing. Have they been placed near other materials that may have been affected?
I contacted them after cleaning out my mentally ill brothers house. He is a hoarder and has lived in filth. He smells, the house smelled and everything inside. I found rats roaches and he even threw his food and containers on the floor. He sold the land and the house is being torn down and I begged him to leave everything go buy all new furniture so contamination does not go to his new home. This home will also be contaminated. I just about had a nervous breakdown helping him and I begged him to hire a professional hoarder cleaning service. I have nightmares about what he was living in and has effected me very much. On advise from my Doctor I need to love him from a far as it has broken my heart that he was a home owner living like a homeless person.