Preventing Head Lice?

[Play Care]

Yesterday we had my younger DD's birthday party. She wanted to invite one girl from her class that had had recurring head lice issues. So we did and she came, but of course, one of the parents noticed her scratching her head While I'm hoping it was just an itch (I didn't really notice her scratching at all) I want to try to prevent it from possibly going through the house/day care... I checked both my kids heads last night before bed and didn't see anything. My younger DD got a birthday crown which she, of course, let the girl wear during the car ride home - that got washed and bagged in a plastic bag for a couple of days. But should I was sheets, pillows? Vacuum out the van where she was sitting?

Perhaps I sound a bit paranoid but I do not want to spend weeks trying to nit pick and clean after the fact. And I have two girls with a LOT of hair
I also have a dc client (single dad) of a little girl and I know if she gets it there will be issues with it recurring.

[MsLaura529]

I don't know about preventing it if they would already be there, but I do know that if you have some type of product in your hair, lice will be more likely NOT to attach on. I have heard that tea tree oil is one of the best hair products to repel live, and coconut scented things. My SIL (who teaches kindergarten and ends up with lice going through her class at least every other year, sometimes twice a year), does these and has not gotten it yet.

[sally]

Use a shampoo with tea tree oil. That is a good preventitive also using hair spray helps a lot too. My older daughter got lice a few years ago from her cousin and we had never dealt with it before but learned a lot. We even bought a Robi comb from Walgreens. It kills lice and nits when run through hair.

[itlw8]

Yes treat the van I would wash your childs pillow case today if you did not wash her hair last night. tea tree oil or shampoo, and blow dry hair are good to prevent. I love the riobi comb if you hear a zap you found one and it is dead. good to check your childs hair as school starts. That is when the schools find the most.

[Angelsj]

There is a product called Quit Nits, or some such that you spray into hair lightly that will prevent them.

I had good luck with a homeopathic version when my girls were small and exposed often. You can google it, but I know it contained several essential oils, such as tea tree, eucalyptus and menthol in the girls' detangler. Used daily, and they never got them again, despite the fact that they were in close proximity to them often (thank you bio dad!)