Having discovered that you have an out break of scabies in the household obviously the first course of action you must take is to get the correct treatment for youself and everyone with whom you have any kind of close contact.
However, what many people do neglect is getting rid of scabies which have found their way onto bedding, clothing, carpets, furniture and so on.
Launder Everything Daily
It is a fact that these tiny parasites cannot survive for long without a human host for warmth and nourishment but they can survive long enough to crawl back onto the original victim or find a new one.
Getting rid of scabies therefore, becomes a huge task, just like getting rid of any pests you may encounter round your home. So where do you begin? Well, your washing machine and steam cleaner are going to become your best friends!
The best place to begin is probably with clothing and bedding. Make sure that all clothing worn is laundered at as high a temperature as possible EVERY DAY, remove sheets, blankets pillow cases etc. and do
the same again, EVERY DAY. Don’t forget the cuddly toys on the kids beds and in their rooms – if they can be washed and dried without destroying them do so. If this is not an option you could try steam cleaning them or place them in tightly sealed plastic bags for a couple of weeks until any itch mites have died off.
Vapamore Steam Cleaner
Okay, now down to the hard work, a stream cleaner is the best tool for this job and if you don’t want to purchase one you should be able to rent one.
Whilst you have the beds stripped, steam clean the mattresses and box springs and thoroughly clean frames, headboards etc. where possible. You can then move on to curtains, carpets and soft furnishings. I found it easier to work one room at a time.
Next, its time to move to the lounge and other family rooms. Once again attack everything possible with a steam cleaner because this will get rid of scabies mites at all stages of development – even eggs. So, sofas, chairs, carpets, curtains, cushions and other soft furnishings.
Kitchens and bathrooms should not be left out obviously, the bathroom will need special attention as this will undoubtedly be where skin treatment will take place. Sanitising solutions or a steam cleaner should be used on floors and surfaces and all towels and bath mats should again be laundered at a high temperature each day.
N.B. It is essential that no one shares towels, bedding, clothing etc. until scabies have been totally eradicated. Another precaution you should also take is to wear gloves when handling laundry in an effort to prevent re-infection.
Now the whole house should be sparkling clean and hopefully free from itch mites however, it’s not time to relax yet! The whole process should be repeated one week later and every week for as long as there is an infected person in the house.
Getting rid of scabies is not easy but with a lot of hard work and common sense it is possible.
