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Q. Both of my boys were sent home from school with head lice. The checklist given to me by the school nurse said that in order for them to return to school, I must treat their scalps with an insecticide.
I used a head lice treatment containing permethrin and it was completely ineffective. Both children were refused readmission to school and I was instructed to reapply the insecticide that day (despite the package instructions that treatments should be spaced at least 7 days apart).
I took them home and washed their hair, towel-dried it, then saturated it with Listerine and covered their heads with shower caps. I left the shower caps on for two hours, then we removed them and I combed with a lice-comb.
The next day they washed their hair, toweled it dry and I sprayed their hair with Listerine and combed.
The lice are gone even though the infestation was severe. Prior to the Listerine treatment I combed hundreds of lice from their hair. Listerine was MUCH more effective than the insecticide.
A. There are reports that lice have developed resistance to some insecticides used in lice shampoos. We first heard about using Listerine against these nasty critters in 1999. A reader reported spraying it on her child’s head before his possible exposure to lice.
A lice expert once told us that she thought the alcohol (26.9 percent) in Listerine was toxic to lice. The herbal oils found in Listerine (thymol, eucalyptol, menthol and methyl salicylate) may also contribute to the effect.
Kate
Spokane
Me and my little one have lice and I have dreads do you think the Listerine would work on my dreads even if I can’t comb them?
Gaylord Perry Jersey
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5. Have risks As the aged saying goes, endangereds, almost nothing accumulated. If you don’t receive a probability and perform something totally new, you keep working into your same old opportunities.
Jennifer
Texas
Does this work? I wanted to this Listerine lice home remedy when my daughter got lice a month ago but I was worried it wouldn’t work. We ended up going to one of those lice removal places and it cost so much. Want to try something at home next time (fingers crossed that it won’t happen again any time soon).
Jennifer
I read mayo works too but Listerine seems so much better. Way too messy to use mayo.
KC
WA
LiceMeister Comb – pricey but it’s the best non-electric comb for removing nits. Ask for it at your pharmacy (keep behind counter here so won’t be stolen) or order online – you’ll be glad you did. Plastic combs that come w/products will actually shred the hair shaft. The metal comb included with Lice Free spray product (Wal Mart – safe & works for most lice infestations when used as directed) is next best comb I’ve found to the Lice Meister comb, and as an Early Childhood Specialist I’ve been dealing with head lice for over 30 yrs.
Remember to empty or remove vacuum cleaner dirt bag when finished so lice won’t climb back out of the vacuum. Can place items in plastic bag and freeze to kill lice and nits on objects you can’t place in dryer – if have larger freezer. Either extreme works – high heat or freezing cold, along with low humidity.
Removing nits by combing thru hair isn’t easy as it takes persistence and time but it is a must. As I tell my clients, “Where do you think the phrase, ‘It’s a nit-picking job’ came from?”
Good luck & remember – lice aren’t picky who they get their blood from – any head will do, so prevention is best policy. Rosemary oil’s best we found – add few drops to shampoo, conditioner, perfumes, etc.
amy
n.b
Yes it really does work. I too used the insecticide and it did not do any good the lice were still living I tried listerine worked great the first try. Spray your child’s head good and put shower cap on tight and leave on 2-3 hours comb and let dry. I also will spray my child’s head every morning and leave in during lice season.
Kapahu
I’ll have to keep that in mind in case my grandchildren gets lice 2 of them are allergic to ragweed.
pam
Bremerton,WA
I have been using NIX for five days. While I haven’t seen live adults the nits are remain everywhere. At this point I am going to pull each hair individually and remove each hair they are attached to. I am thankful I found this site, I don’t want to use such toxic products on my children and I hope Lysol works. It’s obviously better for their health and cheaper.
Blondie
Save yourself headache and money. The fairy tales natural treatments and the terminator comb are the best so far!
The Listerine two hours then vinegar two hours didn’t hurt my hair, but they returned in a few days! I have no one to nit pick. If you can it may work.
And I think if you do Rid, you need to do olive oil and vinegar and some tea tree oil if you can, on dry hair for two hours after for the nits. Blow dry on low heat as vinegar stings a bit. Or use mayo and apple cider vinegar, and tea tree oil if you can.
Or sleep in olive oil, never use a plastic cap on a small child all night, suffocation risk. Then either wash and use half water half vinegar on towel dried hair for another two hours and rinse and comb off nits. Or message the vinegar in in the morning, 15 minutes before washing. Or rinse in vinegar for two hours after the Rid. But remove ALL nits!
I just bought the fairy tales kit with the terminator comb. It’s a God send! It removes nits better than anything! And the non pesticide treatments are wonderful! The best so far. Available at Ulta. And online. The drug store can order the comb.
Ann
NM
I love this forum! Thank you for your input.
QUESTION…
Have any of you tried LiceGuard shampoos? I got their electric zapper and now ordered their other non toxic products. Hope they help with combing and killing nits too.
Thank you
Blondie
Keep using the Listerine. On towel dried hair sounds better as in the article, thanks. Fairy tales did not work
Gerry
Virginia
Has anyone tried a hot-air treatment? It is quicker and more effective than any old-wives remedies or OTC treatments.
The People's Pharmacy
Here’s more info for those who wonder about hot air: http://www.npr.org/2012/04/09/150299564/the-key-to-keeping-lice-at-bay-a-lot-of-hot-air
Pamela
MN
I had lice with 3 kids. A mess. We used the chemical process, NIX 3-4 times in a row. I cleaned and dried everything I could get my hands on and the rest went in plastic bags outside for a week. My daughter, a stylist, told me about Listerine after I found live critters a week later. I had my daughters sleep with Listerine soaked hair, a shower cap and a towel and it killed all the live bugs.
I am sold on this method. Oh, and I make sure to use a blow dryer daily for 2 week on their hair. the lice hate the heat and fall right out.
T.F.
Take the white thing, and put it on your fingernail. Push down on it with another fingernail. If you hear a popping sound, and feel it actually pop, then it is, indeed, a nit. The lice also make a popping noise when you do that.
AP
Does anybody know if a flea comb will work as a lice comb? This is the first time my children have had lice so I’m freaking out!!! I’m gonna try the Listerine remedy ya’ll recommended.
I’ve already tried two boxes of the NiX before I came across this website. The boxes provided a lice comb but I don’t believe the comb is working so well. Any suggestions as to where I need to go get a new comb. I live in a small town and the only large store we have around is a Walmart?? That’s why I’m asking about about a flea comb… Somebody plz help me! I’m new to this and have NO idea what I’m doing!!!!
MK
I read each and every comment. I have hope. I’ve been dealing with lice with my two children’s since September. It started with my oldest (who got it from her friend) and drifted to my youngest. I have battled for months. Ive used several different kinds of over the counter lice treatment. Thinking each one worked and the problem started all over again. If they were boys I woulda shaved their heads. This how desperate I’ve been.
I’ve put stuffed animals in bags, washed bedding in hot water 3-4 times a week. I’ve replaced brushes and replaced couches. I’ve vacuumed and resulted into putting wood flooring into our home. I took them to urgent care where they prescribed Lindain after reading the label and the side effects I stayed up all night making sure they woke up in the morning.
We tried over the counter lice medication again, and with it not working, we paid a visit to our pediatrician and he gave them an oral medication. I thought that was it, we were done, we were combing pieces of lice out of their hair, I was happy it was killing them, there we were summer break and they were back, not to mention I’ve been washing bedding and replaced bedding all these months. They had another out break, ay yi yi…
I got the flat iron and heated up their hair, I saw eggs and dead bugs falling off, then laid Vaseline in their hair, pasted it on thick, left it on over night, them combed it out, dead bugs, yay! This is it! We’re going on vacation and I didn’t want a problem while out of town. Everything was good, that while week a vacation I checked them and saw nothing! Guess who comes back with lice, ME! These lice should have paid their way to California, jerks, they got a free trip.
I doused my hair in vinegar, left it on for as long as I could, rinsed and combed out lice and eggs, the I poured on the coconut oil, left that on over night. The next morning, we combed out bugs, I felt like a loser, I have long think hair, not fun. I came across this, desperate, I don’t know what to do any more, I could pay nit nurses $200/ person and let someone else do the dirty work, and them have it happen all over again.
I doused their hair in gold Listerine, left it on for 2 hours, I wanted those bugs to suffer, dang jerk faces. Anyhoo, after the two hours I rinsed their hair, plugged the tub to see if anything came off, and in saw tons, and this was just with the rinse! I was totally grossed out, remember I thought the Vaseline took care of this a week ago. I combed out their hair, and saw bloated, lice, big and small, I let it dry so I can see the eggs and I saw very little, I combed and got those out.
The next morning, I did the same to my hair and I’ve found just little ones, so I’m hoping if we do this Listerine every 2 days we can catch them before they decide to mate and lay eggs, that way we can take care if this problem. I will do this and coconut oil for the rest of their lives if I have to. I never question God, but I don’t know why these piece of cacas, were even made, they do no good for our environment. Please pray this works, you all have given me some hope!! Take care! I’ll be updating!!
Blondie
Philadelphia
My daughter has done original Listerine in the past with nit picking and that seemed to work for them but they gave them to me, then off and on for three years battling them!
I always itched after a store brand of rid seemed to kill the bugs but I guess didn’t kill all the eggs. And I had no one to pick mine off. So I would use vegetable oil and vinegar or apple cider vinegar, it’s milder, (olive oil is thicker and runs less), a cup of oil and a cup of vinegar, and 2 tsps tea tree oil, capped for 2 hours, it’s runny you need paper towels on your shoulders and for forehead, and wash 3x, and condition and comb with a metal nit comb. This was to help remove the nits and kill any bugs a couple days after the Rid.
Sometimes I even did that by itself with tea tree mint shampoo and conditioner. It always seemed to work. But we have a recurring problem too! This time around they were here with me all summer and nothing worked in three months! It all killed but there were babies every day in the water after I would comb there hair and dunk it in a container of hot water!
So I did the olive oil, vinegar, and tea tree oil on me and mayo and apple cider vinegar and tea tree on them,you can thicken and stings less, so can be repeated more if needed, well now everything seems to have to be repeated often! 2 hrs. It seemed to work but they came back! Now I’m wondering if it’s because I usually did mine close to using a pesticide shampoo? Or are they more resistant?
We tried rubbing alcohol too, but fumes are bad! They fall off dead in ten minutes but dry out your scalp and dull hair! And still combed some off a couple days, then they came back.. So I added lots of baby oil to the wintergreen rubbing alcohol. It works better and makes hair shiny. You only leave in 15 minutes and shampoo a few times. Creamy baby oil from the dollar store is even better! Has benzyl alcohol and aloe. But they come back! But this kills fast! Removed a lot of eggs too, I thought. Only draw back I get a slight headache but it goes away. However, this could be repeated every few days.
So I’m wondering since it works fast, if you could add some amber Listerine to it too! Wintergreen rubbing alcohol, some Listerine for the menthol eucalyptus, and lots of creamy baby oil or baby oil with aloe! It’s worth a shot! 15 or 20 minutes compared to two hours! But getting the nits off is crucial! I am afraid of straight Listerine, though it’s mild enough for your mouth! I saw you only have leave in a few minutes. I would do that, or add some tea tree or baby oil, and maybe leave in up to 15 minutes. Just a little oil to moisturize!
But you can do mayo or olive oil and apple cider vinegar for an hour or two every few days as needed too. Helps remove nits also. Alternatively you can sleep with olive oil or mayo, and rub the vinegar or apple cider vinegar in in the morning for 15 minutes before washing. Apple cider vinegar may sting less than white. Or you can use less white. Mayo has vinegar in it. Straight vinegar is too acidic. Dilute in half with water and leave in after any treatment if you want for nits. Your hair will shine!
Or use apple cider vinegar on damp hair till dry, then warm coconut oil and put over it and leave in all night. I’m as frustrated as everyone! But daughter resorted to Vaseline! But try the Listerine even dollar store brand works. Add a little tea tree oil or baby oil for moisture.. Or add some Listerine to wintergreen rubbing alcohol to speed it up but add baby oil too to make it milder and moisturize! Will also soften nits I think. I have not tried it yet! But keep from flame! Watch fumes! Alcohol kills fast but is drying and can burn, add baby oil! Remove nits.
But here’s something easy to try before all that! I pray this works!
I just read Denorex shampoo with coal tar kills them fast and maybe nits! This is what I’m presently trying. I left it in about 15 minutes. After this I will just shampoo with it every few days. It’s supposed to work wonders! Has alcohol, silicone and menthol. Made my blonde hair slightly darker but it’s ok. PPL say it’s a miracle and kills fast and no more lice! Hope it works. California has a cancer warning though, but probably safe. Ppl use it on kids. Only the one with tar!
If this fails I read ppl use African hair growth treatment, with petroleum jelly. Smothers in one night! And no more bugs or nits! Not too hard to wash out. Another nurse and lady said garlic tablets by mouth kill immediately! Or they leave! Try these before the Listerine or oil or mayo and vinegar, or alcohol I have not had success yet with those, however! My daughter liked the Listerine before, I have not tried it. I’m trying Denorex and will report back! So far so good. Hair is shiny!
tasha
My daughters daycare came up with lice and I found some nits in my daughters hair. I sat for at least an hour and a half searching and only found about 10 nits and no live ones in my 5 yrs old hair. I’ve been itching like crazy so I dyed my hair. I found out about the Listerine and am sitting here with a cap over my head. My question is will this kill any eggs in my hair as to I don’t have anyone to go through my hair and is it safe to sleep in? Please help I hate this and I’m freaking out.
GB
I am currently sitting here with Miss 6&8 with listerine in their hair and glad wrap tightly round their scalp. We have battled these for 3 months now, and have used MOOV (herbal otc) and chemical otc.
We have used oil and vinegar, I am so hopping that this works. Spent 4 hours today just picking nits and lice off their hair before this application so I am praying this works!!
Jj
Does this work on nits as well? My daughter came home with lice about 12 days ago and I’ve tried everything. While I find no live lice, I do find a nit or two still daily.
MNCH
BE CAREFUL!!!
Using Listerine on my dd led to a very raw nod almost sun burnt looking scalp!!! DO NOT use this method if your little one has sensitive skin!!!!!
uamsler
Use only the original yellow Listerine type. I have read on some other user’s comments when I first found this site that the blue and green varieties can tint blonde hair. Also, the chemical make-up of the minty flavored versions may be different, (in terms of menthol content,) than the yellow type. I have had great success with the Listerine treatment!!!
AB
Despite not going to preschool or daycare, I found lice on my four year old daughter’s head last week. I used Nix and combed it thoroughly and thought they were gone, but her stepmom found more this weekend, and did the Nix again.
I haven’t found any on myself despite careful searching, but my head was itchy today, so I’m sitting here with a shower cap on soaking it in Listerine just in case. This forum gave me hope that we won’t have to be battling this for months or shave our heads, I’ll be doing this treatment on her as soon as she comes home, Nix or not! Thanks for all the comments, tips, and success stories.
KH
I am a school nurse. I have had several parents report that Listerine works great. I would like to use it as a precaution. Does anyone know if the Listerine has ill effects for color treated hair?
em
Read every comment here. As I am typing at 1am I have Listerine in my hair. Never had lice now almost 40 got it from my 3 year old. She had it about a month ago did the nix 3 times to her if this works tomorrow she will be wearing a Listerine cap as well. Thank you for all your comments it put my mind at ease. I hate these little buggers. I am exhausted from all the cleaning I did once again.
Mary
I am an elementary school teacher who lives overseas and travels a lot. About 1 month ago I began to itch. Since I am allergic to many things I thought it was the new hair color. Had an experienced teacher friend check my head and she found LICE!
I bought a product called Kwell Sampuan, made in Turkey, and followed the directions. It is the only thing available where I live. It was dreadful smelling and a strong chemical. Cleaned the house, ironed the mattress after vacuuming it, sealed pillows in plastic bags (no dryer), etc. Waited 3 days to shampoo and still itched.
Then tried the mayo all night. Great hair conditioner, not a lice killer.
Tried vinegar soak to no avail.
Tried olive oil which I infused with rosemary and tea tree oil. Hair was shiny and lice were still healthy.
A friend who lives in South Africa, because his wife is from there, told me about Listerine. He says he uses it on his kids who are always getting lice from classmates. His kids have very curly, thick hair so lice would be very difficult to treat for them. He said it works great.
Lucky for me Listerine is available where I live. A very small bottle is $9 so not cheap. Only the green kind is available. I left it on for 30 minutes and sat in a tub of water because it ran everywhere and burned my skin where it touched. I have sensitive skin.
The next week came and I redid the Kwell shampoo. I was still itchy.
Just the thought of lice makes me itch but I thought I was still finding some in the lice comb. No option to buy a nice lice comb here, just have to use the crappy plastic one sold with the boxed lice treatment.
I recolored my hair as some people say the lice don’t like hair color.
So this is week 3 of the lice invasion. I just did the Listerine again and will see how it goes. I’m not putting any more of those chemicals on my hair because they did not seem to kill the lice.
When I go back to the States for December break I am buying a good lice comb and one of those lice zappers. I burned my scalp trying to use a flat iron to kill lice. Since my hair is very thin, fine, and straight I have never practiced with a flat iron before. Critical to NOT touch the scalp!
And to the poster who said they would suck a cherry lifesaver and whistle if it was an effective lice killer, I totally know what you mean! I’m at that point. I have to get rid of these before I go home on vacation because I do not want to have to tell everyone back home to keep a 3 feet distance due to the lice ha ha ha.
bep
I am finally trying the treatment on my head to see if I am the carrier of the lice… my daughters were sent home for nits, but didn’t see any live ones so I am seeing if I have any and to see if the treatment will work.
SC
I just tried this on my daughter, and I was amazed at how well it worked. I saturated her hair in listerine and put a shower cap on, left it for 2 hours. Then we rinsed. Lots of lice came out, dead. I rinsed for a long time. Then saturated her hair in white vinegar, put the shower cap back on, and waited 1 hour. Rinsed, even more dead lice came out, more than the first rinse. We rinsed for a long time, until a few minutes went by with no lice. Then I shampooed her hair with Lice Shield. Even MORE dead lice rinsed out when we rinsed. Added a little conditioner and rinsed quickly, leaving some still in her hair.
Then I started combing through. Used a nit picking comb, a bowl of hot water, some hair clips. Sectioned off the hair in small sections and went over it with the comb, dipped the comb in hot water after every comb through to get all the eggs and lice off. There were thousands. I noticed that most of the eggs that were still attached to her hair were way far down the hair shaft, no longer near the scalp, but I still combed against the scalp in several directions to make sure. Everything I combed out was DEAD. It was mostly eggs and very small babies. The bigger ones came out with the rinsings. I had to change my bowl of hot water 3 times! Took 2 hours to get through her entire head with the comb.
I am VERY pleased. Though it seems like I got everything, I plan on doing this exact treatment again in 2 days. I’m also adding tea tree, cedar oil, and lavender oil to all the shampoo in this house. Been adding it all in with the laundry today, as well.
DT
I’m 17 years old and now battling head lice yet again. The last time I had head lice I was in elementary and I had a mushroom cut for all my years until it finally went away. I don’t even know how I got it again but experiencing this is probably one of the worst things ever.
I have long, thick hair and cutting it is not an option for me… At least I don’t want it to be. Thankfully I came across this website. Looking at everyone’s responses and how well the mouth wash treatment with vinegar works really gives me hope. As I type, I’m sitting here with Listerine in my hair waiting for 3’oclock to wash it out and then apply vinegar and comb it. I tried Nix and that was a waste of money. It did nothing for me! I want this to be over, I’m praying for this nightmare to end.
Ladybug99
It works. I did it on my 2 year old daughter… GONE!!!
Becky G
It has been six years since we have had lice. As I was laying in bed for the night, I felt like something had raced across my scalp! I finally got it, and yep., there it was. I found another one after! And knowing how expensive the over the counter treatments (which don’t work) are, I searched for “working remedies”. I hope this works, and can’t wait for 3:30! Thanks for the information.
mommy123 in ct.
This is my first time dealing with lice. My 8 year old was infested with them (you could see them crawling all over her head) and I used the rid the first night and messy olive oil, still a lot the next day and I found out that I had them! I wanted something I could do every day with as much ease as possible, So I heard of trying listerine.
I figured you rinse your mouth out with it what harm can it do to your hair, let me try it! I changed it up a little, saturated my hair and hers for 30 minutes using the gold listerine and put on a shower cap, rinsed in shower followed by using a dandruff shampoo (selsun blue) and then a conditioner with keratin oil and not fully rinsing out the conditioner so the hair stays a little oily and easier to comb. Followed by nit picking, been doing this for a 2 days now and there is nothing in our hair!
I’m really amazed how quick it worked and it doesn’t leave a horrible chemical smell in your hair!
Sanynfl
Thank you very, very much. I used the Costco brand that seems softer but it’s effective. I read in other post something about what the nurse school response to the use of this product. As a dentist I have to say that if it’s not toxic to be used as mouth wash (the speed of absorption of mouth mucosa is much faster than the scalp) and it’s very good killing bacteria) it shouldn’t be toxic for the scalp although we leave it for more time. I have to add that I use the electric comb (robi combi). A great idea of very bad quality. It’s a very helpful tool but a little expensive for the quality offer. (I bought 3, 1 years ago CVS brand and 2 this year). The problem is that it can sound and not be working. That’s why we were reinfected this last time. I also use the metallic comb (total stainless steel) that you can find at Amazon. I had one that lasted 17 years till I lost it.
I will try to promote the investigation of this product and how it affects the scalp in the scientific community of my country where we believe that there ‘s no will to finish it as it’s a billions business.
Again Thank you.
Ashlee
I just soaked my daughters hair (long thick straight ) in Listerine. Shower capped it for 45 minutes. She got into the tub and I rinsed hair with shower head. DEAD LICE were all in the water. I’m amazed!!! I combed through with lice comb and found about ten more dead lice. Thank you so much for the advice!
We’ve tried Nix once and Rid three times in the last month. Nothing worked! Listerine is the only thing that has helped us.
ld
I have no idea how I got lice, but I did and it drove me insane. The first day I got a lice killing shampoo which resulted in only 3 adult lice falling out and never saw another one however, the whole nits issue freaked me out.
Later that day I sat around in mayo for 6 hours then rinsed and a bunch of little nits came out while combing. Still paranoid, I slept with my head covered in tea tree oil to avoid any more from coming back in case they some how were superlice that were coming through the walls.
The next day I soaked my hair in vinegar for half an hour then combed, and that night I poured Listerine into a spray bottle and made sure to get all of my hair then shower capped it and slept on it. The next morning I combed with more nits coming out and did another mayo treatment then bought a Quit Nits treatment which is homeopathic, so no toxins. By the next morning there were only a few nits coming out.
So I can’t really say that the Listerine treatment was the one that did it for me because I have done so many treatments in such a short amount of time. But I do not do bugs and am ready for this whole thing to be over. Between all of these treatments I have washed everything I own, vacuumed everything multiple times, and bagged things that I can’t vacuum.
RL
The listerine does work once you get it. Use the listerine to kill the adults, the vinegar I found makes the nits swell so they are easier to get out, but the best way to treat it is to not get it. If you add some tea tree oil to your everyday shampoo it will keep them away.
I’ve got four kids three are girls who share clothes, coats & hats plus have sleepovers so for a while it was really an issue. When I’ve remembered to do this my kids don’t get it. But I forgot so now we are doing listerine and vinegar again and I already added the tea tree oil to the shampoo.
EssBee
So I left it on for a little over an hour. The FIRST swipe of the comb turned up nearly FULL of bugs! Dead ones….
I am absolutely floored at how well this worked! They were literally falling off her head. I am going to repeat the listerine in a few days, and then again once a week for awhile. I can’t wait to get her in bed and soak my own head!
EssBee
As we speak, my daughter is sitting her with a plastic grocery sack on her head, covering the listerine soaking into her hair. Please, God, let this work…..so I can do my own head.
karen
If your child is sent home with lice, I recommend not telling the school nurse that you used this treatment or are going to. Simply tell them that you used an over the counter product to get rid of them if they ask. Because why would a non chemical remedy work?! SMH!
If you receive a note from school that a kid in the class has lice, treat with Listerine regardless of whether you have seen any lice or nits. I just learned this the hard way!
We had them in the beginning of the school year and got a notice over a week ago and I smugly thought she wouldn’t get them again. Smug never wins. I was GOING to put tea tree oil in our shampoo that night to ward them off but kept forgetting.
ANYWAY!!
It’s only necessary to repeat this treatment once one week later, maybe one more time after that for good measure. If there are leftover nits that hatch, they will likely hatch within a week, maybe two. Week old lice cannot lay eggs, so that SHOULD take care of things.
Also, lice cannot live without human blood for 48 hours so quarantine of all stuffed animals, etc. isn’t necessary for long if at all. The only thing we really did was change the linens and then spray tea tree oil or listerine on the new linens after being treated. You can kill them with high heat, so putting a favorite stuffed animal or blanket in the dryer on high heat will take care of anything living.
Using a curling iron can zap the nits as well but since they’re so close to the scalp it’s tough not to burn your child in the process.
You DON’T have to cut your hair. I loved how our school nurse blamed my daughters long hair on the infestation and that we needed to cut it. Long hair makes it easier for lice to jump on, but my son who has short regular boy hair caught it from us and he wouldn’t be caught dead putting his head near myself or his sister for that matter.
Lynsey
I too have had a nightmare with nits, I even caught them myself. I wet comb my boys but my daughter with her curly hair is just awful. I thoroughly sing the praises of the Listerine treatment. I have found a good rinse then wrap head in cling film for 2 hours then wash out works much better than any over priced treatment on the shelves. Kills the little beasts dead. Ha.
Good luck.
Myah B.
My daughter has had lice twice first time we used RID and it was not the best experience. I didn’t like combing the bugs out alive…. what was the point of the RID? Then so then I bought a robi comb that beeps every time it kills a louse but most times it would be because it got stuck on a tangle so the second time my friend recommended a homemade remedy and immediately I thought.. never but I did research and realized this is a great idea so I tried the Listerine method and left it in for 4 hours and the louse was dead we found dead louse in the shower cap, in her head, on the towel and in the sink it was fantastic!!!!
JMHulette
Like so many here I have been fighting with lice in my daughter and like many others here I have tried RID and other medical shampoos to no avail. I’ve also done herbal remedies, mayo, olive oil (which works but it messy) I just tried this method and am hoping for the best.
4kids
So, as so many, I sit tonight in my plastic turban waiting for the relief. This is our second time to use the Listerine/Vinegar treatment at our house in three months. YES IT WORKS. In fact it worked so well, we got lazy on the ongoing offensive moves for our youngest daughter and she brought some new “friends” home from school.
Last time we tried three rounds over three days with the over the counter lice treatments with lots of tears, long nights combing and continued scratching. We saw this site and suggestions and figured we had nothing to lose and everything ALREADY IN THE CABINET!
The steps we used:
1. I bought two trigger spray bottles (one in red and one in blue so I could easily tell them apart) and filled one with white vinegar and one with Listerine.
2. I soaked our heads with the Listerine first and wrapped in plastic. I didn’t have much luck with wrapping our heads in plastic wrap– kept falling off. Those little shower caps you get in hotels (I had a bunch from my old road warrior days) worked great. Tonight I was out of those but found some large roasting bags and used those to create turbans, by placing the opening at the nape of the neck and pulling it up across the back of the head to capture the hair and scalp. I then twisted the open end at the top to fit tight around the scalp– securing at the forehead with a rubber band to keep it tight. (If you weren’t laughing before you should be rolling on the floor by now at that picture). BTW–a sense of humor doesn’t hurt when you are dealing with this too.
3. The bugs do NOT like this and the first 30 minutes we had some pretty lively itching going on but you could feel it subside quickly. That’s good news.
4. After two hours I just sprayed the vinegar on top of the hair (still with Listerine in place) and wrapped a fresh turban. We let this sit for another hour (or tonight we are just sleeping in our turbans). I was scared stiff we would end up with green hair or something crazy. I’m relieved to say that was not the case.
5. Then we washed our hair with Denorex and conditioned with Suave Coconut Conditioner. I don’t know if the Suave really helps, as that was the shampoo she continued to use since the first outbreak but let’s face it, if someone told me we needed to be sucking on cherry lifesavers and whistling a tune while we did this, I would have tried that too! At least I knew the conditioner wouldn’t hurt, would help soften the hair and it smelled good.
6. As for the concerns with drying hair with the Listerine, we didn’t have any issues. It did not seem to damage our hair at all. My hair is color treated (only my hairdresser knows for sure) and I still had no issues with dryness, color removal or any other crazy things I was imagining.
7. For a preventative measure afterwards (which I unfortunately stopped after a few weeks when we had such great luck), I kept my Listerine spray bottle handy. Once a week when my daughter got out of the tub, I would spray her wet hair with the Listerine and comb as usual. Just let it dry in her hair over night. In the morning there was no strong odor in her hair and her hair looked fine– pretty and shiny as it normally did. As strong as the Listerine smells when you apply, it’s pretty surprising that a little wet head covered in it does not leave a strong odor on the pillowcases. As one other person remarked–it actually made things just smell “fresh.”
8. We did use the nit comb the first time but this time I think I caught it early because I couldn’t find any nits or any mature lice– just the beginnings of the itch, although I may try the flat iron on myself in the morning as I have long, thick hair. I will, however, grab all the brushes and combs in the house and soaked THEM overnight in Listerine. Last time I found a couple of dead bugs that way–as I smiled smugly to myself–take that you nasty critters!
Sorry for the long post, but I was in the same boat as many of you several months ago– embarrassed, not sure what to do and literally scratching my head over this dilemma. Long story short–IT WORKS, your hair is not harmed, you do not have to put Agent Orange on your child’s head and everyone smells so minty fresh! Who knew?
vk
I been fighting head lice for what see a long time with my daughter and myself. I saw this and not sure of the method. Do I rinse the Listerine out and if I do with what cuz I saw vinegar also being used as rinsing out but do I rinse that out to or leave it in? I really would like to try this method to get rid of these nasty, pesky bugs but need to know what I’m all doing….then let you if it helped our family.
JLI
I couldn’t believe it when I realized I had lice. I’d thought it might be the case, but I think I was in denial. I looked up home remedies and Listerine came up. I read the comments on this page and it looked promising.
You know what? IT WORKED. I left the Listerine on for about 1hr, then before rinsing I combed in white vinegar and left it on for half an hour. I then shampooed it all out adding tea tree oil to the shampoo and coconut conditioner. Then I spent a good 2-3 hours combing with a metal comb. There were 2 bugs I found (1 during the application of the Listerine, one after the shower), and tons of eggs. It was horrifying but they were all coming out due to the vinegar.
I only found around 3-5 eggs combing the next day, and then none for the next 5 days. On the 7th day, I reapplied the Listerine treatment but only left it on for a little less than an hour. No vinegar this time as there hasn’t been eggs since the first treatment.
I felt immediate relief after the first treatment and can’t thank this site enough! Gave me hope during a seemingly hopeless time and was so effective!.
MT
I’ve had yet another go around with this stupid headlice problem (due to circumstances where the kids are re-exposed on a weekly basis that I cannot prevent), but thankfully I’ve become a pro at dealing with this problem!. I’ve changed my process just a little. I see some people asking for step by step instructions, so here is my process that works every single time!
Step by step:
Listerine (gold cap)
White vinegar
Denorex Max strength shampoo
Suave coconut conditioner
Metal nit comb
Shower cap (optional)
Headlice treatment: 1 cup listerine (gold cap) 1 cup white vinegar. Pour these together and then saturate the hair. I do this right before bed, and let it sit overnight and wash out in morning. (you can use a shower cap, or put hair in a ponytail/bun)
When washing the hair first thing in the morning, I Use Denorex max strength dandruff shampoo which is about $9 a bottle and finish with suave coconut conditioner. I immediately comb the hair, and usually find that there are very few nits left to pick out, I’m not really sure what happens but they seem to just disintegrate when I leave the mix overnight, although there are still a few nits left.
I continue to use that shampoo daily for a few weeks letting it sit in hair for like 10 minutes.
Use a metal nit comb, the plastic ones are worthless.
I still make sure to wash all bedding and clothes stuffed animals and all that stuff. But this works if you do it right, I promise.
Tonster
Defiantly trying this right now. On my way to the store as we speak. Been battling this for far to long. Thanks for the advise.
csld
you can also put coconut oil tea tree oil lavender oil and put it in my hair and then put shower capon slept in it I’m lice free
LA mom
Hi, same thing happened to me. But here’s where I went wrong, and probably you as well. This treatment needs to be continued until well after you THINK you’ve seen the last nit…. I’m talking weeks and weeks. I just found over 100+ in my daughter’s hair last night and created a calendar, where I traced what I did to her hair and when the last time she got this. Then I went backward and imagined what would have happened if I had left JUST ONE NIT in her entire head: I assumed 10 eggs/nits were being laid per day, going 10-12 days back, to when that nymph became an adult. The I traced back another 7-12 days to when that nymph was LAID in the first place before it hatched. Guess what? It matched up almost exactly with the last time I treated with Listerine & vinegar, and then nit picked. Because I thought I got them all, I stopped everything. Now, as I imagine that ONE NIT THAT GOT AWAY, and seeing this process start all over again, I could kick myself when I realize that if that ONE NIT had hatched, and sometime in there (every 3-4 days) I had continued treating with Listerine & vinegar, it would have killed that ONE NIT while it was still a teenager and before it matured enough to lay any eggs. So close, yet so far…. this time, we’re sticking with our listerine/vinegar AND nitpicking regimen every couple of days, but for probably 4-6 weeks, just to be sure.
Even after that, I think I am still not going to rest easy until I can check her hair, every few days, months from now and still not find anything. THEN I’ll consider us “homefree”.
MGE
My son had an itchy head for weeks. We kept checking his short hair and found nothing–no live lice, no nits. I started itching a month ago and had everyone check MY head and found nothing. On Sunday, I found several large lice crawling in the sink after I dry combed my hair!!!!
I tried the Nix kit first and was still crawling with them. The Nix kit said nothing about not washing your hair for 3 days after. I found THAT out on a website after I had washed my hair Tuesday night. So I apparently washed out the lice killing effects when I did that! haha. I did the Listerine the following 2 days. Sat around with my head in a baggie dripping with it for hours. Used the follow up vinegar. Nit picked my hair after every treatment and still itched (less each time). Dry combed my hair with the nit comb for hours and was still picking out tiny lice. Tried Clearlice yesterday. Still itching.
I can’t find ANYTHING that works. My perm is fried and I am getting ready to take my daughters advice and shave off my long hair. I have also used the sprays on the mattress and wash the sheets and towels and clothes every single day in hot water and dry in a hot dryer for 50 minutes each time. I have kept my son home from school all week so he doesn’t pass it around. He has a short mohawk, so picking his head was easier. I found one live lice on him after using Rid. I have another product coming today, guess I’ll see if I have any luck with that. Just thought I would share.
mack718
Thank you to everybody, i’m going to get Listerine. Wish us luck.
MT
I’m a new foster parent, and discovered that the children I took in all had head lice. I went thru a very expensive 4 month battle with rid/nix to no avail. Out of desperation I searched online for remedies. I found numerous sites that suggested Listerine and or white vinegar.
I was desperate to try anything! I put a 50/50 mix in their hair for 30 minutes and rinsed with denorex shampoo and suave coconut conditioner. Worked like a charm. I thought that suave coconut was supposedly a deterrent, so I continued using this every bath. Unfortunately, this year they have contracted head lice again, so suave coconut doesn’t appear to really be a deterrent.
This time I didn’t even bother with over the counter medicate shampoos. I went straight to Listerine and vinegar again, and success the very first time. I still make sure to wash all bedding and throw the million stuffed animals in the dryer, and I comb out with a metal nit comb daily. One treatment is all it took. I see a lot of people recommending two hours, but it only took 20 minutes for me.
misty
So I have been reading this stuff and it seems like listerine and white vinegar is the way to go, I was all ready to go to buy the ridx or whatever medication there was on the market. I will be trying the listerine in the morning as it is 11pm and my kids are already in bed. Thanks so much will update tomorrow, but I have a good feeling this will work since it has worked for so many already.
joseph k.
This did not work for me. The lice were found alive and nits are still left.
Persistence
Hang in there! I have three kids and we have had trouble getting rid of this too. The very best advice that I can give you is to use prell shampoo and then use ONLY- the NIX treatment repeat in 7 days with Nix treatment and then use the Listerine as a follow up. It is expensive I know but it is worth it to be done! I have thick naturally curly hair and after failing battle after battle I realized that no one combing my hair but me was what kept getting us re-infested so I used it (Nix) an extra time in 7 more days only on me and it worked. I was combing everyone for nothing because I kept missing a few in mine. Third time in a row was a charm!
Stay Persistent for 3 weeks strait… try combing with conditioner. The metal comb from lice master is amazing but you have to use paper thin strips of hair or it will hurt. Believe you can do it. Vacuum the mattress and couch is So Important! I put our comforters in the dryer every night. Then our pillows in the dryer 45 min. Each. I changed pillow cases & fitted sheet every night! Persistence you just have to Vacuum the couch & beds each time right before you treat every 7th day! It will work I promise. :) the end is near.
Tricia
I have been battling lice for four months! This last time, I thought they were gone for a month, but then I found was playing with my daughter last Sunday and saw one! Can anyone comment as to the long term effectiveness of this treatment?
lost
This is embarrassing but me and my children have been battling lice for almost a year I tried everything we have long hair cutting not an option. I tried all everything at my ends…. I sit here crying reading the comments hoping I have finally found our cure. Dear god I hope
jeric t.
will definitely be trying Listerine & vinegar tonight, I am sick to death of my daughter coming home with lice that doesn’t want to die! Thanx to all for this advise!
cf
We used RID first and it seemed to work somewhat. However about 6 days later it happened again. We waited a day then went and got NIX. I have to say the RID left the hair flat and oily and the NIX left it super soft and shiny. However after treating 2 times we were still pulling live ones out. I wouldn’t so it again so soon on a child.
So we tried Listerine today. The case we had was not bad. We caught it very early. We left it in for 2 hours and then combed it out with the nix comb out gel. She said her head didn’t itch at all anymore and the 2 or 3 bugs I found were dead. I got all the nits I could see and I plan on repeating this in about 5 days. I’m also going to straiten her hair and hopefully fry any that are left if their are any left. I think if your having trouble with this, it’s worth a try! However make sure there are no sores or cuts on the head. There was none but I can just imagine, that would hurt!
MOM of 2
We first dealt with lice 2 years ago and went through the tedious saturation of lice shampoos and combings..this time around Listerine saved the day and the new orange scent was just fine with both girls. No haircuts this time. Their super long hair is just fine in less the time. Thank you Listerine!
Luk
I will definitely be trying Listerine & vinegar tonight, I am sick to death of my daughter coming home with lice that doesn’t want to die! Thanx to all for this advise!
ADG
I was mortified to find the RID did NOT work, especially after spending so much money on the kit. Five days ago I learned about the Listerine treatment and then found THIS website while doing a little research on the topic. I was so glad to see all the comments. I’m happy to report that we have been both lice and nit free for five days now! Like other posters above have mentioned, using Listerine as a preventative measure will be something we do on occasion after this. Here is what I picked up and the process I followed for myself and my children (never saw any lice in my hair but I felt “creepy crawl-y” and treated myself anyway):
1 large bottle of regular Listerine
1 pkt disposable shower caps
1 box of disposable gloves
1 box of masks (to help some with the fumes)
1 spray bottle
1 metal lice comb (I found a great one at Sally’s Beauty supply….nothing got through that sucker)
Paper towels or tissues
I donned the gloves and mask and put masks on the kids as they were treated. I also had a dry rag ready for them to cover their eyes with. Then I sprayed their hair starting in the back and going in rows until their entire scalp was saturated and pulled through the ends of their hair. Then I put a shower cap over their heads and let them sit for 2 hours. After the wait, I rinsed out their hair and then rinsed again with vinegar and I also applied a little conditioner to soften the hair for combing. Then came the really difficult part. Combing the hair out with a lice comb. If you use a good metal comb then you must be careful to take small strands of hair at a time. Not only to make sure you get all the nits but also because it will pull terribly if you try to take too much hair at once. Wipe the nits off the comb onto a paper towel or tissue and have a garbage can nearby to toss them into as you go. When I was all finished I took out the garbage and then washed and conditioned their hair again. I have checked them twice a day since then and found no lice and no nits! I am SOLD on the Listerine method!
As far as bedding goes, I simply washed all bedding, pillowcases, etc in hot water and dried them on high temp for awhile. Favorite stuffed animals were dried on high temp for a minimum of 30 minutes.
I just wanted to come back and comment on how this worked for me and my family and let any future parents know exactly what tools and steps we used. I hope it works as well for you! This was a mortifying issue to have to deal with but I’m glad I know how to handle it now.
Thank you for this website!!!
KS
What is the exact process? Spray hair with Listerine, rinse, then vinegar? I’ve been battling lice with my kids for months now. Please help us with info! Thank you!
meanderer121
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? LISTERINE AND VINEGAR WORK WONDERS!!!
Yes folks, I can attest to the fact that this treatment works. I feel like crying for joy when yesterday I was just ready to cry…and almost ready to take a razor to the long brown locks that have taken me the past 3 years to grow.
Thank goodness I found this treatment…it has given me relief.
I will be treating my hair at least once a month for the rest of my life just to keep these creepy crawlers away.
I LOVE LISTERINE AND VINEGAR!!!
Jen
I’ve done a RID treatment on my 12 year old daughter, and a few days later a vinegar treatment followed up w/ Denorex shampoo. Checked for nits every day and just found a sporadic one or two with no live lice, but today (9 days after original treatment) I am noticing a LOT more nits. She feels no itching and I see nothing alive, but when she gets home tonight we are doing the Listerine thing. We shall see!
chantal
Read all these comments today. I sprayed my daughter’s head with listerine tonight and not even an hour later I started combing her hair – goodness gracious, I didn’t realise she had so many lice – an entire suburb! And all dead! So I sprayed some more on and I’m leaving it on overnight and will be rinsing with vinegar in the morning.
I think this is the best advice I ever got and I will definitely be sharing it with other mums. Thanks to all of you!
chantal
I will definitely be trying Listerine & vinegar tonight, I am sick to death of my daughter coming home with lice that doesn’t want to die! Thanx to all for this advise!
Am
Ok..so my daughter went to school a week ago. And came home with lice… I have wasted over $250 on shampoos etc.. plus doctor. Nothing has work.. And to top it off.. I got them to.. Gross >:(…. not pleased at all.. I have read about Listerine.. So I’m trying it out.. My head n her feel so cold like a icepack… But I really hope it works..:)… Crossing fingers.. My baby need a good night rest…I’ll post what happened… One more hour to go….
Question. Does it really work? Or am I just wasting time?:(
maddison
I have tried the Listerine method before.. is it okay if i use the green one or does it have to be the orange one?
People’s Pharmacy response: The green one may work, but you will end up with green hair.
vean
is it just dt we’ll apply Listerine with a shower cap….leave it for 2 hrs??
later is it to be rinsed with normal water or sum shampoo b4 combing????
pplz tell me all d steps…….am a 9th grader …can’t believe to have lice in my long hair…….plz sum1 help me out with d full process (i mean steps)!!!!plz……:-(
Monica
After doing listening, use a flat iron to fry the nits that you may have missed! They say the heat will zap them!
Bran
right now my hair is soaked with Listerine and I have a shower cap on and a rag behind my neck and I really hope this lice goes away I mean no one else in the house has it but me. Do I leave it in for 2 hours?
l.w.
can my daughters hair be wet when I put the Listerine in it?
AL
I used this method on Monday, today is Saturday. My family is sitting here lice free!!!
My 3 girls and I received these unwanted guest a week ago yesterday. I tried the Nix product just to find live ones crawling around again. I saw this site and had to try it.
Put listerine in a spray bottle and doused our hair put on shower cap and sat for 2 hours, rinsed with vinegar and searched. Didn’t see any live ones (or dead ones) Continued to pick out nits. I picked out nits for days (still picking from the daughter that was infected first) but I have NOT seen any live ones!!!!
Nits don’t fall out on their own, you have to take them out! I continued to spray Listerine in their hair over the next few days while checking for nits. Doesn’t hurt their hair at all. Now if I can get the itching from dry scalp to stop (from the 3 treatments of Nix) I will be a happy lady!
Don’t forget to vacuum everything!! Throw away old hair stuff ( or boil, but my stuff melted) and wash laundry with hot water! Careful of towels because I found two dead lice stuck in my towel. Gross, went in garbage!
Lost 3 pounds cleaning and standing all day going through hair. Persistence will get it done! Keep it up and they will be gone in no time!
VP
Wow, this is great I love this stuff. Even though it stated stinging after 15 min., it wasn’t stinging anymore after I left it in for 2 hours.
LA
It sounds like it works pretty well for people. I am going to try it tonight fingers crossed that it works. I will let you know how it goes.
LK
I have been going through this lice dilemma for three weeks now. I have three kids and school is going to start in 4 days and wanted to send them to school lice free. I did the “poison” shampoo twice, washed and bagged everything as the instructions read and still have lice. I did the olive oil thing and all that did was really condition our hair.
My last resort was listerine. I put it on their heads yesterday for two hours. I wrapped their heads in saran wrap “helmuts” as they call it and then put shower caps on top of that. For the last half hour I removed the “helmuts” to put on vinegar to get to the nits and put the shower caps back on. The “helmuts” actually had about 3 or 4 dead lice inside them. We all thought that was so cool and so very encouraging.
Then I had them each shower with Suave Coconut shampoo and conditioner (apparently lice hate coconut). I combed through each of their heads. As I was combing I would dip the metal comb into a small bowl with warm water and vinegar to remove all the “debris” from the comb. Then we can check the bowl as we go and I couldn’t believe the amount of nits and dead bugs that came out.
We are on day two of our listerine/vinegar treatment and itching is gone, rashes are gone and I am finally feeling cautiously optimistic. I plan on doing this for two more days or until our bowls are clean after combing and then treating every three days for the next week after, just to be sure. We will be using coconut shampoo and conditioner forever though.
Four more tips:
1. I have the children remove all the pillowcases every night and we wash them in hot water.
2. Also I filled a small spray bottle with listerine and sprayed all the pillows, bedding and couches with the listerine. My mom came over last night and commented that my house smelled so fresh!
3. Make sure you also have the children cover their eyes, because listerine does sting. The listerine is strong, but once you put the saran wrap “helmuts” on the smell is gone.
4. Most importantly, buy everyone their own batting helmut for sports and don’t let them share with anyone. That is how we got into this pickle. I also sprayed their helmuts with the listerine, then bagged them in plastic bags for two hours and then put them in the diswasher (alone, of course) to rinse (not soap) with hot water. After drying them in the sun, I am feeling confident about that too.
Good luck everyone….last night was the first time I slept without dreaming of bugs in three weeks.
LISTERINE/VINEGAR HAS DEFINITELY WORKED FOR ME!!!!
bp
My daughters are being sent home every two weeks during the school year diagnosed with lice and I am really tired of it. I have read the comments about using Listerine, and am going to try it.. really hoping it works.
Moni
My 8 year old daughter caught lice from who knows where and my mom bought some lice killing meds from this store. That didn’t work. I have a 2yr old and a 2 month old and I was terrified that they would get it like her. Well 2 year old ended up getting it but not as bad. I googled home remedies for lice and came across Listerine.
I tried it and I was shocked. 2 or 3 dead bugs fell out of her hair and after sitting there for 3 hours picking the knits out, she hasn’t complained of scratching or itching. I’ve found a few eggs that I probably missed but no live bugs!
A.S.
I am so glad that I found this solution! I’ve tried all of the over the counter shampoos, combed for hours, washed and cleaned everything, etc. so I thought I’d try this. It works! Before I put it on child’s head, I found a live louse and placed it in Listerine. I was dead in less than a minute! I couldn’t help but laugh though as I was reading everyone’s comments because several of them said that they had Listerine on their head as they were typing….SO DO I and my children! LOL! YAY for Listerine!
Radney Mae
I’m looking forward to the effect of having this Listerine right now since I’m still on the process of applying Listerine on my hair for 2 hours and I think it would really work. Hoping this would end my fears and struggles of hair lice :)
SummerLynn
Don’t worry about drying your hair out. Our house has done this as a preventive method all my life and I am now 29 years old. We do this about every 3 months and soak overnight. (Normally on a Friday night so the smell is gone by Sunday) I have posted before on how well this worked. A couple years ago I had to stay at another persons house for a while and they all got lice but my head stayed free and clear. As for another method of killing them along with the Listerine they make an electric comb that kills them. It makes a beeping sound as you comb through your hair and stops beeping when it reaches a bug or egg. The electrical shock kills them on the spot. After all you have been dealing with this might help as well. Good Luck
PB
I’m so glad I found this site. My youngest daughter has brought home lice from school 4 or 5 times in the last couple of months. We treat with the shampoos, wash everything, spray etc and get rid of them. We also do the weekly follow up. Only to have her come home again with them over and over, recently we’ve been finding live ones even after using the shampoo.
So far none of the other kids have them but finally yesterday my head started itching and so did DD’s again. Oh no, I immediately treated with shampoo only to find little live ones last night. I have very long thick hair and it takes a full bottle to treat it, so $10 on a bottle of shampoo that isn’t working gets costly. Not to mention I can’t keep putting poison on DD’s hair every week or two.
I’ve noticed the lice have gotten resistant and aren’t dying, the big ones are but the little ones aren’t. I even found one in her hair after treatment, put it on a paper towel and sprayed it directly with the bedding spray and a couple of hours later it was still alive.
I started looking online for alternatives and kept seeing Listerine come up. Today I went and bought 2 large bottles of the off brand original (exact ingredients as Listerine) and I have it on my hair with a shower cap as I type. I used a big metal bowl under my hair when I poured the Listerine on so I could use the extra that ran off to soak the longer lengths and ends. After I got all my hair up and under the cap I noticed several eggs had washed into the bowl. I combed and combed yesterday with the lice comb after the lice shampoo treatment (as much as I could, hard to get it through my hair) and didn’t find a single egg. Listerine must make them detach too because shampooing with my regular shampoo and conditioner last night and combing it again didn’t get them out but the Listerine rinse did.
Not sure I will leave it on 2 hours, I doubt it takes that long to kill them. I see someone had results in 30 minutes. I don’t want to ruin my hair by drying it out with all the alcohol. I will probably do about an hour and see what the results are. When the kids get home from school I will be treating everyone’s head with Listerine. I think I will use a small fan by the sink to keep the heavy fumes away while I wet theirs down though, it can be pretty overpowering.
vsa
You can find a lice comb at Sally Beauty Supply, in the store or online for about $4. It is a metal one with a handle. Much different from the ones in the lice shampoo package. The teeth on the metal one are much closer together. I am sitting here with Listerine on my head as I write. Hopefully it will work!
Lorrinda H.
After weeks and weeks of trying different products to try and get rid of these nasty bugs I read today about the Listerine and Vinegar treatment, our 1st 2 hours is nearly up and time to wash out the Listerine then put in the Vinegar for 1 hour. I am really hoping that this works this time or we will have 2 females who will have shaved heads in the house, something I really don’t want to do but am at wits end as to how to get rid of them. Thanks for all the stories and fingers crossed it works for like it has for everyone else.
Denise
I have been dealing with lice for a little over a month now on my girls. I used RID, NIX and mayonnaise and washed EVERYTHING in my house. Within a few days they were back. I used Liserine last night, checked them again this morning and then are CLEAN!!!! I could just cry, this could actually be over!!! I will definitely continue to use the Listerine weekly! Thank you for this website and all the comments!
Jennifer
If we do the Listerine treatment every 3 days for a month, will we eventually get rid of all of the lice that may be missed when picking out nits? We’re on our second round of Listerine because I must have missed a few nits last time.
PEOPLE’S PHARMACY RESPONSE: IN THEORY, IT SHOULDN’T TAKE AN ENTIRE MONTH; PERHAPS THREE OR FOUR ROUNDS WILL TAKE CARE OF IT.
LA
Listerine treatment worked, but my daughter’s permed hair became very dry. I didn’t leave in for the 2 hours. It was only about 30 minutes and it killed them all. Who came to the conclusion that we needed two hours of Listerine? Is there some scientific reason for that? Should I retreat for the full two hours… I don’t think her hair could take it.
I’m only finding nits and I’ve been removing them one at a time. Most of them actually turned a dead white color, but I have found some brown nits. I am also using coconut shampoo, and three flowers hair treatment. I have spent hours combing through her hair and I keep finding those nits.
My husband didn’t have any in his hair, my son had only nits, and I had nits and 1 dead mature louse. I have to do my own hair so that might not be so accurate.
I’ve been having the kids read to me while I comb through their hair and it has been kind of nice spending hours of one on one time with each child. It’s horrible that it took lice to make it happen.
M
Like everyone else on this website, my family and I have been battling lice for the last four weeks now. I even cut my daughter’s and my hair, which sucks because we always donate our hair… not this year!
So, I just found lice in my 2yr old’s hair AGAIN, as I was putting her to bed tonight. I did the whole “special” shampoo thing in all our hairs for the fourth week in a row and now I’m at my wits end… how much laundry do I have to do every single night, before this nightmare ends???? I even found head lice in my daughter’s bff hair two weeks ago, obviously she caught it from us.
I have Listerine in my hair as we speak, unfortunately it’s the blue bottle, as that’s all I had, and I wanted to get started on this phenomenon right away! I just wish I read about the Listerine trick before I shampooed all our long, thick hair, tediously combed through them and put the kids to bed. I guess I’ll have to try this in their hair tomorrow. Hope this trick works, cause if it does, I’m going to do this monthly!
LB & SB
I’ve been battling the lice war for about 7 weeks with my mom. We tried the RID product…. 5 TIMES. It always kept coming back & it’s not necessarily the bugs were having trouble with, the problem is getting out EVERY single nit so that they don’t reproduce and hatch more on my head. I tried the Listerine procedure tonight and I’m already noticing a LOT less itching. The problem is, I’ve always had a dry scalp. Therefore, I have small flakes on my head. My mother and I find it EXTREMELY difficult to identify which is which unless we go through and pick every little white thing in my head out. Can someone help me?
Thank you!
JB
We discovered this morning that my daughter had lice in her long thick hair, a LOT of lice and nits. After the Listerine treatment all the lice were dead and the gazillion nits got combed out. It really did work! I am not, however, pleased with the lice comb bought at the pharmacy. The teeth in the comb were spaced too far apart. I had to pull the nits out by hand. Anyone know where to find a GOOD lice comb? We even tried our dogs’ flea comb. :)
Florida Lori
IT Does Work!!! This is the 2nd time of using Listerine.. I am in a shower cap as I type. My boys like to bring it home from school, and just like the others I tried the name brand lice treatments and the lice were still running so I came online and found this remedy. I keep Listerine, shower caps, and the metal lice comb nearby. You can save money by buying a flea comb out of the pet aisle..lol
Can’t wait for this 2 hours to be over with though, I hate the mouth wash running down my face as I wait.
jk
I have had head lice since third grade all the way through freshman year! The only thing that works is Listerine. Also, don’t use those combs from the boxes, buy one from a salon. They REALLY work! Like someone else said, use the original one (yellow one) if you don’t want sticky hair.
Helpless in Washington
Can anyone who has used this please tell me if it really worked?? I see all these people saying they will let us know but never do. Thanks
AM
I am trying the Listerine now and it feels like an icy burn on my scalp. I really hope this works for all that I’ve been through with these nasty bugs!
NH
My daughter has had head lice for going on 4 months now with no luck in the over the counter remedies so far. I read last night about Listerine and bought some on my way home from work today, hoping tomorrow will be our last infested day at this house! Plan on treating regularly as well as tomorrow… if this really prevents them from getting reinfested its definitely worth the few bucks I spent tonight!
DF
I have had trouble with head lice for so long now, and store bought remedies have not worked, such as RID or NIX. But now I am trying the Listerine treatment as soon as I finish this :)
I will post my results after I get done! I am so excited to finally get rid of them. If it really does work, I will be so surprised. I have had problem with these lice for so long!
d
my granddaughter had lice I used Listerine and let it sit 4 2hrs then rinsed with vinegar, put suave in and combed. lice is gone and deader than a door knob IT WORKS!!
nd
I have done the RID treatments used cetaphil, soaked my head in olive oil, dyed my hair, combed my hair with lice combs until my head hurt and I just don’t feel like I am getting anywhere! This is horrible! I am trying the Listerine now, sure hope this works. I will keep you updated.
norma
Thanks, I am going to try this, after no luck with rid treatments! I have 3 daughters plus myself with lice and I feel like I am fighting a battle that can not be won!!! I hope this works.
CJS
Wondering if anyone has ever used Listerine in the washing machine to kill any lice that might be on clothes that can’t be washed in hot water? I know that vinegar makes a great fabric softener, but it appears from what I’m reading here that it is the Listerine that does the killing. Would love to hear anyone’s experience with this.
Thanks.
Dawn
I am 28 years old and my mother who is 52 has been using Listerine on all of our heads since we were little. She said it would prevent the lice from being able to attach themselves to our hair. I thought it was an old wives tale, but continued to treat my hair every 6 months as a habit even after I moved out and got married. While pregnant with my first child I had to stay over a friends house because I was placed on complete bed rest and no stairs.
Her daughter came back from visiting family in Dallas with a head full of lice so bad you didn’t have to search. You could really see them. Shortly after my friend, her husband, and all 3 of her children were infected. I am proud to stay I stayed in the house the whole time and even 5 more months after and not even so much as a nit in my head. Thanks mom for the crazy old wives tale. P.S. now that my kids are in school they get the treatment every 6 mos too. All you do is pour it onto their hair after bath let’s say on a Friday night. Don’t wash it out. Let it stay in there hair for 24 hours, and then wash out.
DAN
I discovered the lice last night at 11 pm. My husband went online and looked up home remedies. He read about Listerine, ran to the store and we poured it on my head, put on a shower cap, waited 2 hours and prayed. The next day I did it again and no more lice!!! This is a miracle remedy and I thank all the people who wrote about it so I could benefit.
AO
My boys got it from my nephew 2 weeks ago used the over the counter products and nothing..! They seemed to have killed the mature ones but after 2 treatments with the RID we found some really tiny ones LIVE ONES!!! So I looked up for home remedies and we used the Listerine last night at 2am my head itches but I have very long and thick hair so I know for a fact I have them and my whole family as well 5 of us..! It seemed to work, we also used vinegar, olive oil and dawn all together as shampoo to rinse out the Listerine and we combed out more dead ones and some nits as well…
I heard that rosemary also does the trick put a couple of branches under bedding and lice hate the smell..!
I will continue to do the treatment this week and hope to have gotten rid of this nasty bugs…!
Kel
For a week I had an itchy head and on day 3 I decided it was probably lice even though no one believed me (I did the listerine/vinegar treatment) I didn’t notice anything on the comb, I didn’t use the good nit comb then though. Yesterday I officially found out I have lice (I don’t even have a clue who I got it from!) so I bought Rid, I was able to get some with it, it killed the baby ones, but I found 2 adult ones and they looked like they were still alive for the most part and I couldn’t find any nits so obviously it didn’t totally work.
I’m going to try the Listerine approach again with a better comb.
licefreelola
I rinsed the Listerine out and washed my hair afterwords with my usual shampoo and conditioner. I haven’t got anymore lice. Remember to keep combing, it’s really important. My bff had lice and she just combed her hair every night with out doing any treatments and she got rid of them too.
licefreelola
I got lice for the first time ever a couple weeks ago. I was itching and I was checked and didn’t see any lice but as soon as I realized it was lice, I tried rid and they were still alive. My dad read about Listerine online and soaked my head in a shower cap for 2 hours. I am writing this the day after I did Listerine and I feel soooo good. All the lice were dead, I’m not itchy and I slept like a baby!
annoyed
Purchased RID for my son whom I found lice on yesterday evening. After using the RID I still found moving lice on his head !! I kept him home today and I’m going out to get some Listerine !! Thanks
Jae
LISTERINE WORKS!!! My daughter had so much head lice and huge ones at that! And it fried them up. This product is safer and more effective than lice shampoos with pesticides, which are dangerous for children to use over and over. Those prescription meds that doctors give our children are potentially harmful and could lead to seizures. Listerine method works. Leave in hair for two hours and rinse. Use vinegar to comb out nits. Best of luck!
LP
yea but….. it itches like heck!!!!!!
KK
RID kit does not work. Used it according to directions, did the bag the toys away and spray the bed, even bought new pillows, but after 2 weeks of RID treatment my son was still infested – BUT – one treatment of the Listerine (soaked and combed through hair thoroughly and then capped head for a couple of hours at night then followed by a vinegar rinse and comb through, next day – following week – head CLEAN. No sign, no nits, it seems to work.
arlene
Listerine works! I poured it on my daughter’s thick hair and let it sit with a plastic cap for two hrs. THEN put on the vinegar. THEN combed out. Gone! I also purchased some coconut suave shampoo and use that daily. I am also going to use Denorex as a precaution as I read somewhere they do not like tar as well.
Lizzie H.
I have battled lice more than once and I am TIRED. I called my ped and they recommended Vaseline, which I did and then my girls looked like they had shellacked heads even after 10 washings with Dawn dish detergent.
Finally my Mother-in-law read that coating the hair with baby oil and then washing with dawn would get the Vaseline out, and you know what, it worked. They went to school on Monday with normal hair. I have been spraying their hair with Listerine but tonight I feel itchy so I am going to do the Listerine treatment to myself and see what happens.
My girls seem fine 9 days later but we’ll see. I’ve been checking and found nothing at all since the Vaseline, but I am not sure we’re clear. I’m scared, I want to be done!
John
Listerine is a great solution. It used to be listed on the label 10 to 15 years back. I don’t know if they took it off for marketing or FDA reasons.
Misty
Yes, the generic is fine, but you should use the plain kind since I heard the flavored ones have sugar in your hair that makes it sticky, but if you don’t care about that, it doesn’t matter, and most importantly, it REALLY works! I did it to my daughter’s hair this morning, and the bugs were DEAD, then followed by vinegar and they came right off, then I followed up with coconut conditioner and left it in her hair all day to dry, and will only rinse it tomorrow morning, and now I’m sitting here with Listerine in MY head. Only downside is I’m feeling a little lightheaded because of the fumes from the Listerine and my scalp is burning a little from scratching all the sores in my head, but it will be worth it I know in the long run.
Good luck!
bekah
Can you use the generic form of listerine?
dawny
Do you rinse the Listerine out afterwards?
becky
2 weeks later, and no sign of recurrence in my long-haired daughter after the initial Listerine treatment and combing… 8 other kids in her class have been diagnosed, but she has not been reinfected. I continue to spray her hair with Listerine and comb through after every shampoo.
becky
Just tried this today. I found head lice on my daughter last Sunday after dinner and ran to the store to buy conventional treatments (RID). After spraying and vacuuming the house, washing everything, treating my daughter, and spending 2 hours combing LIVE lice and nits out of her hair, I treated myself and belatedly realized I’d had an allergic reaction to pyrethrins as a teen (30 years ago!). I knew I couldn’t use the RID again; my mom told me she’d heard of using Listerine and advised me to check out your site.
I combed through her hair repeatedly during the week and picked out a few more live ones, then treated her today with the Listerine and a shower cap (2 hours). I then combed through her hair, re-spraying with Listerine as I went (she covered her face with a towel). The only critters I found were DEAD.
I have washed linens and vacuumed all the furniture again, but my plan is to continue to check her head a couple times a week, use Listerine after her cream rinse, and re-treat with Listerine if I see any new ones. It is safe, inexpensive, and it actually WORKS.
knc1977
I have been battling lice for 3 months with my daughter. My husband, son and myself have been infected, but not like my baby. She is a lice magnet, if lice are going around, 9 chances out of 10, she will get it. I have spent so much money on lice shampoo and sprays, but she keeps getting it back.
I have spent countless hours getting nits out of her hair, washing laundry, bagging toys and vacuuming. I decided to look online this morning to see if there were any other ways to defeating this dilemma. I came across this site and others like it, suggesting to use Listerine to eliminate lice and vinegar to easily remove nits.
It is now 4:35 p.m. I will post another comment in 2 hours to let everyone know the results. keeping my fingers crossed!!!
Rachel
I’m trying this Listerine remedy tonight… but what happens afterwards? How long do I wait before I can start treating my hair normally again (using regular shampoos, conditioners, gels, etc.)?
Lori
I’m 13 weeks pregnant and just discovered yesterday that I had caught lice from my niece. Very embarrassing to get lice at 30 when you don’t even have your own kids! Rid and similar products were out of the question and I was seriously thinking that I was going to have to spend the next 6 months infested with lice because I couldn’t use any chemicals.
I tried the olive oil and shower cap thing last night but it didn’t really work so I set out to find another home remedy. When I stumbled upon the Listerine remedy, I didn’t think it would work, but I had some already and figured it wouldn’t hurt to try. I can’t believe how well it worked! Why isn’t this common knowledge? It was cheap, easy, and safe! My whole family has spent tons of money on chemicals and other crazy remedies when the whole time the solution was in the bathroom!
What a lifesaver this was! I will definitely spread the word so that others can save money and a big hassle.
CA
I LOVE the LISTERINE method. My two children had lice. I tried and repeated Nix twice. With Nix I was still combing out crawling lice. The ‘residual’ of the Nix is supposed to eventually kill them all, but I never saw that actually happen. I followed all the instructions. I washed every piece of clothing in hot water, vacuumed up a storm, quarantined soft toys, and replaced linen daily. I combed, and combed, and combed for hours, for weeks, and still they came back. I was exhausted. Eventually, out of desperation, I tried Listerine. I soaked all our hair in Original Listerine, applied shower caps, and waited two hours. With Listerine, all I ever combed out were little corpses. Any lice I saw were dead!
I repeated the process once a week for about 6 weeks. That’s probably more than needed, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I wanted to make sure I got anything that survived, hatched, or re-infested. Eventually I stopped combing because frankly I figured dead lice wash right out. When I was using the Listerine I was careful about the linen, but I did not obsess over the house. I focused on heads. FYI – I did not spray the Listerine. I poured it on or used a color applicator bottle (like if you color your roots), so we wouldn’t breath the mist. I switched to tea tree oil and coconut shampoos, and now keep all our combs in Barbicide like at the hair salon.
We are finally lice free. I highly recommend the Listerine method. I will never go back to Nix. If you have read this far, you are probably battling lice yourself, and I know how you feel . . . . Focus on heads. Use Listerine. Repeat the treatment. Recheck hair often. Be diligent. Hang in there. Hope this helps. Good Luck!
EJV
My daughter has gotten lice 2x. Both times I used
RID first. It did absolutely nothing. Then I used listerine followed by vinegar. It works so well.
After I rinsed it out and combed through her hair and found a bunch of dead lice. The vinegar is supposed to loosen the nits, and I was combing through the nits were falling out.
MJB
I am a hair stylist and this comes in handy for another option to my clients to get rid of those pest. I will be telling all my young moms about this site and what I learned by coming to it. I even printed off several copies to give to my co-workers.
Respectfully, MJB
Mandy
I have a child who is extremely prone to head lice. If she gets within fifty feet of it, I swear they run over to her! We have tried lice shampoos that she says hurt. We tried the mayonnaise treatment, which works if you do it a few times, but is very hard to get back out of her hair.
I put listerine all over her hair and when I combed it out everything was dead. It’s four days later and still no sign of active lice. From now on I plan to rinse her hair twice a week and see if we can’t prevent the little buggers.
BIL
Strong vinegar softens the glue that holds the nits to the hair shaft. Blow drying the hair also is a huge deterrent to head lice.
Learned from experience.
wendy3tkl
I have used this remedy on myself and my daughter. It works. The insecticides are some nasty stuff to be putting on our loved ones scalp. Listerine is much gentler and doesn’t expose them to harsh chemicals.
Abby Irwin
The eucalyptol and menthol found in Listerine are a great deterant for head lice. As The only nonprofit head lice treatment facility in the country we see hundreds of cases of head lice each week. No Product kills the nits and nothing makes the nits fall out of the hair. There is no substitute for knowing what you are looking for, Taking the time to do the treatment right, and checking closest contacts. We like to say “If you don’t have time to do it right the first time, you must have time to do it again.” I commend the parent for not wanting to overexpose her child to pesticidal products. Over treating only adds to resistance issues. Here at Lice Solutions we only treat when waranted and we only use safe non toxic products. For more info about Lice Solutions please visit http://www.licesolutions.org Web and phone support available for people outside the range of our treatment facilities in West Palm Beach, FL and Nashville, TN.