Preventing lice: How to wash your comb and brush

Head lice can happen to anyone. Let me share a couple of recipes to avoid reinfestation via hair tools.

This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Licefreee and #WeAllGrow Latina Network. However, the anecdote and the opinions expressed here are all mines. 

We got an email after a pajama party: One of the moms noticed her child’s itchy scalp, irritability, and sleeplessness. Yes, a lice infestation was happening and that was all I needed to know in order to start the engines and do a deep cleaning in our home. I washed all bedding and clothing in hot water (at least 130 F) and used the dryer, I put the stuffed animals and toys in a tightly sealed plastic bag for 15 days and vacuum thoroughly. But what I focused my attention on was in the hair tools and hair accessories my daughter use day after day, and decided to not only wash them but also disinfect them, in order to avoid possible reinfestation.

But first: How do you clean hair brushes?

I also decided to give the hair tools a second cleansing using “barbicide” -the solution barbers and hair stylists use to disinfect and keep clean their tools at the salon- that I made at home.

Make your own barbicide at home following one of the following recipes I share below.

First recipe’s ingredients:

• 2 oz. ammonia
• 1 tbsp of shampoo
• 1/2 gallon of hot water

1. Mix the 2 ounces of ammonia, one tablespoon of shampoo with 1/2 gallon of hot water.
2.  Let the comb soak in this solution for 10 to 15 minutes then use an old toothbrush to scrub clean the teeth of the comb or the bristles of the hairbrush.

Also, you can use the following in the second recipe:

• 1/4 cup Borax
• Squirt of liquid dish soap 
• Sink or bucket of warm water

1.  Begin by filling your sink or a bucket about a quarter full of warm water.

2.  Add the 1/4 cup of Borax and swish it around with your hands to help it dissolve.

3.  Squirt some dish soap in the sink/bucket and then finish filling it with warm water until its about 3/4 full.  You don’t want it so full that it will overflow when you add your combs and brushes.

4.  Place the combs and hairbrushes in the soapy borax water and let them soak for a while.  About 30 to 45 minutes should do it.

In both cases, rinse the combs and brushes with clean warm water and then dry them off. Place the clean, wet brush on a dry towel with the bristles facing down to dry overnight.

What did I do on my kid’s head?

For me, it was a no-brainer to avoid using traditional remedies for head lice that contain chemical pesticides such as permethrin or pyrethrum to treat head lice infestation. Affordable, over-the-counter Licefreee! brand non-toxic head lice treatments use the naturally occurring mineral, sodium chloride, to effectively kill head lice and nits. Our remedies for lice are easy to use so you can get back to your normal life quickly and lice free!

Why did I choose Licefreee?

• Kills head lice and eggs (called nits)
  ● Non-toxic, homeopathic head lice treatments are safe for children 6 months and older
  ● Our remedies for lice are strong enough for adults too!
  ● The non-toxic choice of school nurses and pediatricians
  ● Our treatments contain a professional, stainless-steel nit comb
  ● Works on all hair types including thick, curly hair
  ● 100% Guaranteed satisfaction*

Licefreee was created by parents, for parents. After dealing with a case of head lice with her own children, a member of their R&D team developed Licefreee. Now, there is finally a safe alternative to traditional chemical pesticide remedies for lice, and it works!

*If you are not satisfied with the product, you may return the unused portion along with your original store receipt to Tec Labs in Albany, Oregon. All the info for this is printed in the box.