Recently my 2 granddaughters got head lice from school. After using a Rid kit and 3 trips to the doctor they finally told me to use Listerine mouthwash and vinegar.
Using a spray bottle so you don't get it in their eyes, saturate the hair with mouthwash, you can use generic and mint flavored if you want. Cover the head with a shower cap to keep the heat in and leave on overnight or all day until hair dries. Rinse out mouthwash, towel dry, and spray hair with vinegar, cover with shower cap and leave on overnight or all day until hair dries. Shampoo and condition then comb with a nit comb.
This might take a few treatments, but it worked and was much safer than the chemicals you can only use once every 10 days, and it is much cheaper. I know this sounds crazy I thought so too, but it does work.
By Tonya from Cushing, OK
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Does baking soda really kill lice eggs?
By Mandy Brittingham from Wilmington, DE
I am sure that baking soda doesn't work. If it did, people would have used it in pioneer times. My mother said that they used kerosene! Don't fool around with home remedies.
I am a huge fan of Dawn soap. You can let it sit on stained clothing and it takes the stuff right out. But the best thing for the use of this soap other than it's cleaning ability is for lice. The junk they sell at the stores is expensive and can seep into the person's head. It damages the hair.
I used Dawn soap on my granddaughter's head, bagged it for about 15 minutes and combed them suckers right out. Dead, dead, dead. Then I used a good conditioner like Pantene. Now we have no hair damage, a huge savings in the cost of treatment, and a child who is not feeling bad about the situation.
I took her back to school within the hour and they said that she could not be 'clean' but after they looked, they knew it worked!
By Dorene Boydstun from Galesburg, IL
I can't wait to tell my daughter about this one! What a nightmare. My sweet granddaughter has lived this nightmare over and over. She has the silkiest hair and the doctors tell us that lice loves this stuff and that we keep her hair too clean (another thing they love). We have spent hours combing and washing everything in the house. Not to mention how expensive (even doctor visits). Nothing like I have ever experienced before - we all get a sick feeling if we see her innocently scratch now. Now maybe we can let her hair grow and she can wear pig tails instead of keeping it in a short bob.
