Head lice has become a problem again in our area. This chemical-free solution that can be prepared with common household ingredients is a safe way to treat for head lice:
Mix equal parts of vinegar and mineral oil. (Mineral oil is available at both CGI and Hy-Vee grocery stores in Mount Ayr, Iowa.)Massage into hair and scalp. Tie a plastic bag (gallon-sized food storage bag) over hair and leave on for 30 minutes. Shampoo out with Dawn dishwashing liquid. Then shampoo with regular shampoo. Treat at least three times weekly when needed. Repeat if needed. This treatment may be used as a precaution if you think you might have been exposed. It is not a harmful treatment, and you may use it as often as you like.
After treating the live bugs, the most important thing to do is to comb the hair with a fine-tooth comb. No matter how you kill the insects, if you don’t comb all the nits out of the hair, your child will likely have head lice again. Lice can live off the scalp for only 1-2 days. Washing bedding and clothing and drying in a hot dryer are of great importance.