How I've Survived The Past 7 Days With the L Word

The ugly L word. 
The word that inflicts itching by just the word

Lice....

(did you start itching?)

For the past 7 days I have been in super panic deep cleaning mode. 

7 days so far....7 days I tell you

7 days of back breaking, sweating dirty work....

It ain't been easy...that's for sure

Thank goodness we have 2 sets of washers and dryers....they have been running full steam since last Monday...

Week before last.... we knew the girls were complaining of itching...but in a family our size and the boys having itchy flaky scalps I sort of IGNORED the girls complaining and just got out the dandruff shampoo

SOMETHING made me think to just check #4's head after bathtime Sunday night...

I think screams could be heard 4 counties over. 

Then I realized screaming bugs bugs bugs while your 4 yr old is standing there knowing it's her head you were talking about probably isn't a good thing

I looked on the computer of what we needed to do...I mean HECK FIRE I made it 39 years without having to deal with this mess

Google images really isn't a good friend either...

All I knew is I had a journey ahead of me.

I noticed there was a company that would come to the house asap.  I knew it wouldn't be cheap, but with a family our size I needed help.

Sweet Robin came out Monday morning and brought her gear and calm sweet nurturing attitude.

She eased my fears and told me exactly what we were going to do and how I need to treat the house

That Lice (the L word)  were like super bugs to the store bought shampoo's (DON'T BUY THEM) and not only that they have been linked to cancer.

You know me and my non vaccines and lover of essential oils..I perked right up about how we were going to tackle this.

First things first...quarantine or bag and bag and wash...take your poison of the things you want to do with all that you have been in contact with....

Started washing all bedding and then we stored them in a space in the garage (clean and store)

Then we picked bedding to use and just stuck with those for 7 days washing after each use

Vacuumed all furniture and carpets and rugs and mattresses.  I did this for 4 days b/c I was freaked out so badly

Got new pillows out of the closets (with a family of 8 and an obsession with pillows these came in handy)

We then covered those with towels each night and washed them each day.

Clothes?  Washed everything worn and put out and in piles and then stored in plastic buckets...Pulled from bucket and washed after wearing and put back in buckets

Toys...put away

Brushes thrown away (I couldn't help it) and cleaned all drawers and floorboards 

I had forgotten the bath mats in the master bathroom and hubs reminded me.  I then freaked b/c I had let the baby play in my bathroom Tuesday while I showered.  When I say freaked I mean CRY SOB PANIC SHAKE CRY basically I was hysterical thinking that all the cleaning I had done was probably wasted b/c I forgot the bath mats.

How did we treat our hair?  

While Robin was here she started with #3 (who by the way brought them home from the New York hotels  another reason I am not a fan of NY)  anywho....#3 had them about 3 weeks  ( I trusted Robin...the girl does this for a living)  She worked over a hr on #3's head and said she got about 98% of them.  I personally wanted all 100% of them.....
We slathered the head with Olive Oil....divided into sections and combed each section forever wiping each time...combed until section was clean.

We moved on to #4 and she too was covered. 

Now before you think how did you NOT KNOW...understand the nymphs are tiny tiny tiny suckers and on dark hair it's really hard to tell.  When you wipe the comb use a white wet paper towel folded into sections...when you wipe you can see the tiny black suckers.  

I looked at the clock and told poor Robin she was going to have to pack up...being paid by the hr and 3 hrs later I had all I could afford.  She begged me to do my hair.

I looked at her like she was crazy...I DON'T  HAVE IT I said

She said ..."Let's do 3 sections and if it's clean great" 

I sit there in the chair like "whatever...."

1st section and 2 combs into my hair...bam

I STARTED SOBBING...

My mind is racing....

I used #4's brush....#2 uses my towel in the bathroom and I co sleep with #6

#6 barely has hair and he had 3 little nymphs.  #5 had about the same.....

We oiled and combed and got them all

(Later that night hubs and I shaved their heads)

#2 was covered also like the others....

Hubs and #1 escaped the wrath.  LUCKY

So our routine is this

COVER HEAD IN OLIVE OIL FOR MINIMUM 8 HOURS (lice hold their breath for 6 hrs)

comb hair looking for anything and wiping on wet paper towel

put more Oil in before bed and sleep in cap.  Object here...to smother any existing nymphs and Lice  if any left

You are hoping to have combed all eggs out 

(if you are grossed out you are not alone)

Next morning ...more oil...comb anything out and shower

Before bed...more oil to sleep in

THIS GOES ON FOR 7 STRAIGHT DAYS

In a family this size it took me hrs each day to do this...on top of deep heavy vacuuming and washing I don't have time for anything.

(We averaged 10 loads of laundry or more a day...I hate to see our water bill)

We have been nit free since Tuesday, but I will continue keeping us that way

(My hair has never been more moisturized though and the kids with dry scalp don't anymore..bam)

Week 2 we will continue the oil hair treatment to every other day.

Week 3 check twice

As for cleaning...I will switch out sheets daily for 1 month...(I did say I'm in panic mode)

No stuffed animals will be touched for a month...(even though I've washed)

All I can think of what if I missed a spot on the couches....what if one egg is left...and it waits to hatch right when we sit down. 

I'm so exhausted....I've vacuumed the couches 4 times what if I needed to do it 5 times....was 4 enough?  

I've been confined to the house...lunches have been weak...Dinners are not up to my normal fun standards....I had planned on baking special cookies for the first day of school  (WHICH IS TODAY)

NOTHING but cleaning and washing and oily has been going on

I can't stand the sight of Olive Oil or the smell of it before bed

So now you know where I have been for 7 days....
And where you will find me another 7 days....

In between oiling our hair we are slathered in Tea Tree oil 
It's now in all our shampoos too. (thank you Paul Mitchell) 

We will keep this gone