How long can head lice live in laundry?

Supplemental Measures: Head lice do not survive long if they fall off a person and cannot feed. ... Machine wash and dry clothing, bed linens, and other items that the infested person wore or used during the 2 days before treatment using the hot water (130°F) laundry cycle and the high heat drying cycle. read more

For really delicate items that can't withstand hot water or high dryer temperatures, allow them to soak in warm water with plenty of laundry detergent for several hours to kill the lice and then wash as usual to remove the lice. read more

Lice are very sensitive to changes in head and dehydration, so they begin dying almost immediately after they leave a head. Thus, they can't live on anything but heads for very long. I wash the laundry that I use to treat clients with our family laundry and have done so for 3 years. read more

Proper home cleaning during a lice infestation is very important. It is possible for head lice to live temporarily on items such as bedding, couches, hair accessories, car seats, toys and clothing. Fortunately, head lice can only survive 24-48 hour off of the head and are relatively easy to remove from the home. read more