The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Kerosene
Posted by Joshua (Lebanon, Pennsylvania, USA) on 08/12/2012
★★★★★
For those suffering from head lice, as well as many other tiny parasites that live in the hair and on the skin, do not be afraid of using kerosene! It is an old remedy that works and does not harm the skin or hair. It will even help cure at least some skin problems. The only problem is that it smells bad. It is a product of petroleum, just as is vasoline. Even diesel fuel is a good remedy since it is very closely related to kerosene; the only difference being the temperature used to distill the petroleum to produce the kerosene or diesel. In fact, my Dad told me that his father used to give him and his siblings a teaspoon of kerosene mixed with sugar for colds! Yes, taken internally! I tried two tablespoons once when having digestion problems and it took care of the problem! Having said all that, kerosene/diesel is not something to be taken for any and all illnesses. It is good for killing parasites, including on your pets. Try it.
Replied by Pedro
(Earth)
08/13/2012
★☆☆☆☆
Replied by Rebekah
(Dowagiac, Mi)
08/15/2012
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
Replied by Slim
(Cal., US)
03/14/2015
Replied by Tom
(Boynton Beach, Florida)
06/20/2018
Replied by
Paracelsus (Orlando, Fl)
06/20/2018
46 posts
Replied by Nona
(British Columbia)
05/26/2022
Kerosene
Posted by Teegr (Pacific Nw, Wa) on 03/22/2010
★★★★★
Just thought I'd tell you that my grandmother who was born in 1916 always told me about the time they got lice right after they had got married...and bought a used mattress after sleeping on the floor for months. They lived in rural Texas..and there was no running to a market in a wagon to get treatments...even had they the money during the depression. They certainly couldn't afford to throw away an infested mattress. They treated the mattress, bedding, AND themselves with kerosene (which they used for bedbugs in bedding when she was a child) and that took care of the problem, except for their eyelashes, which they picked off for awhile. I was always shocked when she told me about it...visualizing they soaked the mattress. She finally explained to me that they dipped a rag into kerosene and scrubbed the daylights out of it. As a result of her experience she always told me to drag out our mattresses and bedding into the sun to bake each side at least every spring, which I did faithfully till I couldn't drag a mattress outside anymore.
Kerosene
Posted by Carla (Las Cruces, USA) on 04/07/2007
★★★★★
Don't use it unless you are desperate but it definitely works in one application. I had long hair and got lice on a trip to India. There were no shampoos for it where I was, local people were just shaving their heads to deal with it. I was determined not to return home with lice (and to keep my hair), so I got talked into washing my hair in kerosene. Be Careful to keep it off your skin, it got on my sunburn --- ouch!
I said not to use it unless you have to because it's bad for your hair.. I had to have my hairdresser put on all kinds of special conditioners to get my hair back to normal.
Lemons
Posted by lacey (wilmington, nc) on 12/03/2007
★★★★★
Lemon juice really works for lice. I poured some on my head and 5-7 lice bugs came out!! lemon juice is the key!
Listerine
Posted by Bugs Be Gone Soon Please (Pittsburgh, Pa) on 08/12/2011
★★★★★
48 hours and no itching, no bugs. Going to do it for 2 hours with shower cap tomorrow just to be ultra safe but looks like listerine worked for us! Finally, a solution.
Listerine
Posted by Bugs Be Gone Soon Pleaes (Pittsburgh, Pa) on 08/11/2011
★★★★★
I had called our ped after nix and rid did not work completely (found one bug and still had occasional itching, ugghh! ). They told me to do the mayonaisse overnight, but we had plans to do a family zoo trip the next day. After internet research , thought I would try the listerine first and then do teh mayonaisse the next night when we would have more time in the morning to wash it out. I left the listerine in all night though, had the shower cap on her from 10pm -3am. Washed her hair as usual in am and cannot find anything in her hair, no itching, much easier than mayonaisse and not a scratch the entire day. So will see what tonight brings, if no itching may just repeat the listerine again to be certain.... just seems much easier to wash out and much easier for younger child to tolerate than the thick, mayo.
Listerine
Posted by Cristina (La Coruna, Spain) on 04/21/2011
★★★★★
My daughter brought home lice from school a few weeks ago and all the family got them. We tried products from drugstores and supermarkets and they were no use.
Then one day someone told me about Listerine and vinegar, great!! And it doesn?t even feel cold or itchy on your head.
What you do, is you pour Listerine (I used the blue one) over your head making sure it's all over. Then you put a shower cap on and wait for 2 hours. After that you rinse your hair with water (you?ll find some of the lice dead). The next step is to rinse your head thoroughly with white vinegar (this helps to get rid of the nits) and massage well. Rinse again with water.
Then you just wash your hair normally with shampoo and conditioner. I always add a few drops (5 o 6) of tea tree oil to the shampoo, this helps them NOT come back at school!
Our hair is very shiny and clean, and we are at last rid of the plague.
Mineral Oil and Vinegar
Posted by Charlotte (Federal Way, WA) on 11/16/2007
★★★★★
I have had long hair since I was a teenager and worked for 6 and 1/2 years as a residential counselor with young children. I would freak out every time any of the kids got lice and would immediately use that horrible shampoo from the drug store to try to keep from getting it. That stuff is totally toxic, kills my hair, gives awful dandruff, etc. One day, I was reading a parenting magazine to get ideas for arts + craft projects and noticed an article on lice treatment. Several months later my little sister (who was living with me at the time) came home with lice, and it was bad. I could see them jumping off her head and her hair was also long! I remembered the recipe, used it, and will swear by it from now on.
It consisted of first saturating the hair with mineral oil and vinegar (4-to-1 mix). Leave it in an hour, then lightly rinse it. Do not shampoo or try to remove all of the mineral oil yet. Instead, put on a shower cap overnight. Rinse out after 24 hours and utilize a vinegar rinse again while using a fine comb to remove as many nits as possible. This is a miracle cure for long-haired folks. I believe they said it works because the oil suffocates the bugs and the vinegar dissolves/loosens the glue that holds the nits on. Hope this helps somebody!
Mouthwash
Posted by Notyouneek (Tacoma, Wa) on 12/22/2018
★★★★★
I'm a grandma of 3 and have dealt with the lice plague numerous times. I've spent thousands of dollars over the decades on lice treatments. Then I discovered the mouthwash cure. Generic is fine. It works like a charm. I make sure that the eyes are covered, spray full strength amber mouthwash to soak the hair and cover the head with a plastic bag (using a hair tie to secure in the back). After two hours I rinse the hair and hten go through with a high quality metal nitcomb. Bugs are dead and nits are easier to remove. Best most effective treatment I've found!! I've done tons of research on the cons of this treatment and the best they can come up with is that its flammable, the kids might suffocate on the bag, and that the alchol may absorb into the scalp. Some of the perscriptions shampoos can cause brain damage if used too often. No open flames or smoking while treatment is in progress and watch them so they don't try to eat the bag. BE SURE not to let it get into the eyes.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Nante (Germany) on 09/27/2014
★★★★★
Want to get rid of lice in once? It requires a lot of work but pays off.
1. Wash your hair with tea tree shampoo or if you have none add tea tree oil to shampoo
2. Put as much coconut oil in your hair as you can fathom. wait 2 hours
3. Comb, comb, comb with a fine lice/flea comb (i used my pets flea comb after disinfecting). This is really important. divide your hair up in partitions to make sure you have had each section. After each stroke dip the comb in hot water with vinegar and brush with an old toothbrush. Keep combing until the comb is clean.
4. Wash again with tea tree. use also vinegar with your wash to kill eggs.
5. Apply new coconut oil and leave it in for two days. keep combing every day.
6. Sleep with a shower cap. put a towel on your pillow that your replace every day.
7. Meanwhile: take out all of your bedlinnens, all coats, scarfs and clothes you have been wearing. Put them in separate closed bags. Spray vinegar in the bags. Wash them as soon as you can. keep them closed and in quarantaine until you are ready to wash.
8. Add baking soda and/or vinegar to your laundry to kill lice & eggs.
9. Wear clean clothes every day for 3-5 days depending on the severity of your infestation. add the dirty clothes to the separate, closed bags. keep the laundry separate for a week.
10. Steam clean your home, mattrasses, pillows, blankets, laundry basket and clean your whole house thoroughly. don't forget the wardrobe, cloth hangers! Replace the vacuum bag. if you don't have a steam cleaner use vinegar everywhere and let it soak for a while.
I know this is a lot but it will get you rid of the lice in ONCE!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Kate (Nebraska, US) on 07/14/2014
★★★★★
I discovered a horrid infestation on my son yesterday. The thousands of nits were too difficult to remove and he requested his head shaved. I had already treated and we washed everything in hot water, etc...once it was all over I got to thinking...with an infestation that large (and it was awful)...why did I not have one nit or bug? In the last several months I have taken to not shampooing (maybe once every week or two, as I am preparing my scalp for dread locks) so I should have been infested too. Then I remembered. I was worried about getting a fungus from not shampooing so I have been spraying a home made solution in my hair every day. Distilled water, Aloe Vera Gel, Sea Salt, Fractured Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Lavender Essential Oil and Lemongrass Essential oil. Now that I've been reading this forum, I understand exactly why my head is so clean. My son has now taken to spraying the solution on his bald head ;) Good Luck all!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Punky Ramone (Quezon City, Philippines) on 09/20/2012
★★★★★
Im 42 years old american been living all over the pacific and asia including philippines from 2004-2005. Since my wife is filipina. Left went to saipan then to u.s. 2008 back and forth between u.s and philippines til 2011 where we started business until july 2012 we never had problem with head lice. We still dont know where we got it but being a devoloping country could have been anywhere. This I do know 1st and formost get out all the bugs and nits u see using a very fine comb and a white tshirt on the floor. The ones that come out that are moving give them a good squezze u will here them pop. Then burn the tshirt. Second use tea trea oil mixed with shampoo. Comb again next day take a day off. Then use eucalyptus oil. Dont dilute at least the eucalyptus oil we have in philippines leave on 30 minutes wash out with shampoo. Repeat 3-4 times and get used to the smell of eucalyptus coz u can wash the oil out ur hairs not oily but the smell stays nothing u can do deal with it. Besides its not a bad smell alternate tea tree and eucalyptus every other day for 2 weeks. Lice gone but if you dont remove all the bedsheets and pilow cases all this treatment is pointless. Best to get your bedsheets to a commercial dryer and set it as high as possible after washing in clorox if they are not colored if colored wash in borax then dry on highest setting and vacuum everything hope this help
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Seahorse (Arlington, Va) on 07/06/2012
★★★★★
My daughter who is 6 had lice my son then got them and my husband the only reason I think I did not is because I dye my hair. I used mayonaise with olive oil in it you can buy it that way, left it on their heads for the day, and washed the hair a couple of times used a conditioner that I mixed with tea tree oil, lavender oil, peppermint, rosmary and eucalyptus oil. I also made a misture that I spray and leave in the hair too with those oils and either argan oil or olive oil just a cap full in one of those bottles of detangler spray. Then, I make sure to put gel in and no more lice! This killed them and prevents them!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Kathy (Lv, Nv) on 06/21/2012
★★★★★
When my niece bought home lice I was crazy!!! After trying so many things I finally went to walgreens and bought an electric zapper type headlice killer. I don't remember the name but you just comb it through dry hair and when the teeth come in contact with the lice they get electrocuted and die. Very easy... I combed her hair twice a day and mine as well.... Took off all of her bed linen but left one pillow with case and 1 blanket and I put them in the dryer on high every day for 30 minutes for two weeks straight. I also vaccumed her bed every morning when she got up. And she could only sit on a kitchen chair not the couch... I didn't want them crawling around the whole house. It takes alot of time... and I vaccumed my car often too...
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Angie (Los Angeles, CA) on 05/29/2009
★★★★★
Mayonaise, acv and tea tree oil got rid of headlice
My daughter when she started kindergarten she came home with lice one day. I bought the lice shampoos and did every possible thing I could do to get rid of them. I was so devastated I did't know what else to do for her. I would get rid of them only to find out she got them again within less than a month. This was my struggle for a whole year. Then one day my sister came accross a site, not sure which one but she told me to mix some Mayonaise in a bowl and to mix it with ACV to a consistency of pancake batter. Then to add some drops of tea tree oil and to put it on her hair. I put it for 1/2 an hour and then while she still had it on I combed her hair out with one of those nit removal combs and washed her hair. I kid you not but the day after when I checked her hair she did not have one single nit or headlice on her hair. It's been three years and she has not had a single headlice in her hair. After spending so much money on all the stuff I bought for her hair, I was so relieved to have found something so simple and so inexpensive that actually works and it is safe for her. Anyway, just thought this might help.
