What should I do to get rid of scabies or prevent it?
Most importantly, skin-to-skin contact of a healthy person with an infected person having an itchy skin rash must be avoided. Towels, clothing, and bedding used by individuals with Scabies should be washed in hot water using proper detergent just 2 days before the treatment of Scabies. After washing these must be dried in a hot dryer. If personal items are non-washable, they should be dry-cleaned or kept in a sealed plastic bag for a week to eliminate mites. As mites usually do not live for more than 2-3 days without their host- the human skin, an individual with Scabies can get rid of Scabies.
In the case of crusted Scabies, the environment where the infected individual lives or stays may be full of a large number of mites. Therefore, it is recommended to vacuum clean the carpets and furniture in the room and throw out the vacuum bags.