Metal flea combs, available from most pet stores, are also effective and can be boiled in water after each use. The household contacts of an infested person and the playmates of infested children are at great risk and should be carefully examined for lice. However, they should be treated only if an infestation is found. Prophylactic treatment should be encouraged only for bed mates. In order to destroy any possible lice or nits in clothing and bedding, they should be laundered in hot, soapy water, and then dried in a clothes dryer on the hot cycle.
Nonwashable clothing can be dry-cleaned or isolated for several days.
Spraying and fumigating schools and homes are not recommended and are strongly discouraged by most health professionals, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as an unnecessary potential health risk. It is frequently recommended that children with head lice be kept out of school until treated. In addition, some schools require the removal of all nits before children are allowed to return. Concerned parents should consult their child's school regarding its lice policy. Failure to discover and treat lice infestations promptly and correctly, not filth or suspected pesticide resistance, is responsible for the persistence and increased prevalence of head lice.