How to Clean Your Home After Scabies Treatment
What to Do If You Have Scabies Mites at Home?
Don't panic if you find scabies mites at home. Scabies is completely curable, but you need to follow three key principles: proper treatment, treat the whole household, and prevent reinfection.
Treatment Plan
- Topical cream treatment -- A doctor will prescribe a scabicide cream (such as 10% sulfur ointment, permethrin cream, or lindane cream). Here is how to use it:
- After showering, apply the cream to the entire body from the neck down to the toes. Don't miss any area.
- Focus on the areas scabies mites prefer: between the fingers, wrists, armpits, waist and abdomen, groin.
- Leave the cream on for 8-12 hours, then wash it off (follow your doctor's instructions for exact timing).
- A typical course is 3 consecutive days of treatment.
- Oral medication -- For severe or persistent scabies, the doctor may prescribe oral ivermectin.
Treatment Precautions
- Family members in close contact with the patient (especially those sharing a bed) should be treated at the same time, even if they have no symptoms.
- Do not share towels, bath towels, bed sheets, or clothing during treatment.
- Wash all used bed sheets, duvet covers, pillowcases, towels, and undergarments in water above 60 deg C (140 deg F) or dry on high heat.
- Items that cannot be washed should be sealed in plastic bags for 3-5 days (scabies mites cannot survive more than 3 days off the body).
- Vacuum the room thoroughly, especially around the bed and sofas.
When Are You Considered Cured?
After proper treatment, the mites on the skin are dead (no new burrows or rash appear), but the itching sensation may persist for 2-4 weeks before fully resolving. This is normal and does not mean you have been reinfected.
When to Schedule a Follow-Up?
If new rashes continue to appear or itching has not noticeably improved 4 weeks after completing proper treatment, schedule a follow-up visit to rule out incomplete treatment or reinfection.