Ethically Kate: My kids have nits. What is an effective but non-toxic way to blast those critters?

A fine-toothed comb is a key weapon in the fight against nits. Photo / Getty Images

Nits have long been an annoying childhood affliction. So, are there natural alternatives to over-the-counter treatments that actually work?

I’ve been researching non-toxic ways for you to cure your children of lice for so many hours that I’ve started to erratically scratch my head! I’ll keep this one quick before I make my way to the shower to deeply wash my scalp.

Firstly, no matter what the television show The Office tells you, do not try slathering mayonnaise on your child’s head. Like many other liquid substances, mayonnaise can help lice detach from the hair shaft but it’s not going to kill them and it’s a pretty messy way to loosen the louse’s grip. Instead of mayonnaise, invest in a good lice comb (a comb with long, fine teeth is important) and make up a mixture of vinegar and water. A 50:50 ratio is best. Prepare enough liquid to cover your child’s head and leave the solution in their hair for around 30 minutes. Vinegar will not kill the lice but it will break down the sticky substance that sticks the nit to the hair strand. You can wash your child’s hair with their normal shampoo after the 30 minutes are up or get straight into their hair with your fine-toothed comb.

Even if the lice are dead, they still need to come out of your child’s hair, so unfortunately there isn’t any quick fix to getting them out aside from sitting down and slowly picking through. If the lice are still holding on, use a conditioner to loosen up the wet hair. Conditioner generally helps the lice stay still, too.

Some parents swear by the power of essential oils in the lice treatment process, but there are few studies to properly back this up. Tea tree oil has enough research behind it to prove that it’s worth popping three to five drops into your child’s shampoo while you continue to routinely pick the lice and eggs out. Heat is another non-toxic method to use in your lice-culling mission. Again, I haven’t tested this myself and experimenters have varied results, but blasting the lice with a hairdryer could help kill them and/or make them still so they’re easier to remove from your wriggling child’s scalp. Those suckers multiply quickly and can come back if you don’t follow through with the process I’ve mentioned for as long as a week after your last lice sighting.

I’m sure you’ve already hot-washed the sheets, hats, toys and sofa covers in your home and begun to check other family members’ hair for lice, but this is your reminder to do so if you haven’t!