Scabies is a skin infestation caused by a tiny burrowing mite known as Sarcoptes scabiei. These microscopic mites tunnel into the upper layer of human skin, where they live and lay eggs, leading to common symptoms like intense itching and a rash. The itching often worsens at night. While scabies primarily spreads through direct, prolonged skin-to-skin contact, the mites can survive off the human body for a short period, typically 2 to 3 days, leading to concerns about contaminated clothing, bedding, and other items.
Does Dry Cleaning Kill Scabies Mites?
Dry cleaning effectively eliminates scabies mites and their eggs from fabrics. The process uses high temperatures and chemical solvents, both lethal to these parasites. Temperatures exceeding 54 degrees Celsius (130°F) for at least 25 minutes are sufficient to kill mites and their eggs.
Chemical solvents used in dry cleaning also eradicate mites. These solvents disrupt the mites’ biological processes and destroy their eggs. This dual action of heat and chemicals ensures thorough decontamination of items suitable for dry cleaning.
Dry cleaning subjects items to extreme conditions, effectively removing any mites or eggs present. This process provides a reliable way to treat garments and other textiles not suitable for conventional washing methods.
Other Effective Methods for Decontaminating Items
For items not suitable for dry cleaning, other methods effectively decontaminate them. Washing laundry in hot water is a recommended approach. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests using hot water at temperatures of at least 50°C (122°F) for 10 minutes to kill mites and eggs.
After a hot water wash, drying items in a hot dryer cycle is also highly effective. High heat from the dryer, typically at temperatures above 60°C (140°F) for at least 20 to 30 minutes, ensures the mites and eggs are destroyed. It is important to ensure items are thoroughly dried, as wet clothes may not heat up as effectively as dry clothes in a dryer.
Items that cannot be washed or dry-cleaned can be sealed in plastic bags. Sealing items in a closed plastic bag for at least 72 hours, and ideally up to a week, will starve the mites, ensuring their demise. For instance, stuffed toys or delicate fabrics can be disinfected using this method.
Vacuuming carpets and upholstered furniture is also recommended, especially in areas frequently used by infested individuals. After vacuuming, immediately dispose of the vacuum bag or empty the canister into a sealed plastic bag to prevent mites from escaping. This removes mites and shed skin scales from the environment.
Preventing Scabies Reinfestation
Preventing reinfestation requires a comprehensive approach beyond treating individual items. All exposed individuals in a household should be treated simultaneously with prescribed medications, even without symptoms. This simultaneous treatment eliminates potential infection reservoirs and prevents the cycle of reinfestation.
Thorough cleaning of the entire living environment is also necessary. This includes cleaning all bedding, towels, and clothing used by any infested individual during the three days prior to treatment. These items should be machine-washed in hot water, dried on a hot cycle, or dry-cleaned to kill mites and eggs.
Upholstered furniture, mattresses, and other shared items also require attention, and vacuuming these areas can help. The goal is to ensure mites are either directly killed by heat or chemicals, or deprived of a host long enough to die naturally. This breaks the chain of transmission and prevents future infestations.