I found tiny white bugs on clothes and skin. If you face this kind of situation what do you do? Here is what I did. Read this article to learn more about this weird situation
What are tiny white bugs on clothes and skin?
The tiny white bugs on your clothes and skin would be either body lice or dust mites. You could commonly spot the dust mites if your skin is dry. However, we will be mainly covering body lice here. Body lice are tiny blood drawing creatures which would occupy your clothings. On the other hand , you could commonly spot Body lice among the people who maintain unhygienic body condition and who live in crowded places.
Those people hardly bother on personal hygiene and that makes them more susceptible for Body lice infestations. However, Body lice do not transmit any disease. However it is vital that you regularly bathe and have showers to overcome them. Further regular laundering and changing cloth is crucial to control Body lice infestations
Body lice are small blood sucking creatures which tend to occupy human’s bodies as well as their clothing and bedding. They can infest from one person to another, and it could be commonly spotted among the people who have unhygienic habits. Keep in mind that body lice are not similar to the head lice as well as with the pubic lice.
To briefly explain what Body lice are, they are wingless flat insects. Further they carry six legs, and they will each end in a claw. You could spot them in gray or in brown. In terms of the sizes, they would be about 2mm-5mm. Besides, their Body lose eggs would be small and white in color. Moreover, they would tend to take an oval shape.
Body lice usually lay their eggs in any type of clothing which you may wear next to your skin. For example, we can point out the underwear you use. They have a gluey secretion which helps in anchoring the eggs to the clothing fibers or even for your body hairs.
They would hatch their eggs within two weeks. However, it would vary depending on the host’s body temperature. In case if the host removes the infested clothing, eggs will find it difficult to find the warmth they require and then it will take a longer for the hatching to take place.
After about seven days’ time, their egg would mature into an adult louse. The female body louse’s life span would be about four weeks and they will lay about eight eggs on a daily basis. However, if they lack a constant source of blood, they will perish within two to five days’ time.
Mature Body lice would usually feed on the human blood, and they are fond of living inside the clothing. They use their strong grasping claws for their movements between the clothing and the skin. Body lice can fulfill their dietary requirements during any time of the day. However, they would prefer to infest a place which is too soft.
For example, they love infesting areas such as your armpit or waistline. They would simply bite the skin and draw blood. They would turn their body into a darker color once they ingest blood.
How have they come into clothes and skin?
They can come into clothes by physical contact. If you get in contact with an already infected person with Body lice, there will be a high potential for you also to have Body lice infestation. In addition to that, if you get in contact with the personal belongings of an already infected person, it will also spread Body lice to your skin.
To elaborate further on this, body lice are quite common among the homeless people as they do not maintain proper hygiene. In addition to that , the people who experienced a natural disaster may also come across Body lice. They may not wash their clothes regularly and they may try to stay closer when they require more warmth.
Consequently, if one person had this Body lice infestation it would spread from one person to another. Body lice can simply crawl and reach the other person. As aforesaid, Body lice tend to lay their eggs in the clothing and if you get in contact with them, it will also lead to the transmission of the Body lice.
How to get rid of white bugs on cloth and skin
Cloth
If you want to get rid of the Body lice from your clothing, you need to first freeze clothes for about 72 hours . It will kill the eggs and the larvae. On the other hand , if you expose them to high temperatures it would also bring a fatal impact on these nasty creatures.
You need to expose them to high temperatures such as 110-120 degrees Fahrenheit and ensure that you do it for about half an hours’ time. If you have woolen clothing, brush them well and leave them exposed for some sunlight regularly.
If there are any clothing items which you cannot wash or dry clean, you need to place them in a white plastic bed then seal them there for about one months’ time. Next you could iron them and use them. Furthermore, you need to vacuum your mattresses properly too. if you wish you may also use an appropriate insecticide treatment if it is recommended for use.
Skin
First and foremost, you need to concentrate on personal hygiene. Simply you need to bathe and shower regularly. Furthermore, you need to change the clothing you wear and launder them. Ensure that you do this particularly for your underwear. If you already have any affected clothes, you could get rid of them.
Make sure you wash your clothes and bedding quite often. If an infested person has used them, you need to wash them using hot water. The ideal temperature in the water should be more than 70 degrees Celsius. Next you should iron your clothes as well. Moreover, you may also go ahead with medication if you wish to.
Can white mites live in your hair?
White mites may live in your hair, and they would be Demodex hair mites. You could commonly find them in hair follicles, and they would result in the itching of the scalp most of the time. These microscopic creatures and you could consider all of them as demodex.
How do you know if you have skin mites?
If someone is having skin mites, chances are that they may come up with signs and symptoms. At first you will have an itching feeling. However, it would take another two to six weeks’ time to further develop the symptoms. However, itching is the most common symptom of these.
Chances are that the itching could get so intense, and it can even make you deprived of sleep as well. Further chances are that you may come across rashes as well. It would further result in little bumps which would form in a line. Those bumps will resemble a hive. Moreover, there could be some people who develop scaly patches as well. Once you keep itching the rash will lead to sores.
Moreover, chances are that it would lead to an infection also. Apart from the above it would also cause thick crusts on the skin too. You would commonly find the rashes in hands, arms and in skin areas where it gets covered from the clothing and from jewelry.
If we further elaborate on the places where the mites prefer to bite , they will tend to burrow in the skin around the nails and the skin between the fingers. They tend to invade the wrists and arms a lot too. Besides, they tend to infest the skin around the nipples, bely line and organs such as penis as well.
Do skin mites live in your pores?
Skin mites can live in the pores of your face mostly. You could call them as demodex or eyelash mites in general. You cannot spot them with your naked eye though. However, the skin mites may vary depending on the different regions you live in.
Conclusion
To conclude, I hope this article gave you a broader view of the tiny white bugs which could infest your clothes and your skin. Further I have covered how you should overcome them as well. So , hope you found this article useful for you and that now you know how to overcome these nasty creatures.
Read Next : How to get rid of red worms in bathroom tiles?
