In infested housing, how do I avoid lice, bedbugs, fleas, etc?

Question

I am required to make lengthy home-visits (1 to 4 hours each) to people whose apartments and buildings are badly infested with bedbugs, mice, lice, fleas, cockroaches and unidentified crawling, biting things. I sit on their furniture and sometimes use their bathrooms. What can I do to avoid getting bitten or carrying anything bad home with me? How can I tell if I've already brought things home and started an infestation process - and what can I do about it if I have? And besides hot water, which I cannot use on all my clothes, what anti-bug options do I have? Dry-cleaning? Or only the garbage? (I cannot put clothes in the freezer, there is food there!) Are certain clothes best to wear when I go to these apartments? How can I tell if my itching is psychological or if I really "have" something? Also, does using that alcohol-based hand "wash" on my skin as soon as I leave the housing help avoid infestation - and should I also use it on my clothing? I do not wish to insult any of these people by my behavior, for example refusing to sit while we conduct lengthy interviews, or wrapping myself in plastic-wrap, but I guess if that is the best thing to do, I want to know about it. Many thanks!

Answer 1

I respect people like you!  You have a job that makes some people uncomfortable, but you do it.  Kudos to you!!!

Now, could you wear all washable clothes to work, and then come home and change out of them in the garage? Or in a rest room AT work? Put the clothes into a canvas bag and carry them in your trunk, or leave them on the floor of your garage, in a canvas bag.  Wash them all together when you have a full load, or take them to the laundromat.  Simple washing and drying  will kill anything you have mentioned.  If you don't have any WASHABLE clothes, take $50 and go to the Salvation army.  They have really good clothes. (if you shop well)

As far as the bathroom, I would, personally, never use theirs.  I would stop at a gas station if I needed to.

Thirdly, antibacteria liquids, for your hands, can be carried in your pocket.

Answer 2

rid makes a repellent try a drug store it is a spray that you leave in can not recall name but used it last year for school kids and is with the lice cures and you would be itching wildly inf you had bugs

Answer 3

use a skin safe antibacterial spray or better yet (or both) some bug spray and spray it ALL over yourself including your hair and reapply often! They wont like the taste or smell of you to 'bug" you! lol

Anyway thats what I would do. I HATE BUGS! LOL especially the ones that when by the time you find or notice them its usually an infestation like lice fleas scabies etc or skin bugs as i like to call them.

Ive been lucky and havent had any of the above yet! Whew!

Oh c**p now im itching just thinking about it. lol! Good luck though you are a better person than me cause id get another job! lol

Answer 4

i would call the health dept. not unless you work for them. they will tell you how to make your life easier. but the best the for the bugs on clothes is drop your clothes at the door and put in a garage bag go directly to the washer use hot water when you can. wash the rest how you can then dry them on high. i guess you should wear clothes that you can wash in hot water.  for the itching take bendryl and if you continue i would seek med. help.

for your furniture and bedroom i would spray it regular with lice spray and bomb the rest of the house .oh wash your hair with lice shampoo ever few days when uncertain.

i hope that help you good luck