Lice - the baneof my life! Well it used to be!

I stopped buying all the chemicals when I read a Government website (sorry can't remember which one now, I think a NSW or Queensland one). 

Lice cannot breathe and are paralysed with conditioner for 20 minutes! 

So when my girls becane itchy, or we received the note that it was going around the school ... Into the bath, slather on cheap conditioner (the lice do not care how much or little you pay) and out comes the trusty cheap comb, with toilet paper to wipe it on.  Time is the most important thing here, just keep combing the little buggers out, upwards, downwards, anyway you think to find their hiding spots.,  When finally no more land on the toilet paper - you are free until tomorrow.  Repeat!
Then I wait for five days - if any I have found that are tiny (they have hatched from my children, removed, but not old enough to breed or spread).  Any that are obviously adult and huge - my child has been re-infected by another child.

I am not too proud to notify the school that lice is rampant.  If no one notifys the school / child care office, then how can they send out notes?  Lots of notes, may encourage ALL parents to treat their children.

Washing bed linen / hats etc. does NOT kill the lice.  They live on humans and spread human to human.  They cannot survive without us, not even the family dog  / cat is good enough.  If you are really convinced it is the hairbrush - buy two and swap them week about in a zip lock bag.  Lice cannot survive without food (human blood / oxygen) so you are environmentally not spreading them.  Washing the sheets in hot water just increases your energy bill and does not stop you child's best friend from leaning over in class to give a hug and re-investing!

Persistence is the key - lots of cheap condidtioner - no chemical treatments - just good old elbow grease.