Can scabies live in shoes & How to Kill Them

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Scabies is not a nice skin rash to have to deal with. You are dealing with both irritated skin and mites that are causing the problem. Scabies is very contagious, and you can get infected by scabies faster than you can imagine. But can Scabies live in shoes and clothes?

Find out all you need to know below, including how to prevent and kill the mites that cause scabies.

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What is Scabies?

So, what is Scabies? Scabies is an itchy skin rash that is caused by a tiny burrowing mite that are called Sarcoptes scabiei. Intense itching occurs in the area where these mite burrows. The need to scratch can be stronger at night.

Scabies is highly contagious and can spread quickly via close person-to-person human contact. This is especially the case in a family, child care group, schools/nurseries and even nursing homes.
Oftentimes the signs and symptoms of scabies are that you’ll get an extremely itchy rash on the bitten parts of your body.
Because scabies spreads so easily, health care providers often recommend treating the entire family or any close contacts.

Scabies signs and symptoms - red pimple like blisters on your skin

Can scabies live in shoes?

Yes, scabies can live in your shoes and even start laying eggs there. This is especially the case if you live in a humid state or country. They can also live in clothes towels,

The mites are more likely to survive in your shoes. They can live in your shoes long enough to start reproduction. Which nobody wants.

Scabies mites can easily get carried around in socks and shoes and can be transferred very quickly from an infected person. Worryingly fast actually, so be warned.

Direct skin to skin contact is the more common way to get infected but clothes and shoes can carry them.

How long can The Mites live in shoes?

Here’s the facts:

Scabies mites can live in non-living objects, like shoes, for 2-3 days.
During these 2-3 days, they can lay eggs and hatch them in your shoes or socks.
If where you live has a humidity of more than 30%, you are at a very higher risk of getting scabies in your shoes or clothes.

Scabies in Shoes

Shoes that you have been worn and kept in a dark and humid place for a day or two is quite friendly for the mites to grow and reproduce in numbers.

If you do wear shoes that are infested again without washing them, you can very much get infected by scabies.

If you do not touch the shoes, or wear them for a while, the hatched eggs (fomites) will use the shoes as a host and live up to 7 days (the average duration though is 4 days). When you eventually wear the shoes without cleaning them, you are at risk of infections to your feet and you may suffer rash Scabies rash that looks like pimple like blisters, or small red bumps.

How to kill and Get Rid of Scabies Mites

There are various effective methods to remove and kill scabies from your shoes, clothes and even your home. If you have been the carrier and brought them into your home here are six effective methods to kill scabies and get them out of your clothes and home.

1. Medical Scabies Treatment for Scabies Mites

Scabies can be easily treated with the correct Scabies treatment and medication. Medicated skin creams or pills kill the mites that cause scabies and their eggs. But itching may not stop for many weeks after treatment. You will have to be patient when trying to treat scabies.

2. Disinfectant

After returning home, disinfect yourself. You can use a disinfectant spray to spray on your shoes and even your clothes and socks. sprays such as Permethrin Clothing work great in that case. This spray can usually be used on furniture as well.

Make Sure you do spray your shoes thoroughly though to effectively decrease the chance of getting scabies anywhere close to you again. For shoes, you can also use Lyzol, bleach/borax mixed water. Cover all areas of your shoes and don’t miss a spot.

3. Good Personal Hygiene

Personal hygiene and keeping yourself and clean is of course very important. Well kept short nails short and washing your body head to toe effectively is very important. Mites love to stick to dead skin and exfoliating your body is also important to avoid scabies.

Don’t share bedding, clothes or towels with anyone!!

4. Put your clothes/laundry in a dryer

Put your clothes/laundry in a dryer for at least half an hour on really hot high heat setting. Set the temperature to at least 40°C, or 122°F. This kills the scabies mites and the eggs too. Scabies can often survive dryers, so make sure you do double-check your clothes when you take them out of the dryer.

5. Alcohol Wipes

Alcohol cleaning pads/wipes can be really useful to keep your phone, computer, smart devices, and doors handle scabies free.

6. Essential and Natural Oils

Essential oils and natural herbal oils can keep scabies away from your shoes and also kill scabies mites? Ingredients such as- Tea tree oil, Clove oil, Neem oil, Oregano oil can help you avoid getting scabies near you.

7. Freezing Your Clothes

If you live somewhere that is extremely humid, taking your shoes and clothes and putting them in a freezer kills the mites immediately.

8. Deep Clean Your Home

When it comes to your home deep cleaning is very important for your carpets and rugs. These are perfect locations for scabies mites as they can hide quite happily in these places. The ideal combination for this process is to spray some disinfectants and then use a steam cleaner to clean your rugs or carpet very thoroughly to get rid of scabies mites. The key is to be very thorough to kill the mites and get rid of a scabies infestation.

Conclusion

Scabies mites can quite happily live in your shoes for quite a few days. The scabies mite that cause scabies can also live in your clothes and in carpets and rugs. Within a short timescale they can start reproducing causing a scabies infestation so it is important to take action as quickly as possible if you think you have come into contact with scabies.

The methods above should effectively help you eradicate scabies mites. They can be difficult to get rid of but it is not difficult with good hygiene and good practices, especially if you live in a very humid environment.