Ugh - threadworms! How mad on the cleaning do I need to go?

[dododoing]

DD1 hasn't been able to get to sleep this evening, saying her bottom hurts. Have just checked and found threadworms wriggling around. This is the first time we've had them, but I've been paranoid about it in the past so I had Pripsen in the house. So, she's had a dose, some nurofen for the itching, nappy cream on her bum, but now I've found this link:

NHS Choices

And I doubt I'll be able to keep up with that level of cleaning much past the weekend - do I really have to do all that for two weeks?!

Or would a good spring clean this weekend followed by religious handwashing for a couple of weeks do? (we're already pretty good about the handwashing!)

We had a bout of this a couple of months ago. I completely blitzed the house (including shampooing the carpets). After that I just went mad on hand washing and first thing in the morning bottom washing for a few weeks. I think they've gone. DD certainly hasn't been up in the night again.

The carpets too! Aargh. I hadn't even thought about that.

The main thing is bedding and underwear (and pjs) must be washed at a minimum of 60 degrees for at least 4 weeks to break the cycle. And hand washing hand washing hand washing!! - preferably with a nail brush and anti bacterial wash!

Unless the kids are regularly sitting around naked on the floor, why would you need to do the carpets?

Can you see the worms?

Sorry, that wasn't very clear. I meant can you see them in the bed, on the floor etc?

When DD had it several months ago, I got medicine from the doctor. I hoovered her bedroom and the lounge. I washed her bedding.

That was it. They didn't come back.

I did tell XH that he had to wash everything three times and wash his carpets

I haven't looked in the bed - she was wearing pants & shorts, and when we took those off, they were wriggling just around outside her bum hole. Lovely Friday evening treat!

I'm sure I've read that the eggs kind of float around microscopically and get into house dust, hence the wet wiping down every surface kind of antics, but I'm not filled with enthusiasm at the prospect! Was looking forward to a relaxing weekend (DH has been away all week, back tomorrow). I have just cut her nails really short, and before she went to sleep said the first thing she needs to do in the morning is wash her hands. Hadn't thought about bottom washing either, but that makes sense.

Okay, so will go to town on the hoovering, wash down every hard surface, bung all the bedding/towels, etc. in at 60 and go manic on the handwashing. And I guess treat everyone else in the family.

DoDo that sounds like a plan. That 6 weeks of manic stuff sounds like a nightmare!

I just don't see how, even if there is one on the bookshelf, it's going to be a problem - she's not going to climb up and sit on there is she?

What do they 'do' if they 'escape'?

skye - love what you told your EX - you should have told him the whole 6 week routine though

My friends DD (8 years old) has an itchy bottom atm (day and night, mostly when sitting still - but that could be lack of distraction), my friend hasn't seen any worms or evidence of any. Her DD doesn't have a sore bottom. She has also been 'itchy' on her arms and legs etc recently, so my friend thinks it might be some kind of reaction or allergy (GP basically told her to go away until the end of summer and if it didn't go away by then to go back?!). Her bottom doesn't hurt though?! Does it sound like worms to you?

(she has had her poo into a potty a few times too - nothing there either?!)

That doesn't sound like threadworms - for my DD this evening, it was definitely her bum that was painful, and it did look sore/red too.

From what I know, threadworms stay inside, and only come out at night to lay eggs. They make you itch, you scratch, get them under your fingernails, etc., if you don't wash your hands & then eat the eggs (which are too tiny to be seen), you've completed the cycle and they start hatching again inside you.

But the eggs can be on the bedding too, you shake the bedding, they float around, land on the bookshelf, she puts her hand on the bookshelf, sucks her thumb, and you're off again... although there's got to be some limit to how long the eggs last or we'd all have the blinking things permanently?!

I spotted DD's when she used the potty toilet as I was using the other one..... I wondered why there were strands if cotton in her poo, then realised they were moving

The doctor recommended cutting fingernails and also wearing tight leggings to bed so she couldn't it h her bottom in her sleep.

yes, wish I had told XH to deep clean his entire house :)

Tight leggings - that's another good idea. Thanks!

Hmm... The NHS cleaning regime seems to me to be pretty much standard cleaning you would normally do anyway.

Nothing about washing carpets, just vacuuming as usual.

Apart from keeping fingernails short it may help to rub each time hands are washed fingernails in a bar of soap so soap sits between fingernails and skin. This would discourage finger/thumb sucking and gives nice clean fingernails (this also works well in any other situations where fingernails may be dirty eg gardening, playing outside). Does your dc play a lot in a sand pit? My DM always told us that many kids got threadworms through infected sand - not sure if this is true???

Two weeks will be gone in no time and it will all be past you.

dd1 had them (I think) once, and a friend's ds had them while we were all on holiday together. This is what we did both times:

change all bedding, underwear, etc and wash. Don't forget to wash teddies etc, or if not washable bag up and leave for at least 3 weeks so eggs die.
Cut nails short.
Everyone dosed with Ovex or Pripsen, and repeat without fail two weeks later (personally, I repeat after a week, then after two weeks, then after three weeks if in any doubt ).
Hoover bedrooms and all play areas, damp dust bedrooms and clean bathrooms including door handles. Repeat a week later if you have the energy.
Everyone sleep in pants and PJs, and change them daily along with bathtowels until medicine has taken effect (3-4 days). During this time also clean loo and around loo/taps/doorhandles/lightswitch in bathroom daily.
I would keep up the pants/PJs (or leggings) for at least two weeks.

my dd also had them about 3 years ago.....I blitzed my entire house - it had never been as clean and never has since! took two doses of ovex and used anti bacterial wipes on every surface all the time for about a week - door handles, light switches. cupboard doors etc. They have never come back.