Check Your Whole Body for Ticks, Shower Within 2 Hours
CDC says to check your whole body for ticks after being in areas that may have them, including your own backyard: under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, in and around the hair, between the legs and around the waist. CDC also says showering within 2 hours of coming indoors has been shown to reduce your risk of getting Lyme disease and may reduce the risk of other tickborne diseases.
CDC says reducing exposure to ticks is the best defense against tickborne diseases; you can run into ticks year-round, but they are most active from April to September. This article follows CDC’s page on preventing tick bites: what to do before you go out and after you come in, and how to cut down on ticks around your home. Health situations differ, so ask your health care provider if you have questions.
Before you go outdoors
CDC explains (CDC Preventing Tick Bites):
- Know where ticks are: ticks live in grassy, brushy or wooded areas and on animals; walking dogs, camping, gardening and hunting can bring you into contact with them, and you can pick them up in your own yard or neighborhood.
- Treat clothing with permethrin: treat boots, clothing and camping gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin, which stays protective through several washings; you can also buy pre-treated clothing and gear.
- Avoid ticks: stay out of wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter, and walk in the center of trails.
- Use EPA-registered repellents: look for DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD) or 2-undecanone, with an EPA registration number on the label; used as directed, they are proven safe and effective, even for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
- Under 3: do not use products containing OLE or PMD on children under 3.
- Sunscreen first, then repellent: if you use both, apply sunscreen first and insect repellent second.
After you come indoors
- Check your clothing: remove any ticks you find; tumble dry dry clothes on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks, and damp clothes may need longer; if clothes need washing first, use hot water, since cold and medium-temperature water won’t kill ticks.
- Check gear and pets: ticks can ride in on clothing, coats, daypacks and pets, then attach to a person later.
- Shower within 2 hours: showering within 2 hours of coming indoors has been shown to reduce your risk of getting Lyme disease and may reduce the risk of other tickborne diseases; it can wash off unattached ticks and is a good time for a tick check.
- Full-body check: use a hand-held or full-length mirror to check yourself and your children under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, in and around the hair, between the legs and around the waist.
Around your home
- Pesticides: they can reduce ticks in treated areas of your yard, but don’t rely on spraying to reduce your risk of infection; follow label instructions, and before spraying, check with local health or agricultural officials about timing, the type of pesticide and rules for residential use.
- Yard work: CDC lists ways to reduce blacklegged ticks: remove leaf litter; clear tall grass and brush around homes and at lawn edges; place a 3-foot-wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas; mow often; stack firewood neatly in a dry area; keep playground equipment, decks and patios away from yard edges and trees; use fencing to keep out deer, raccoons and stray dogs; and remove old furniture, mattresses and trash where ticks can hide.
For where to go when you’re sick, see ERs Can't Refuse the Uninsured, Ask for Self-Pay Estimates; for choosing a primary doctor, see Pick a Primary Doctor First, HMOs Usually Need Referrals.
What this article doesn’t cover
- What to do after a bite: how to remove a tick and when to see a doctor are on a separate CDC page that this article didn’t review.
- Where ticks are most common: this article didn’t look into tick species and diseases by region.
- Tick protection for pets: the page only says to check pets, so this article doesn’t recommend pet products.
FAQ
I only spend time in my own backyard. Do I still need to check?
Yes. CDC says to do a full-body check after being in areas that may have ticks, including your own backyard.
Do I have to shower within 2 hours?
CDC says showering within 2 hours of coming indoors has been shown to reduce your risk of getting Lyme disease and may reduce the risk of other tickborne diseases.
Can children use insect repellent?
CDC says to follow product instructions, and not to use products containing OLE or PMD on children under 3.
Does washing clothes kill ticks?
CDC says cold and medium-temperature water won’t kill ticks; wash in hot water, or tumble dry dry clothes on high heat for 10 minutes.
Sources and date checked
All checked on 2026-11-01.
- CDC, Preventing Tick Bites (page updated 2024-08-28):https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/prevention/index.html