Parasites, such as scabies, fleas, lice and ticks, cannot live without a host to feed upon. Cotton parasites are nematodes that act as an insecticide in the fields; however, when cotton is not properly sterilized, these nematodes can live in the fibers well after the cotton is made into clothing. It is important to get rid of these parasites immediately before they cause serious damage, and to see your doctor to make sure they haven't caused you any serious problems. But regardless of what your doctor says, the parasites must be removed from your clothing as a first step to becoming well.

Remove one rack from the oven and place the other rack on the next to lowest or lowest level. Fill the small bowl with water and place it on the next to lowest level.

Put a few articles of clothing into the paper bag, roll the top down and staple shut. Perform this step while the oven is preheating to 250 degrees.

Repeat step 2 until all infested clothing is in paper bags. Separate clothing by article; for example, all shirts in a bag, all pants in a bag, all underclothing in a bag. Each category may have several bags, but this should make washing them a bit more organized.

Bake the bags one at a time for 13 hours each, checking every few hours to make sure they are not becoming singed. The water at the bottom of the oven prevents the bags from becoming overly dry and singeing. Check the water and refill as needed.

Wash and dry the clothes as usual to remove dead parasites.

Take a hot shower, as hot as you can stand it. This will rinse off some of the parasites, and open your pores to ready your body for treatment.

Dry off thoroughly. Apply the scabies topical cream as directed on the label.

Dress in sterilized and washed clothing.