Scabies is invisible but it itches (badly). Unfortunately you can easily pick this unseen mite up in an Air BnB which is not professionally cleaned. Scabies can be on the carpet, the cushions – or on the bed sheets – if they have not been hot-washed and hot-dried. How can you avoid scabies? And what can you do, if you have it?
THE GUARDIAN REPORTED A UK SCABIES EPIDEMIC IN JANUARY 2026 that is worth reading if you want an update on the scratching and itching curse that is being traced back to some Air BnB homes.
“The Sudden Rise of Scabies” The Guardian called it. Cases have doubled. But – scabies has been around for centuries. It was first reported by the Romans.
Cushion and Sexually Transmitted
Scabies is sexually transmitted as well as cushion-transmitted. Close skin contact will do it.
Air BnB owners who don’t have professional cleaners, use cold water washing, ship guests into rooms within 24 hours of each other, don’t dry-clean scatter cushions or vaccum the carpet – are part of the problem.
So are uni students in communal housing, who backpack. And damp, cold places can make transmission easier, according to Nature.
Scabies mites have been shown to survive much longer outside humans (up to 19 days) in cool and humid environments – compared to standard indoor conditions.
More usually they die after three days, without a human host (which is why some people will actually evacuate their homes and book caravans to try and recover).
Unfortunately this literally spreads the problem in caravan parks.
Itchy Bumps and Thin Lines
Itchy bumps and thin lines on the skin are a sure sign. So is far worse itching at night. Look between your fingers and toes for bumps.
Organise a telehealth consult with a doctor as soon as you suspect you have it. Ask for Ivermectin pills. If you get them, you’ll be given two doses to take one week apart.
Ivermectin pills are recommended by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners who have wide experience with epidemics in the bush.
Benzyl Benzoate
Use Benzyl Benzoate liquid or cream on your skin (all over) in addition to Ivermectin, if you can get it (unfortunately it is not available in all countries).
Benzyl Benzoate was used successfully during the Second World War in army camps.
Dermatologists say Benzyl Benzoate is more effective than anything else on your skin.
Chemists still suggest and sell Permethrin cream (Lyclear is one brand) but dermatologists say, scabies can be resistant to it.
Benzyl Benzoate and How To Get It
So where do you buy Benzyl Benzoate?
In the UK look for it at Amazon, on eBay and HD Chemicals. In Ireland you can buy it as the Ovelle brand. It’s applied after a warm bath or shower, on dry skin (wash the towel immediately and hot-dry it). Leave the Benzyl Benzoate to dry on for 24 hours under clothes.
Buy Benzyl Benzoate for Scabies in Australia
If your chemist does not stock Benzemul Lotion find it on eBay at its 25% formula.
You can also buy it at specialist pharmacy in Victoria.
Benzyl Benzoate formula can also be bought undiluted from Oz Vials and other lab suppliers, at 99% strength. Ask your pharmacist about diluting it.
How Australia Deals With Scabies
This South Australian government fact sheet has all the information you need about Benzyl Benzoate application and also apartment/house management.
Benzyl Benzoate in the US
As with the UK, you can buy Benzyl Benzoate on Amazon and eBay or at Geo Liquids and Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Up to 90% of Scabies Cases Cured
Cure rates typically ranging from 87% to over 90% in studies.
It is most effective when used as a 25% emulsion (cream or liquid) applied over multiple days.
Research from Frontiers indicates that it’s as effective as Ivermectin.
When Permethrin Fails
A 2024 Dermatology Advisor report found that 25% benzyl benzoate demonstrated an 87% cure rate, while 5% permethrin cream had only a 27% cure rate.
In a study from Wiley Online Library, the clinical cure rate for scabies was 91.5% at 28 days and remained strong at 82% after 12 weeks.
It’s Irritating…
Benzyl Benzoate can cause skin irritation, though. Some studies indicate that 24% to 43% of patients may experience a temporary burning or stinging sensation upon application.
It is generally recommended to be applied daily, often for three consecutive days and some experts recommend applying it night and morning over three days.
Avoiding Scabies in Air BnB
Established hotels are well aware of the risks of an outbreak and hot-wash and hot-dry bed linen and thoroughly vacuum carpets. Cleaners wear gloves.
The Scabies mites die in a hot wash of 50-60C for over ten minutes and a drier kept at the same temperature, for 30 minutes.
Amateur Hosts
Amateur Air BnB hosts who are cutting costs, or who don’t clean professionally can expose you to the invisible mites, especially if the last person who stayed was a carrier from an outbreak country like the UK.
“I did nothing but stay at home for months and I go to an Airbnb that wasn’t pristine for 18 hours,” says one sufferer, “and now have a parasite living in my body that spreads through shared skin contact and sheets. Yeah, I didn’t see the bugs crawl into my body at the damn cabin but where else would I have gotten it?”
Book an Air BnB With a Drier
One way to prevent scabies is to strip the bed on arrival at your Air BnB (and only book a place with a drier).
Even if the bed linen looks clean, hot-dry it for 30 minutes. The same, with towels.
Pack a big green garbage bag.
Scoop up all the scatter cushions on the bed and on the sofa and stash them in the wardrobe in the bag and tie it.
Sleep the Other Way Round
Scabies can also live on upholstered bedheads. If your host isn’t steam cleaning that bedhead or wiping down a hard bedhead – the mites may linger from the last guest. Sleep the other way round in bed.
If you can’t be sure your host vacuumed the mattress since the last person, do it yourself (be sure to book a place with a vacuum cleaner).
Or, buy a plastic mattress protector and travel with it.
Wear flip-flops or thongs if your Air BnB has carpet if you can’t be sure your host will have had the place steam-cleaned (steam kills the mites).
It’s Not Bedbugs
Bedbugs look like black specks and can be seen. Scabies is invisible. Yet it is agony to people unlucky enough to pick it up.
“It was hell,” an unlucky Guardian reader comments. “My mental health was in the pan, the scratching, the itching drives you insane, and the cleaning and laundry, and you feel you can’t talk to anybody …” She apologises, fearing she might sound crazed. “It affected our lives so horrendously, I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”
