Check your body and clothes as soon as you come inside
A tick check means looking over your skin and clothes for ticks after you have been outside in grassy, wooded, or brushy areas. Ticks are small parasites that attach to your skin to feed on blood. The sooner you find and remove a tick, the lower your risk of infection from tick-borne illness. Most ticks that transmit disease need to be attached for at least 24 hours, so a same-day check can make a real difference.
Start your check while you are still dressed. Look over your clothes, especially seams, waistbands, and the cuffs of your pants and sleeves. Ticks often crawl upward and get caught in fabric folds. If you find a tick on your clothes, pick it off and flush it down the toilet or seal it in a plastic bag before throwing it away. Do not crush it with your bare hands.
After you have checked your clothes, take a shower and do a full skin check. Ticks are easier to spot on bare skin. Pay special attention to warm, moist areas where ticks prefer to attach: behind your ears, your hairline, the back of your neck, your armpits, your groin, and behind your knees. Use a mirror or ask someone else to check the back of your head and neck if you cannot see those spots yourself.
Key Takeaways
- Check your clothes for ticks before you shower, looking especially at seams, waistbands, and cuffs where ticks get caught.
- Ticks attach most often in warm, moist areas like your armpits, groin, behind your ears, and the back of your neck.
- Removing a tick within 24 hours of attachment significantly reduces your risk of infection from tick-borne illness.
- Use tweezers to grasp the tick as close to your skin as possible and pull straight out, then clean the area with soap and water.
- Wash your clothes in hot water and dry them on high heat to kill any ticks you may have missed.
How to remove a tick safely
If you find a tick attached to your skin, remove it as soon as possible. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to your skin as you can get — aim for the head or mouth parts, not the body. Pull straight upward with steady, even pressure. Do not twist, jerk, or squeeze the tick's body, because this can cause the tick to release infected fluid into your skin or leave mouth parts behind.
After you remove the tick, clean the bite area with soap and water, or with rubbing alcohol or an antiseptic wipe. Wash your hands afterward. Do not apply nail polish, petroleum jelly, heat, or other substances to try to make the tick back out on its own — these methods do not work and waste time. If you cannot remove the tick or if the mouth parts break off and stay in your skin, see a doctor or nurse.
Save the tick if you can. Place it in a sealed plastic bag or container with a damp paper towel. Write the date you removed it on the bag. If you develop a rash or fever in the following weeks, you can show the tick to a doctor, who may be able to identify what species it is and what diseases it might carry. Some areas have tick testing services, though not all do.
Wash and dry your clothes on high heat
Ticks can survive a regular wash cycle. After a day outdoors, put your clothes directly into the washing machine without shaking them out first — shaking can scatter ticks around your home. Wash them in hot water if the fabric allows, or warm water if the label says hot will damage them. The temperature matters less than the drying step.
Dry your clothes on the highest heat setting your dryer allows for at least 10 minutes. Heat kills ticks at any stage of their life cycle. If your clothes cannot go in the dryer, seal them in a plastic bag for at least two weeks — ticks cannot survive that long without a host. Alternatively, you can take them to a dry cleaner and ask them to use high heat.
Check your pets and gear
If you have a dog or cat, check them for ticks too, especially if they were outside with you. Run your hands over their entire body, parting the fur to look at the skin underneath. Pay attention to their ears, neck, armpits, and the area between their back legs. If you find a tick on a pet, remove it the same way you would from a person — with tweezers, grasping close to the skin and pulling straight out. Your veterinarian can recommend tick prevention products for your pet.
Check your backpack, tent, sleeping bag, and any other gear that touched the ground or brushy vegetation. Ticks can hide in seams and fabric folds. Wipe down hard surfaces with a damp cloth. For fabric items, seal them in a plastic bag for two weeks or wash and dry them on high heat.
Know which areas have higher tick risk
Ticks are found throughout the United States, but some regions have higher populations of certain tick species. The Northeast and upper Midwest have large populations of deer ticks, which carry Lyme disease. The South and Southeast have lone star ticks and American dog ticks. The West has Rocky Mountain wood ticks and Pacific coast ticks. Tick season typically runs from spring through fall, though ticks can be active year-round in warmer climates.
If you live in or are visiting an area known for ticks, take prevention steps before you go outside. Wear long pants tucked into your socks, long sleeves, and closed-toe shoes. Stay on marked trails and avoid walking through tall grass or dense brush. Use an insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, or permethrin on your skin and clothes according to the product label. Permethrin should only be applied to clothing and gear, not directly to skin.
When to see a doctor about a tick bite
Most tick bites cause no serious problems. The bite area may itch or feel slightly irritated, but this usually goes away on its own within a few days. However, see a doctor if you develop a rash, fever, headache, muscle aches, or joint pain in the weeks after a tick bite, especially if you were bitten in an area known for Lyme disease or other tick-borne illness. Bring the tick with you if you saved it.
Also see a doctor if you cannot remove the tick completely, if the bite area becomes infected (showing signs like increasing redness, warmth, pus, or swelling), or if you are pregnant or immunocompromised and were bitten by a tick. Some doctors may recommend preventive treatment after a tick bite in high-risk areas, depending on the type of tick and how long it was attached.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a tick have to be attached to spread disease?
Most tick-borne diseases require the tick to be attached for at least 24 hours, though some can transmit infection faster. Lyme disease typically needs 36 to 48 hours of attachment. Removing a tick within 24 hours significantly lowers your infection risk, which is why a prompt check after being outdoors matters.
What if I find a tick that is not attached to my skin?
If you find a tick crawling on your skin or clothes but not yet attached, pick it off with tweezers or a piece of tape and dispose of it. Flush it down the toilet or seal it in a plastic bag. An unattached tick has not yet fed, so there is no need to save it or worry about infection.
Can I get Lyme disease from a tick bite if I remove the tick right away?
Your risk drops significantly if you remove the tick within 24 hours, but it is not zero. The best protection is prevention — wearing protective clothing, using repellent, and checking yourself thoroughly after being outdoors. If you develop symptoms like a rash or fever weeks later, tell your doctor when and where you were bitten.
Do I need to see a doctor just because I found a tick on me?
No. A tick bite alone does not require a doctor visit. You only need to see a doctor if you develop symptoms like a rash, fever, or body aches in the following weeks, or if you cannot remove the tick completely. Most tick bites cause no illness at all.
What should I do with the tick after I remove it?
Flush it down the toilet, seal it in a plastic bag and throw it away, or place it in rubbing alcohol. Do not crush it with your bare hands. If you want to save it for identification, place it in a sealed container with a damp paper towel and write the date on it. Some areas offer tick testing services if you develop symptoms later.