Poison Ivy!

[marchemmes]

So I've got the poison ivy on my trousers, shoes, drawers, etc. Does anyone have advice on the best way to clean the kit of this itchy stuff without damaging any clothing? By the way, my local dry cleaner says he doesn't want to deal with poison ivy.

Thank You-

[Garrett Silliman]

Re: Poison Ivy!

Bummer. Didn't know they had PI in Colorado.

One non-period method that you can use to clean it out of your clothes is Tecnu Brand soap. You can find it in any CVS/Walgreens etc in the skin care section. You can wash your clothes by hand and add this stuff to the wash water or directly to the clothes.

For period remedies - lye soap is brutal on the skin but as a result it is also very good at removing PI oils and drying out your infected areas.

Good luck,

[lukegilly13]

Re: Poison Ivy!

I second the Lye Soap thing. Be careful though....a lot of souvenier shops are selling a very mild version. I'd shoot for the good ol stuff if you can find it.

[erik]

Re: Poison Ivy!

During my service, I was always convinced that the Department of National Defence grew this as a cash crop as there was so much around the training areas. Some people actually contracted rashes by using sleeping bags in the winter if they were improperly cleaned.
The NBCDpeople, the bugs and gas guys, in the regiment developed a method that seemed to work well when the contamination was fresh. They used decontamination mitts to "blot, rub and bang" the suspect areas. The mitt was a cotton bag with Fullers earth. It would absorb the oily problem. This is especially good on boots and cuffs of trousers and prevents transfers when taking your boots off. I am not certain of its effectiveness on dried or long term contamination. Whatever you do, do not burn the used bags as the contaminant can be air borne and attack your breathing passages. I saw an instance of this when there was a range fire and it was quite serious.
As always the best solution is recognizing the hazard before rolling in it. Hindsight is of course....
If you try the Fullers earth use a lioght cotton square like a handkerchief. The Fullers earth will leave a rsidue which can be brushed off (not with your hands).
A simple solution that may work in your predicament.

Erik Simundson.

[MarkTK36thIL]

Re: Poison Ivy!

Out of curiosity, does anyone else seem to be immune from it? I've never caught it for some reason, and I know it's not from being careful.

[claynpendleton]

Re: Poison Ivy!

Marc,
Try this stuff out:

http://store.mosoap.com/lyesoap.html

Looks like it would be good stuff, no modern perfumes and junk.
-Clay

[Andrew Kasmar]

Re: Poison Ivy!

Mark Krausz

Out of curiosity, does anyone else seem to be immune from it? I've never caught it for some reason, and I know it's not from being careful.

Hi,

I have slept, walked, and fought through poison ivy, and have never had. I guess I am just lucky.:D

[tenfed1861]

Re: Poison Ivy!

Keep it up John.I use to never get it,but now I get it bad...

A modern method is actually to spray it down with Febreze.It will dry all the oils out and should make it safe to wear.The school nurse told me this and it seems to work.Only problem is you need to re-funk your gear.But wearing it for one day will do the trick.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Poison Ivy!

Hallo!

"Poison Ivy" rash is a form of dermatitis caused by urushiol that is actually an allergic reaction.

As with any allergen, different folks are allergic to degrees while others are not at all.

My father is immune, and used to show off by grabbing plants and crushing and rubbing them between his hands with no effects.
My mother is allergic, and gets "poison ivy" by just being downwind of plants with no physical contact (the wind carries the urushiol). She needs to get shots in the Spring.

I am also "non-allergic." My wife is not. Last year I was building trenches and carrying logs with dead poison ivy vines on them. I washed and scrubbed myself four times before going home.
The next morning, my wife had large spotches on her arms and chest- not by my touching her, just sleeping next to her in bed.

My wife's brother is allergic to the point of be downwind affected, and used to get the shots from the doctor.

My parents' neighbor was hospitalized for a month once after burning dead trees covered with dead vines and breathing in the woodsmoke containing urushiol.

And, as with other allergies, they may come and go, and change over the course of one's life. One of these days my father's bio-chemistry is going to shift and he will be sorry for showing off.

At any rate, what actual and home-remedies for eliminating or reducing urushiol may work for one lad but not the next as any remaining oil may be enough to produce a case of urushoil dermatitis.

IMHO, if one is allergic, or hyper-allergenic, and plays in areas where poison ivy abounds- think about the shots....

Curt

[DougCooper]

Re: Poison Ivy!

The mother of all Poison Ivy threads is here...and Curt caps it well. This stuff just kills me. As a child I never got it, despite many exposures. As I get older, I always get it and its always worse every time. I would get it even if I wore a diving suit out there.

Checkin' out the shots. Thanks Curt!

[Lone Guard]

Re: Poison Ivy!

Marc,

Nice meeting you this past weekend, glad to see you made it back safe and sound. Sorry you got the Ivy, I think we all just about did. Personally, I don't have much of a problem with it, but I found this:

From the Missouri Department of Conservation:

Washing clothes with ordinary laundry soap will remove urushiol. Tell those doing your laundry that you may have encountered poison ivy. If you are washing clothes for someone who has been outdoors, handle the clothes with another clean cloth to avoid direct contact with your skin.

This is under the section titled, "Avoiding Irritating Plants".

Bummer. Didn't know they had PI in Colorado.

PI can be found almost everywhere in the USA except for the harsh southwestern deserts... YAY!
However, Marc and I just came from Missouri, where the supply of PI greatly out numbers the demand.

[D.W. Scalf]

Re: Poison Ivy!

From what I've been told and read, some people are highly allergic to poison oak/ivy, others less so, even to the extent of thinking it will never affect them. But don't be fooled, continued exposure weakens this "immunity".

I also knew a fellow that burned a lot of poison oak vines and leaves. Inhaling some of the smoke terribly damaged his lungs. He later died from the lasting complications. His son is now my dentist. Now I know a Dentist is not the same as an MD, but he told me most of the above info. So I wouldn't go around rubbing it on myself just to prove that I can.

D.W.(Trace) Scalf

[marchemmes]

Re: Poison Ivy!

Thanks all for the input. I'm tempted to give the lye soap a try if I can get ahold of it.

Martin- It was good to meet you as well and look forward to some possible events for the boys out here in the far-west.

Thanks-

[David Fox]

Re: Poison Ivy!

My solution is simple: what a dry cleaner doesn't know....

[Secechsoldier]

Re: Poison Ivy!

Hi,

I get ever dang time I head out to an event, around the leg's and arm's and neck!

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