Poison Ivy question

DH - who rarely gets it because I do most of the weeding - once handled some PI and then went indoors for a whiz without washing his hands first. Yeah.

And he wouldn't let me look, either, even though I love gross stuff! Something about not wanting me to get "bad images" in my head, or something like that.

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"I'm not mean. You're just a sissy." - Happy Bunny

"I think you should be able to flush anything you want. Just don't call me when your toilet clogs." - BlueHeron Farm

Ah yes. Swinging on a wild grape vine across the creek, wrap legs around tree and slide down and run back so you can do it again. Beautiful weather, the kind that makes you and your friends want to play in nothing but cut offs and sneakers. blisters everywhere. The communal bowl of calamine lotion and the wash cloth applicator. I learned two lessons that spring: some 'natural male enhancement' is best avoided and calamine lotion on certain 'natural male enhancement' should be avoided at all costs. Sometimes nothing stops the burn.

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"Only the rocks [and really embarassing moments] live forever"

"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands..." tick-tick-tick

about the time i was born, my dad got poison ivy on his hands. unlike my 3 older siblings, i was bottle fed instead of breast fed. i'll let you do the math.

--sgl

Zanfel($40) is a brand name that works for me 100% immediately if I use it at the first sign of rash or itch. I tried a CVS look alike generic product which cost $20 and it did not work well despite the fact that the ingredients looked similar.

Thanks all. LOL, I did the Grey's Anatomy thing when I was about 15...

There is a great web site all about Poison Ivy and remedies, just google. For the post about the bleach - please folks don't do that one, bleach is a possible carcinogenic and your skin really sucks bad stuff in. Yeah I know, Grandma always did it but her grandma probably put lotion on her face with lead in it and just because stuff is familiar doesn't make it innoccuous. Just passing on the words that I hear often from the resident chemist!

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Thanks to being severly allergic, and our property having the BIGGEST PI vines I've ever seen, I've done quite a bit of research on Poison Ivy. PI's toxin is urushiol. This is also the toxin in poison oak and poison sumac.

Urushiol causes contact dermatitis, and the effect is cumulative. This means that you cannot build up an immunity to the plant..it's just the opposite. You may not be allergic now, but after more exposure you may become so.

Rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle is the best thing I've found for neutralizing urushiol. This works; I know from exerience. It will neutralize the oil on clothes and fabrics as well as skin.

Special soaps are a waste of money. It is the water that dilutes the urushiol. Just plain soap and water will do to wash skin and clothing.

http://www.howstuffworks.com/framed....s/796_ivy.html

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Oh, yes I did, and that's why I refuse to squat and go in the bushes when we're working outside instead of heading to the house everytime!! LOL!! Plus I wash my hands thoroughly BEFORE I go. I am terrified of having that happen to me....

Pam <---------------- thinks belly button is close enough, thank you very much!

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My Dad always told me, "Honey, you can do anything you put your mind to." He was right.

Just spent an hour today treating PI vines with a mix of weed killers. Am exteremly sensitive to it as well.

Wear coveralls and double glove when working outside.Pull on boots are also a must. Don't touch exposed skin (face,neck).What's bad about the urushiol is that it can remain active for years.
A tool "infected" last year can cause an outbreak next year, all you need do is touch it.

Consider all mowers, hand tools, etc. to be contaminated and handle them accordingly