# Poison ivy and firewood



## KMB (Nov 8, 2006)

I was picking up some oak rounds that a friend had left me from a tree removal. Some of the rounds had poison ivy vines on them. I pulled off the vines as best I could. I know not to burn poison ivy, but will it be okay to burn the wood that HAD poison ivy on it? For health purposes.

Kevin


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## BlueRidgeMark (Nov 8, 2006)

Hmmmmm. I'd guess that so little of the ivy would remain that it shouldn't be a problem.

But that's just my guess.


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## Haywire Haywood (Nov 8, 2006)

We just cut a bunch of Black Locust that was wrapped up in Poison Oak a few weeks ago. I still have the rash on my arm :help: . We just pulled it all off as we split it. I'm prepared for next time though with a bottle of Tecnu at my disposal. There's still about a cord of it to be cut.

Ian


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## STIHLSamantha (Nov 8, 2006)

depending on how much poison ivy is on the tree when you cut it and how much you cut of the actual plant itself will determine whether it is able to be burned. I say this because poison ivy secretes a fluid called Uroshiol. If you cut the leaves and this fluid gets on the logs, there is a possibility that you may get some Uroshiol droplets airborn when and only when you burn it. If you pull the vines off instead of cutting the tree and the vines up so that the liquid can spread on the logs, then you will have a better chance of poison ivy free wood to burn. if the wood is covered in it, i would avoid that all together, but a few vines here or there are not going to hurt anything. You also want to wear gloves whenever you handle it because the Uroshiol lingers for quite some time...even sitting in your basement for months....to me it wouldn't really be worth the hassle...i'd be more worried getting a rash on the body from the wood then inhaling dangerous fumes....that is all i have to say....hope it helped....i have to say though, i am not an expert....good luck


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## KMB (Nov 8, 2006)

STIHLSamantha said:


> depending on how much poison ivy is on the tree when you cut it and how much you cut of the actual plant itself will determine whether it is able to be burned. I say this because poison ivy secretes a fluid called Uroshiol. If you cut the leaves and this fluid gets on the logs, there is a possibility that you may get some Uroshiol droplets airborn when and only when you burn it. If you pull the vines off instead of cutting the tree and the vines up so that the liquid can spread on the logs, then you will have a better chance of poison ivy free wood to burn. if the wood is covered in it, i would avoid that all together, but a few vines here or there are not going to hurt anything. You also want to wear gloves whenever you handle it because the Uroshiol lingers for quite some time...even sitting in your basement for months....to me it wouldn't really be worth the hassle...i'd be more worried getting a rash on the body from the wood then inhaling dangerous fumes....that is all i have to say....hope it helped....i have to say though, i am not an expert....good luck



Thanks for the info. The wood was already cut up/blocked when I got to it. Between 5 to 8 rounds (can't fully recall) had very little poison ivy vine on them, and the vine had to be pulled off - not brushed off. There was some bigger rounds (obviously near the base of the tree), that had quite a bit more on them, but I left those. It has rained pretty hard on the wood the last few days, so maybe the liquid has washed off. And yes, I was wearing gloves, but in a t-shirt (I didn't let any wood touch my bare arms). Been a few days since getting the wood and no rash, I think I'm good to go. I had my first experience with poison ivy a couple of years ago...and I NEVER want to go through that again  .

Kevin


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## BlueRidgeMark (Nov 8, 2006)

The liquid is an oil, so a little rain isn't going to do much. On the other hand, I haven't seen much sap in the roots, so I suspect the only contact with the urishiol is going to be where the saw cut the vines.

Pretty small exposure, it seems to me.


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## PA. Woodsman (Nov 8, 2006)

It's amazing how LONG the oils can stay around and give you a nasty rash. Just had an episode with poison a few months ago while cutting up Cherry and Cherry Birch wood; got it on my legs pretty good. Once got it from some tree that was down a long time; guy I know warned me that poison can stick around for a long time. I thought "yeah right-this stuff is dead". Boy was I wrong!


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## laynes69 (Nov 8, 2006)

Im one of those people who would rather not wear gloves when cutting and handling wood. Last year everyother week I was taking something for poison ivy prescribed by the doctor. I had it pretty bad at times. I like to remove the vines before cutting the wood, But if not thats okay. I have burnt wood with alot of poison ivy on it, some of the vines around 3 inches in diameter. As far as a health concern, We havent had any. Then again we have no neighbors to worry about. Unless your burning pure poison ivy vines, I woudn't worry about it. I will say though, if anyone is very allergic to it, then dont burn it. I know people who are so bad, they look at it and get it. Sometimes its not a good feeling.


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## Haywire Haywood (Nov 8, 2006)

If you are allergic to it and breathe the smoke from burning vines, it can result in a hospital stay. I have heard of it actually causing death in extreme cases. Imagine having weeping sores in your lungs... ACK!

Ian


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## MS-310 (Nov 9, 2006)

I was just going to start a thread about this....

I was cutting some "bass" wood up in town for a guy cuz the tree fell down on his house. It had LOTS OF IVY on it, first I have never had the stuff before so I never worried about it un till now. I have it in my mouth, eyes and all over my body, I dont know how I got it in my mouth but it is there, had to go to the e-room becuz I started to not breath well and my eye was shut. So im on lots of drugs but im feeling better, whats the best way to prevent this again, (i know stay away) . I hate that stuff now. I have been in the woods when I was 2 to 3 years old with my dad and y now do I have a problem with this Ivy its bull.


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## smokechase II (Nov 9, 2006)

*poison*

*STIHLSamantha* is right on.

*MS-310* if you cut through that stuff with your saw you could have got a small amount of pitch in your mouth. Say you were not wearing a face shield and you spit out a chip of wood that was .....

The other mechanism that works against us is once you get it in your body, it circulates and rashes appear where the skin is irritated. Say at the elastic on your underwear or where your pants are too tight or in arm pits pf people that dig fireline. Even though that part of your body has not come in contact with external Uroshiol exposure.
If you go to: *http://paipm.cas.psu.edu/pivy.html* they state at #4 that this is a myth. I had extensive experience myself treating poison oak in fire camps, many hundreds of poor saps, and also myself. I do not believe this to be a myth.

I do not recall any mouth reactions to poison oak etc. except for when I was at Oregon State University in the dendro class. Some students would taste and smell just about everything. Including winter stems that did not have leaves for easy ident. 
Bad - not good.


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## MS-310 (Nov 9, 2006)

My doctor even said it can be in the blood stream, he said that is y I have it all over my feet and legs and freaking every where.


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## JUDGE1162 (Nov 9, 2006)

I would not burn it in an open fireplace, but in an air tight stove you should be fine, it it season, time will help degrade the wood (UV light will destroy most things over time, and as it seasons the bark should fall off or at least loosen so you can pull it off most of the oil should be on the bark.


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## KMB (Nov 9, 2006)

JUDGE1162 said:


> I would not burn it in an open fireplace, but in an air tight stove you should be fine, it it season, time will help degrade the wood (UV light will destroy most things over time, and as it seasons the bark should fall off or at least loosen so you can pull it off most of the oil should be on the bark.



My wood is burnt in an enclosed woodburner/stove, so for my personal use I should be okay.

Kevin


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## stihl025 (Nov 9, 2006)

*Zanfel*

Not to get too far off the topic, but there is a product called Zanfel. It can be found at most larger drug store chains. It costs $40 for a 1 ounce tube but is worth its weight in gold. I am not severly allergic to poison ivy, but I will get a pretty good rash if exposed to it. You use this stuff directly on the rash and in two days, the rash is almost completely gone. I have used it with astounding success. It completely removes the urushiol oil from the skin and stops the itch in about 10 seconds of treatment. Works on Poison ivy, oak, and sumac. Just a little FYI for those still fighting the itch...


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## JUDGE1162 (Nov 9, 2006)

vinager and baking soda works great too. Much cheaper:hmm3grin2orange:


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## Forest Steward (Nov 9, 2006)

MS-310 said:


> I have been in the woods when I was 2 to 3 years old with my dad and y now do I have a problem with this Ivy its bull.




The more often you come into contact with the oil in poison ivy, the more vulnerable you become to it. That's why you can not be allergic to it when you were a kid, and break out like crazy now. Same thing happened to me. It definatley sucks.


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## joshockey (Jun 20, 2011)

sorry to hijack i too just started cutting down trees that had some poison ivy on them the vines are very small but i was concerned about burning them in my fireplace. the wood has been seasoned but every tree we have here has a vine anyone burning wood with poison ivy on them.


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## zogger (Jun 20, 2011)

*I do*



KMB said:


> I was picking up some oak rounds that a friend had left me from a tree removal. Some of the rounds had poison ivy vines on them. I pulled off the vines as best I could. I know not to burn poison ivy, but will it be okay to burn the wood that HAD poison ivy on it? For health purposes.
> 
> Kevin


I would guess around one third of the deadfall I harvest has had perzin ivory on it. I just strip the vines before cutting. I also am a fanatic about killing the stuff when I am out cutting or carrying an axe or hatchet. I chop big sections out of the vines wherever I see them, and also yank roots out if possible. You can go all over around the woods around here and see trees where I have done that for the past going on seven years now, freaking hundreds. maybe more, there's a lot less then there used to be. I know the birds eat the berries in the winter and..I don't care, they can go find something else. I kill poison ivy, multiflora rose, corn buttercups, japanese privet and poke sallet. For some strange reason we don'[t have kudzu bad, else I would kill that, too. Relentless with nasty weeds. It was just over run here when I took the job and moved in. There was between fifteen and twenty years of complete total neglect on the woods and pastures.... Lot less nasty weeds now though, and most of the fencelines are in good to at least working but ugly condition.

Geez it's been a lotta work for crapola pay......

Anyway, I have always been at war with poison ivy...no quarter....when I was a kid I got it so bad every summer I had to be toted to the hospital...ever since then..total war wherever I have lived.

I don't make a habit of standing over an open wood heater and breathing the smoke either, so that negates getting any from any oils left over on the bark, and I wear gloves when working. I can get poison ivy, but know enough to avoid it most of the year/time. So I would think unless you are super hyper sensitive, it is OK to burn, just use common sense around wood smoke. I had to give up doing rural volunteer firefighting because of poison ivy, just too sensitive to it, but as long as I keep my wits about me when around it, it is hardly a problem for me anymore. And like I said, I burn a lot of wood that has had it growing on it, just the vines are stripped first.


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## Misfit138 (Jun 20, 2011)

I will never recommend anyone play with poison ivy by cutting or burning logs that have it on them. 
Once that urushiol is on something, it remains for _years_. 
If you absolutely need to mess with poison ivy-covered wood, wear a Tyvek suit and gloves. You'll save yourself a whole mess of trouble.

I am not that sensitive to it, but I have known and worked with a quite a few guys over the years who ended up in really bad shape (a couple had to be hospitalized for days) from cutting trees with it on them and one from breathing in fumes.
*Be careful.*


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## Oldtimer (Jun 20, 2011)

The oil remains "active" for at least 5 years. So even if you spray herbicide on it and it dies, 5 years later the soil can give you an outbreak.
 
I wouldn't screw with any PI covered ANYTHING, even if it was Jessica Alba sitting on a pile of hundred dollar bills and a case of wild turkey.:taped:


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## mga (Jun 20, 2011)

just dry and burn it like any other wood.

if you're still unsure, stack it up and gimme a call. i'll dispose of it for ya.


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## joshockey (Jun 20, 2011)

im not highly sensitive to it the poison sumac though, it will tear me up bad most of the wood i have has tiny vines and i figured with it stacked up and in direct sunlight uncovered id be ok with it.


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## RAMROD48 (Jun 20, 2011)

I am taking Prednizone 5 at a time right now...$4 for the script...

What its going to cost Mother Nature for being such a B****...about 30 acres of trees that i was trying to decide wether or not to cut...

I WIN.....


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## SPDRMNKY (Jun 20, 2011)

JUDGE1162 said:


> I would not burn it in an open fireplace, but in an air tight stove you should be fine, it it season, time will help degrade the wood (UV light will destroy most things over time, and as it seasons the bark should fall off or at least loosen so you can pull it off most of the oil should be on the bark.


 
that's what I do...and strip the bark if I can...or take my saw and cut a nice trench along the log to get the remnants off

on the topic of treatments once exposed...I've been using tecnu for a while, which helps remove the oils...but jewelweed actually helps relieve my symptoms and heal the rash MUCH faster...plus it stops the itching in about 30 seconds

just google "jewelweed" and check out the altnature lady's website...it is light years ahead of anything else I've tried...even the big-guns doctor stuff

I'm actually off to a jewelweed soap shower since I was into the stuff again today.

cheers!


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## howellhandmade (Jun 21, 2011)

stihl025 said:


> Not to get too far off the topic, but there is a product called Zanfel. It can be found at most larger drug store chains. It costs $40 for a 1 ounce tube but is worth its weight in gold. I am not severly allergic to poison ivy, but I will get a pretty good rash if exposed to it. You use this stuff directly on the rash and in two days, the rash is almost completely gone. I have used it with astounding success. It completely removes the urushiol oil from the skin and stops the itch in about 10 seconds of treatment. Works on Poison ivy, oak, and sumac. Just a little FYI for those still fighting the itch...


 
Sigh, Zanfel has done bupkis for me. As for the wood, when I've gotten rounds that had PI on it I peeled the bark if not too hard (like locust, peels easily), or stacked it separately until the bark got loose. It's pretty rare because I won't go close to a tree that's got lots of ivy on it, the only thing that helps the reaction for me is cortisone, and I want to stay away from that too. It's true, there SHOULDN'T be much oil left behind once the vines are pulled off, and what there is SHOULD degrade if you leave the wood outside for a year or two, but if you get PI bad you become pretty shy of it. Seems that people who develop the allergy in adulthood get it the worst. Kinda like people who never got chicken pox as a kid and then catch it later. I never had PI until I was almost 40, now it damn near kills me.


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## Justsaws (Jun 21, 2011)

KMB said:


> I was picking up some oak rounds that a friend had left me from a tree removal. Some of the rounds had poison ivy vines on them. I pulled off the vines as best I could. I know not to burn poison ivy, but will it be okay to burn the wood that HAD poison ivy on it? For health purposes.
> 
> Kevin


 
I remove the bark, typically after splitting and drying. I have seen the long term after effects of PI in smoke and would not wish that on most enemies.

After PI skin exposurer I use Dawn dishwashing soap with Olay and a long cold shower, radiation exposure scrub down procedure, very effective.


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## dingeryote (Jun 21, 2011)

Oldtimer said:


> The oil remains "active" for at least 5 years. So even if you spray herbicide on it and it dies, 5 years later the soil can give you an outbreak.
> 
> I wouldn't screw with any PI covered ANYTHING, even if it was Jessica Alba sitting on a pile of hundred dollar bills and a case of wild turkey.:taped:


 

LOL!!!
You would freeze to death here!!

It's just about as evil and nasty as you describe though. 
I have one of those "Garden claw" things to peel the hairy vines off before cutting, and use Ether to decon everything afterwards.
No problem burning it once the bark gets loose and falls off. Just gotta remember to wear the gloves when dealing with those splits.

Been crawling into the stuff on a daily basis, cutting it out of the bushes lately.
No way around it, and yep, it sucks.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote


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## dingeryote (Jun 21, 2011)

Not to derail a revived thread, but has anyone heard from Blue Ridge Mark?
He was in on the first page last year, and he's been scarce for a while now?

Stay safe!
Dingeryote


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## AIM (Jun 21, 2011)

Zanfel works great for my wife. Pricey but very effective. I'm fortunate enough to no get it real easy. As long as I keep the fresh chips off exposed skin while cutting through it I'm usually OK.

Just a note: PI in your armpit is EXTRORDINARILY uncomfortable!


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## mga (Jun 21, 2011)

SPDRMNKY said:


> that's what I do...and strip the bark if I can...or take my saw and cut a nice trench along the log to get the remnants off
> 
> on the topic of treatments once exposed...I've been using tecnu for a while, which helps remove the oils...but jewelweed actually helps relieve my symptoms and heal the rash MUCH faster...plus it stops the itching in about 30 seconds
> 
> ...


 
i use jewelweed. seems to work pretty good.


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## flyboy553 (Jun 21, 2011)

I use Starter Fluid. If I catch it right away, I just spray it on the affected area and it's gone. If I am a little late and get a rash, I scratch it until it is opened up, and then spray it, and it is gone by morning. Must be the alcohol in starter fluid that does it.
Has never not worked!!

Ted


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## banshee67 (Jun 21, 2011)

with some of the rashes ive had the last few years im so paranoid about getting it anymore
i carry poison ivy scrub/wash and concentrated degreaser soap like used for washing dishes 
i wash my hands/arms/face a couple times before even getting in my truck 
then when i get home ill usually take some paper towel , run it under water, then put a little bleach on it and wipe my hands and arms right before i get in the shower 
in the shower i wash with another poison ivy scrub on my arms/hands/face/neck then normal soap
then i pray no rashes show up
nothing like having to sleep with long socks pulled over your forearms and masking tape on your neck to stop the rashes from spreading 
i love poison ivy

what do you guys use to spray tools with afterwards in case they came in contact with any?
i just know ill get it when i go to sharpen the chain i cut through a thick poison ivy vine with the other day


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## Zale (Jun 21, 2011)

I will burn it. Just need to be careful in handling he wood. A product I found to help prevent from getting the itch is Oral Ivy. The stuff is actual made from poison ivy. You put 5 drops in a glass of water and drink it down. By doing it everyday during the growing season, you build up a resistance to it. I work around PI everyday and have been very satisfied with the results


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## dingeryote (Jun 22, 2011)

banshee67 said:


> with some of the rashes ive had the last few years im so paranoid about getting it anymore
> i carry poison ivy scrub/wash and concentrated degreaser soap like used for washing dishes
> i wash my hands/arms/face a couple times before even getting in my truck
> then when i get home ill usually take some paper towel , run it under water, then put a little bleach on it and wipe my hands and arms right before i get in the shower
> ...




Nothing beats Ether for decon of equipment. Nothing. Brake cleaner might come close, but is twice the price.
Just wait for the saw to cool down. 

Plain old Purple cleaner or simple green works great for clothing. Just drop everything into a 5 Gal bucket and let it sit overnight, wring it out, and toss everything into the washing machine.
Found some new industrial degreaser at the Ag supplier the other day that works on bio-slime better than anything I have ever seen, so it should be the ticket. Havn't tried it on PI yet though.

Wood handled stuff is the worst. It never really is safe after getting slimed.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote


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## SPDRMNKY (Jun 22, 2011)

banshee67 said:


> what do you guys use to spray tools with afterwards in case they came in contact with any?
> i just know ill get it when i go to sharpen the chain i cut through a thick poison ivy vine with the other day


 
solvent or windex seems to work well...spray liberally on a rag, wipe down, throw rag away...I use solvent everywhere except inside the cab of my skidloader...there it's windex (no overpowering smell) on everything that I touched and might be cross contaminated

I am paranoid about cross contamination...never thought that military chem training would come in handy:alien2:


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## KMB (Jun 23, 2011)

I had forgotten about this thread that I started a few years ago. Good info still being shared! I haven't been into any of the nasty stuff lately, and I still haven't gotten any Jewelweed....I need to get some ordered!

Kevin


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## zogger (Jun 23, 2011)

KMB said:


> I had forgotten about this thread that I started a few years ago. Good info still being shared! I haven't been into any of the nasty stuff lately, and I still haven't gotten any Jewelweed....I need to get some ordered!
> 
> Kevin



--jewelweed grows all over here. Look in shady bogs, edges of creeks, etc. Very easy to spot, especially when it flowers. Even then the plant itself is almost iridescent, stands out readily.


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## zogger (Jun 27, 2011)

*Here's your Jewelweed*



KMB said:


> I had forgotten about this thread that I started a few years ago. Good info still being shared! I haven't been into any of the nasty stuff lately, and I still haven't gotten any Jewelweed....I need to get some ordered!
> 
> Kevin



I don't know what you mean by ordered, live plants or seeds or just the inner juice bottled up, but took a coupla pics today of some wild growing here. It is just starting to flower. One bonus pic of beefers and kity and doggies in the swamp near where the big patch of jewelweed is. 

Anyway, what are you looking for? I got no idea how to ship them and have them stay fresh. Maybe transplant some in pots, then prune heavy, then take a chance and ship them in a box? I think they'd croak. I haven't had all that much luck with saplings being shipped, let alone real delicate plants like these are. They need moist and cool and shade, you won't see them growing anyplace they get even a little sunburnt. They seem to be able to take just a teeny bit of mild sun, early or late, but I never see any growing where they get hit with mid day sun. I'll give it a whack if you want some though, maybe pack them in wet peat moss or whatever. Well, whatever dirt and stuff they are growing in now, wrapped in like brown paper bag paper then..I dunno. The saplings they ship in long tubes with the trees themselves in plastic sleeves that hold the wetness in, but half of them I ever got came croaked, either frozen during shipping or dried out hot/heat related/starting to rot..


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## Whitespider (Jun 28, 2011)

banshee67 said:


> ...nothing like having to sleep with long socks pulled over your forearms and masking tape on your neck to stop the rashes from spreading...


 
If your hands are free of the sticky, resin-like oil (urushiol), rubbing or scratching the rash will not spread poison ivy, oak or sumac to other parts of your body (or to another person). Some people get blisters, and breaking them will not spread it either (someone is gonna' argue with me, but it is a myth). The oil (urushiol) is absorbed by the skin within minutes, but the excess is easily washed off with lots of cold water (hot water may open skin pores making the rash worse) and most cleansers. The problem with urushiol is it doesn't degrade and can last with full potency on surfaces for years... surfaces like tool handles, steering wheels, watch bands and belt buckles. And now for the big kicker, when urushiol gets on your cloths, and you toss the clothes in the washer it can spread to to other cloths items. Clothes suspected of being in contact with urushiol should be washed separately, at least twice, in a strong mix of detergent and water. Understand that the amount of urushiol it would take to cover the head of a pin could give 500 people a rash from head to foot.

I get poison ivy rash several times a year, often after running the weed-eater around the edges of the grove; I normally don't get the big blisters, just a rash and a few smaller blisters. After using the weed-eater I've learned to strip outside and carry my clothes straight to the washer and wash them separately while I take a long, cool, soapy shower. I pat dry, rather than rub dry, with the towel and wash it immediately. This seems to minimize the amount and severity of the rash, which I do not treat with any medicines, creams or chemicals... takes about 2-3 weeks to go away. The "itch" isn't all that bad for me, kind'a comes and goes. The effects are different for every person; all my dad has to do is walk down wind from the stuff and he breaks out in a horrible nasty rash with blisters, while my three-year-old appears to be immune to the stuff... I've caught him rolling in it. Dad borrows my weed-eater a couple times a year because his gets left up at the lake home from time-to-time; I need to wash it with tire cleaner and plenty of water before he takes it or just the act of touching it will cause him to break out in a bad, painful rash.


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## zogger (Jun 28, 2011)

*Reaction*



Whitespider said:


> If your hands are free of the sticky, resin-like oil (urushiol), rubbing or scratching the rash will not spread poison ivy, oak or sumac to other parts of your body (or to another person). Some people get blisters, and breaking them will not spread it either (someone is gonna' argue with me, but it is a myth). The oil (urushiol) is absorbed by the skin within minutes, but the excess is easily washed off with lots of cold water (hot water may open skin pores making the rash worse) and most cleansers. The problem with urushiol is it doesn't degrade and can last with full potency on surfaces for years... surfaces like tool handles, steering wheels, watch bands and belt buckles. And now for the big kicker, when urushiol gets on your cloths, and you toss the clothes in the washer it can spread to to other cloths items. Clothes suspected of being in contact with urushiol should be washed separately, at least twice, in a strong mix of detergent and water. Understand that the amount of urushiol it would take to cover the head of a pin could give 500 people a rash from head to foot.
> 
> I get poison ivy rash several times a year, often after running the weed-eater around the edges of the grove; I normally don't get the big blisters, just a rash and a few smaller blisters. After using the weed-eater I've learned to strip outside and carry my clothes straight to the washer and wash them separately while I take a long, cool, soapy shower. I pat dry, rather than rub dry, with the towel and wash it immediately. This seems to minimize the amount and severity of the rash, which I do not treat with any medicines, creams or chemicals... takes about 2-3 weeks to go away. The "itch" isn't all that bad for me, kind'a comes and goes. The effects are different for every person; all my dad has to do is walk down wind from the stuff and he breaks out in a horrible nasty rash with blisters, while my three-year-old appears to be immune to the stuff... I've caught him rolling in it. Dad borrows my weed-eater a couple times a year because his gets left up at the lake home from time-to-time; I need to wash it with tire cleaner and plenty of water before he takes it or just the act of touching it will cause him to break out in a bad, painful rash.



Some people can experience a (sometimes quite severe) histamine reaction, which lead to that observation of it "spreading" past the oil contamination zone.


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## johnha (Jun 28, 2011)

Oldtimer said:


> I wouldn't screw with any PI covered ANYTHING, even if it was Jessica Alba sitting on a pile of hundred dollar bills and a case of wild turkey.:taped:


 
I would in general agree. Unless she were naked. The doc will call the pharmacy with a steroid scrip if I call him.


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## darkbyrd (Jun 28, 2011)

I don't get poison ivy/oak very often, and then usually only a mild case. This was not always the case, as a child/teenager, several times I had to see a doctor and get a steroid to take care of it. Now, I will handle it without gloves and no special cautions. But what works for me now, and did then when the reactions were more severe, was hot water. Put your arm (fingers, leg) under the faucet, and increase the water temp as high as you can stand. I usually keep working the temp up for a minute or so. The itch stops soon after, and after a few "treatments" the problem goes away. The hot water does something to the histimines that are causing the the reaction in your skin and stops them from making you itch. FWIW, YMMV.


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## KMB (Jun 29, 2011)

zogger said:


> I don't know what you mean by ordered, live plants or seeds or just the inner juice bottled up, but took a coupla pics today of some wild growing here. It is just starting to flower. One bonus pic of beefers and kity and doggies in the swamp near where the big patch of jewelweed is.
> 
> Anyway, what are you looking for? I got no idea how to ship them and have them stay fresh. Maybe transplant some in pots, then prune heavy, then take a chance and ship them in a box? I think they'd croak. I haven't had all that much luck with saplings being shipped, let alone real delicate plants like these are. They need moist and cool and shade, you won't see them growing anyplace they get even a little sunburnt. They seem to be able to take just a teeny bit of mild sun, early or late, but I never see any growing where they get hit with mid day sun. I'll give it a whack if you want some though, maybe pack them in wet peat moss or whatever. Well, whatever dirt and stuff they are growing in now, wrapped in like brown paper bag paper then..I dunno. The saplings they ship in long tubes with the trees themselves in plastic sleeves that hold the wetness in, but half of them I ever got came croaked, either frozen during shipping or dried out hot/heat related/starting to rot..


 
What I meant by ordering is I have seen Jewelweed that is processed into a cream/paste and also made into soaps on ebay or other places online. 

Thanks for the pics and info on what to look for in the woods. I haven't got into the poison ivy this year so far...and I hope I can spot it before I get into it again! If I would ever find Jewelweed in the woods...rub the leaves on my skin ?(if I get into the ivy).

Kevin


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## KMB (Jun 29, 2011)

darkbyrd said:


> I don't get poison ivy/oak very often, and then usually only a mild case. This was not always the case, as a child/teenager, several times I had to see a doctor and get a steroid to take care of it. Now, I will handle it without gloves and no special cautions. But what works for me now, and did then when the reactions were more severe, was hot water. Put your arm (fingers, leg) under the faucet, and increase the water temp as high as you can stand. I usually keep working the temp up for a minute or so. The itch stops soon after, and after a few "treatments" the problem goes away. The hot water does something to the histimines that are causing the the reaction in your skin and stops them from making you itch. FWIW, YMMV.



I've done the hot water thing for temporary relief. Getting to the point, where the itch goes away while the hot water is on it, can almost drive me crazy! I guess the heat causes a reaction and the itch is sometimes unbearable for the few minutes. But it does work.

Kevin


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## zogger (Jun 29, 2011)

*stem juice*



KMB said:


> What I meant by ordering is I have seen Jewelweed that is processed into a cream/paste and also made into soaps on ebay or other places online.
> 
> Thanks for the pics and info on what to look for in the woods. I haven't got into the poison ivy this year so far...and I hope I can spot it before I get into it again! If I would ever find Jewelweed in the woods...rub the leaves on my skin ?(if I get into the ivy).
> 
> Kevin



supposedly the stem juice is what works, sorta like aloe vera stem juice. 

Out in the sticks, that's all you can get, go for it, in town got some coin, I like tecnu..... mostly I just always wear long pants and a long sleeved shirt and light cotton gloves when working in the summer, no matter how hot it gets. I just put up with it. (that helps with insects as well). Cutting I use tight fitting leather gloves. And I am a fiend about washing my hands when I come into the house. Doesn't matter to me, if I have been outside working around and with plants and animals, I wash my hands thoroughly, almost like a doctor does. Every single time I walk in, I go wash my hands. Same thing after going to town and being in stores and around a lot of people, wash hands. Clean hands goes a long way in avoiding various cooties, poison ivy included. The cotton gloves are cheap, get a dozen pack, then throw them in the wash, then wash your hands.

Ya, go for a walk and learn some wild plants, useful stuff to know....you can look up better pics of jewelweed, and you'll always find them in the same patch every year and are easy to spot, especially now that they are flowering. I'm not the best wild crafter, but I can get by, still learning various trees though, some I get "stumped" on, heh


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## smokinj (Jun 29, 2011)

I cut through a vine I grabbing the 91 percent isopropyl alcohol! Have cut it the winter with a sweatshirt on. Put it on later after being in the warm house for a month and get it again....Nasty stuff!


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## KMB (Jun 29, 2011)

zogger said:


> supposedly the stem juice is what works, sorta like aloe vera stem juice.
> 
> Out in the sticks, that's all you can get, go for it, in town got some coin, I like tecnu..... mostly I just always wear long pants and a long sleeved shirt and light cotton gloves when working in the summer, no matter how hot it gets. I just put up with it. (that helps with insects as well). Cutting I use tight fitting leather gloves. And I am a fiend about washing my hands when I come into the house. Doesn't matter to me, if I have been outside working around and with plants and animals, I wash my hands thoroughly, almost like a doctor does. Every single time I walk in, I go wash my hands. Same thing after going to town and being in stores and around a lot of people, wash hands. Clean hands goes a long way in avoiding various cooties, poison ivy included. The cotton gloves are cheap, get a dozen pack, then throw them in the wash, then wash your hands.
> 
> Ya, go for a walk and learn some wild plants, useful stuff to know....you can look up better pics of jewelweed, and you'll always find them in the same patch every year and are easy to spot, especially now that they are flowering. I'm not the best wild crafter, but I can get by, still learning various trees though, some I get "stumped" on, heh


 
Been way to busy to get out for a walk in the woods...but I wish I could. Next time I'm in town I'll probably just get the Tecnu I saw at Walgreens. Hand washing properly is a very good habit...I should probably be doing it more and keeping after my 3 yr. old to wash her hands properly.

Kevin


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## john T (Sep 23, 2011)

Just got over a case of poison oak...
huge vine wrapped around a cedar tree....

I haven't had poison anything for so long, I didn't even see or pay attention to the vine... 

and yes, jewel weed works good on it... 

some carnage pics....




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## kd460 (Sep 25, 2011)

There is a cheap and readily available soap called "Fells Naptha" that is sold in just ablut every grocery store and supermarket. It is excellent at removing the urishoil on skin and clothing. I keep a few bars around the house at all times.

Fels-Naptha

One bar of this will last along time. I don't use it every day, just when I come home from a day of cutting. You can feel the difference in your skin by how well it removes the oils (normal skin oils and the urishoil). I use it in the laundry with the clothes I wore while cutting. Is less than a buck for a bar of it. 

No it won't stop or cure poison ivy, but it will get rid of the urishoil from your skin and clothes to prevent it spreading or if in time, prevent an outbreak. I have read that you need to wash the urishoil off the skin within about a 1/2 hour of contact in order to prevent a reaction. KD


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## TermiteBuffet (Sep 25, 2011)

i use a soap called octagon it does very good also at removing the oils after being exposed , also if i do get the rash the soap will dry your skin out and help with itching. I try not to cut wood with poison on it .... I hate that crap and it hates me.. Termite


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