Technu & Radioactive Dust

[windthrown]

Technu is basically deodorized mineral spirits.

Deoderized spirits with surfactants, like sodium laurel sulphate.

I just use cheap shampoo, like Suave, that has gobs of Laurel Sulphate in it. It was recommended by a ranger in Big Sur when I was a kid. I have never had an outbreak of PO since washing with cheap shampoo. Just have to remember to shower and use the cheap shampoo liberally a few hours after exposure, and do not touch your clothes or the dog after they have been exposed to the PO oil. Clothes need to be washed, the dog too.

 

[booboo]

FWIW, I've always had good luck with Technu, putting it on before I know I'm going to get exposed to PI, washing with it afterwards, and using it if I get a rash. Maybe it's the placebo effect, but it works for me.

 

[woodchux]

Another thing that works well for me is very hot water. Some people swear by using cold, but hot water feels very good when the rash is itching, just scald that stuff instead of scratching it. Makes it dry up fast.

 

[treemandan]

it's a rip off.CVS gave me my money back.technu works pretty good.

The Zanfel seemed to work very well is reducing the rash for me.

 

[Sunrise Guy]

Technu works very well, for me. If I even brush against PI for a split second, I start itching the next minute. I grab for the Technu, rub it in, wash it off and I'm OK. Last month, I brushed a vine against my respirator during a climb and cut, took the respirator off and had it against my neck as I called down to my ground guy and the next morning----My neck, right over my adam's apple, looked like skin from the creature from the black lagoon. The itch was intense for the next five days and then everything cleared up nicely.

 

[windthrown]

To clarify about what I use for poison oak, I typically use plain Suave shampoo, or any shampoo or soap with a lot of sodium laureth sulphate, or sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), or sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS) or any of the other names that are all basically the same thing. Cheapest stuff that they have has more of the sulphates in it. Tecnu is good too, and the ex used that as she is highly allergic to poison oak (and she has 8 dogs that live in the stuff!). I found that Tecnu was too thin, and tended not to spread as well as thicker shampoos, or Orvus. Seeminly this is becasue of the denatured mineral spirits in that stuff.

I use Suave shampoo like it is body soap. Lather up good and scrub. It dissolves the PO oil before it binds with your skin. All laureth sulphate compounds are very good surfactancts and they lather up well. There is also a product called Orvus that is basically 100% sodium lauryl sulfate. It is available at feed stores which sell it as a shampoo for the horse manes and tails of show animals, as well as a detergent for removing the lanolin in sheep wool. Sodium lauryl sulfate is also packaged as a quilt soap and can be found at suppliers of quilting products. You can get good results washing with all of these after being exposed to poison oak.

 

[ckliff]

Mineral spirits. Works great, but I notice a tingly sensation on my arms for about 2 hours after using it. Any ideas about that?