"Ed Lucarini" wrote ...
...I'm a former cable guy and I use to have to deal with Poison Ivy alot when I
worked in the field. I have to tell you about this amazing product I found
to protect me (being highly allergic to poison Oak and Ivy) from getting a
rash.

The stuff is called Tecnu outdoor skin cleanser for poison oak and ivy. It
kills the affecting oils from the plant. You can find it at CVS or maybe
Walgreens. This stuff saved me many times. So if you want to rip the stuff
out by hand use Tecnu liberally then wear gloves, long sleeves and pants and
have at it. Then, afterward, I would apply it again on my head neck and
wrists ( any wear that could have gotten exposed) and go in and shower.


Tecnu is readily available.

I have also used yellow soap (Fels Naptha). Work up a lather on your
arms and let it dry. Our farm workers use this and it keeps them from
getting it. After you've gotten into the PI, just wash the whole thing
off. Soap is already there. The treatment may have to be renewed
periodically, depending on how much you perspire.

I expect it varies on different people, but the irritant oil from PI
takes around 10-20 minutes to get through the skin. If you wash promptly
(even without the pre-treatment described above) it appears to keep the
rash away, or at least minimize it.

I have a set of PI gloves. I spray painted the back of the gloves red so
they're recognizable (paint wears off the palms of the gloves). That way
I can (1) not contaminate all my gloves and (2) be careful putting on
the PI gloves.

Something like 25-40% of the population doesn't get PI rashes, or at
least they aren't hypersensitive to it. Find one of these people and
hire them to pull out the roots of the PI. It generally takes a couple
of tries to get all the roots. PI in stone walls is much harder to get
rid of.

I've also heard that Jewelweed can be used as a topical treatment for
the rash. Jewelweed grows along the edge of wet areas. It has a hollow
stem and the seeds are formed in such a way that if disturbed they
spring apart and fly outward (the plant is also called "touch-me-not").

Note that the irritant oil can be carried on clothing for a long time.
If you turn your clothing inside out when you take it off, you can keep
your laundry engineer from getting PI from your clothes.

I haven't found a good way to keep your pets from giving it to you.