Poison Ivy Control

Children should be recommended to stay out of places where poison ivy, oak, or sumac is acknowledged to grow. When people are hiking or camping, exposed skin should be enclosed with long sleeves and pants. There is numerous topical skin creams available on the market that contain bentoquatum, which forms a protective shield created to repel urushiol oil. These may be a beneficial preventative utility against poison plant rash as well.

If exposure does happen, washing with soap and cool water within the first 10 minutes of exposure can sometimes avoid a rash. If soap is not available, wash it with water alone. A full body shower is best to remove all traces of the urushiol and avoid exposure of other parts from undetected oil staying on other parts of the body. Keep in mind that water should be cool because warm water will open pores and let urushiol to seep in the skin more quickly.

Other over-the-counter skin cleansers made to eradicate urushiol oil can also prevent or decrease the severity of a rash if they are placed early enough following contact. These products can also be utilized to disinfect garden tools and other materials that have come in contact with the plant oil. Rubbing alcohol preferably isopropyl alcohol is also useful in decontaminating materials and skin.

Any clothing that has been in contact to poisonous plants should be treated carefully and washed immediately. The same goes for shoes and garden gloves, which are usual culprits of containing urushiol oil. If possible, wear latex or other disposable gloves to grasp contaminated items and dispose them away promptly afterwards.

Pet fur can also contain urushiol oil into the home. People should be sure outdoor pet areas are free of poisonous plants and never let a pet roam unleashed in the woods or other places with dense plantation. Pets are usually not sensitive to urushiol, but a dog or cat that seems to be suffering symptoms of poison plant rash following contact should be taken to the veterinarian for examination.

Eradicating known poison ivy, oak, or sumac growth in the yard or garden is also a necessary preventative step, but eliminating the weeds can be hard. Glyphosate-based herbicides and triclopyr-based herbicides will destroy poison plants, but they can also remove out any other surrounding leaves they come into exposure with. If herbicides are utilized they should be applied carefully and may have to be applied directly on to the leaves and stems to prevent damaging other plantings.

Another choice for eradicating poison plants is to grasping them by hand. Good protection of all exposed skin is necessary to prevent a reaction. The whole plant, including the root system, must be pulled. Another choice is landscaping fabric or another barrier can be used over poison ivy, oak, or sumac to eradicate the plants and avoid future growth. Dead plants still have urushiol and must be treated carefully during handling. All plants should be removed and disposed of according to proper waste regulations. Burning the vines or plants can also diffuse urushiol into the air and has the capability to cause a serious allergic irritation.