How To Clean Gloves Of Poison Ivy

Thinking back on summers past, going to summer camp may be one of your fondest memories. Out in the wilderness with your friends hiking, canoeing, and swimming makes for a memorable experience. Tucked into those amazing memories of summer camp might be the one time you got poison ivy. You’ll remember that it took days, maybe even weeks, to rectify the small brush with the irritating plant.

Poison ivy produces a resin called urushiol. It’s found in every part of the poison ivy plant, year round, and remains on dead and dried plants for 2-5 years. Depending on your sensitivity, this clear, sticky, oily resin can trigger a rash. Unwashed clothing can still deliver active urushiol a year or two later.

Should you or one of your children encounter poison ivy this summer, whether it be at camp or playing in the back yard, here’s how to be certain you don’t transfer the chemicals from the plant onto the skin via your clothing:

  1. Don’t rub against others or touch the outside of your clothing with bare skin. If you used gloves to pull out poison ivy from the garden, don’t touch exposed skin or eyes with the gloves until they are washed. It’s very easy for poison ivy to spread from one item to another so wear gloves when handling the clothing and keep the clothing separate from other items.
  2. Wash the affected items separately with ordinary laundry detergent at the highest recommended water temperature, for the longest cycle, and, if possible, on the largest load setting. Washing the items separately will prevent the poison from spreading to other garments. Using the largest load setting may sound wasteful, but even with detergent, oils aren’t very soluble. Having lots of solution -the wash water- is the most efficient way to remove as much urushiol as possible.
  3. Do not overload the machine and allow clothes to agitate freely. It is best to handle the clothes while wearing rubber gloves or pick them up with a clean cloth to avoid direct contact. The urushiol will be suspended in the water and will not transfer to unexposed clothing in the load.
  4. If you can’t wash the clothing immediately, store them in a plastic garbage bag until you are able to launder the items.
  5. If the clothing is dry clean only, be sure to tell your dry cleaner! They will appreciate the notice!
Refer to more articles:  How To Get Free Baseball Glove

– S.O.

Related Posts

How Big Is Yoenis Cespedes Glove

How Big Is Yoenis Cespedes Glove

Player Profile: Yoenis Cespedes Before I get started, I just want to say sorry for not having posted for the last few days. I was in Boston…

How To Buy Softball Glove

Younger players buying a new mitt should look for a softer mitt that they can squeeze and close. Most young players also should look for lightweight options…

How Much Are Old Baseball Gloves Worth

GUEST: They’ve come from different places over a number of years, but mostly flea markets- this one definitely a flea market- or a garage sale.You may be…

Do Caregivers Wear Gloves When Assisting With Showers

Do Caregivers Wear Gloves When Assisting With Showers

When helping a client take a bath or shower, watch out for muscle strains and sprains from lifting, transferring, and reaching. Precautions must be taken for possible…

How To Keep Golf Glove Dry

Hand washing tops my list when we think of dependable methods of cleaning our cherished golf gloves. It’s a gentle process that goes a long way in…

How To Get Gloves Dave The Diver

How To Get Gloves Dave The Diver

Dave the Diver has a large number of ingredients for you to collect in the ocean, but some of them, such as the Purple Sea Urchin, are…