Removing Poison Ivy from my Clark

Hey guys, (to skip my rant and jump right to the question, read last paragraph)

New to HF and have enjoyed reading all of your posts.

I have a Clark Tropical and am currently sitting here nursing my second case of poison ivy in as many weeks. Two weekends ago I got the nasty rash and went to Doc for the shot. Once it cleared I didn't think much of it because I had never had an outbreak like that in my life. To give you an idea, it covered 50-60% of my body. I seriously thought it was going to kill me! It cleared up nicely after the shot so I went camping last weekend. In all fairness the Doc said I would be more susceptible to urushoil but I really made sure to stay away from it this trip.

Needless to say I am currently covered again and received another shot yesterday. Not wanting to go through this again I have cleaned all my gear...with the exception of my hammock. I called Clark and asked what they recommended. They suggested putting the hammock in a bucket with a couple drops of soap and sloshing it around. Said to stay away from the washing machine because it would ruin the waterproofing of the material.

Question? (insert Dwight Schrute voice)...have any of you had this issue, specifically urushoil inside your hammock and if so how did you remove it?

****Update page 2

This is a great question and one people think about on the AT.

I believe someone had to wash everything! sleeping bag, clothes, etc

I will check White Blaze.....

Yikes! I've never heard of this specifically, but that oil can be wicked stuff, especially if you have a high sensitivity to it.

I would think doing the mild soap washing in a bucket (maybe several times) should do the trick and won't hurt the hammock at all.

BTW, welcome to the forums from Denver!

I don't think soap will dissolve the Urushoil enough to be effective. I would deff use a bucket method though but instead of soap use Tecnu Wash. It worked on a set of tree straps a while back to remove the oil.
Good Luck!

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Originally Posted by L.D. Cakes

I don't think soap will dissolve the Urushoil enough to be effective. I would deff use a bucket method though but instead of soap use Tecnu Wash. It worked on a set of tree straps a while back to remove the oil.
Good Luck!

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Interesting, I haven't seen that before. I'll have to keep that in mind in the event I ever run into this problem on my clothing/gear.

If its Ripstop nylon. should not be a problem inside a front loader washer., With it stuffed inside a pillow case. Short hand wash warm cycle.
Depends on the water proofing used.. can still be re-applied after cleaning. Lots of spray proofing on market. Depends on construction of hammock and makers instructions on how to clean.

If its like Poison oak. The oils is the nasty critter in the plant.

Can buy technu, dump good amount in a Bucket of good warm water.. and do a good hand washing with it. Rinse, Repeat.. hang to dry.

Down or Ivry Dish soap.. WITH OUT the anti-bacterial component inside it. Is a good natural Soap. Plus, it cuts oils. Like your greasy Frying pans. Works on clothing as well. Just easy on agitation, likes to foam up. use big bucket.. Hot water, that your hands can stand.. wash.. Rinse.. Repeat.. hang to dry.

That should remove the Oil's. SHOULD..

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Originally Posted by breyman

Interesting, I haven't seen that before. I'll have to keep that in mind in the event I ever run into this problem on my clothing/gear.

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It's good stuff & has been around since the 70's. It has saved my Brother from many a trip to the Dr since he is sooooo allergic!:eek:

Yeah man, I just got done with this about a week ago. Woke up second day on hike(what was supposed to be 3 days) and face was swollen shut and hands were like giant balloons. Hiked out 5 miles like that and friend had to drive. Washed everything but hammock and bag.

Went out to a friends for 4 days for new years and setup hammock on his lakeside, came home today with more little bumps showing up. I have just now tossed my hammock in the washer on hand wash cold cycle, with 7th generation. Any soap will do, the whole idea is an agent that will bind to the oil and break its bond with the cloth material. Technu wash is nice, but you don't need it. Use what you have.

Tecnu wash is high dollar and didn't work for me even when I used it as directed... My solution was dish detergent... I am highly sensitive, I hike in pants all the time and am cautious about where I go... But I apparently got some on my pants and then played the wrong way shirtless in my hammock, I had it all over my back and shoulders... Anyways I tried tecnu was and I still got splotchy after laying in it... So I busted out dishwashing soap and a bucket and scrubbed until I couldn't scrub and more... Works like a charm, and now my hammock smells like green apple with a hint of permithrin...

Your suggestions are greatly appreciated! This problem has so irritated me that I even considered dropping another $300, that I don't have, just to avoid this problem again. I guess the issues is, even with a new hammock, I'll probably run into this again and can't buy a new hammock every time it happens. Thanks again for all your suggestions. I'll probably try the soap and bucket method tomorrow. Rubber gloves and chem suit, here I come!

Not sure if jewelweed grows in Florida, but up here in Michigan anywhere you find poison ivy there is usually jewelweed growing right next to it. Google search it it is also called pitcher plant. Growing up I got P.I. 3 to 4 times a Summer until I found out about this plant. What I do is if I believe I have gotten into poison ivy I grab a large handful of the plant especially the stems and crush them in my hands. They are very watery so no problem getting enough "juice" out of them. Then just rub juice all over skin and clothes

I have not had poison ivy since I was a kid but always use this trick just in case when in the woods. I pick mushrooms so I am walking thru poison ivy alot.

Hope it grows near you

Dave

I'm crazy sensitive to the stuff too but have been pretty lucky the last few years. I know I waded through a big patch of the stuff on the AT about 2 years ago but never got a bump. Only way I can figure this happened is that my allergies were going crazy at the same time so I was already taking antihistamines daily anyway. I guess this was enough to keep my body in check.

Good luck with the cleaning job. Some good old Dawn or similar dish detergent should do the trick. I'm not very familiar with the clark but can you separate the top/fly from the body? There's no reason really to wash the fly and the body of the hammock isn't waterproof so there's no worry. Maybe go ahead and soak/wash the guylines and tree straps if you think those came into contact with some oak/ivy.

Any chance your hiking poles are covered too? That was my biggest worry after my trip so I soaked/scrubbed them with Simple Green (non-toxic degreaser) when I got home and so far so good.

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Originally Posted by zukiguy

I'm crazy sensitive to the stuff too but have been pretty lucky the last few years. I know I waded through a big patch of the stuff on the AT about 2 years ago but never got a bump. Only way I can figure this happened is that my allergies were going crazy at the same time so I was already taking antihistamines daily anyway. I guess this was enough to keep my body in check.

Good luck with the cleaning job. Some good old Dawn or similar dish detergent should do the trick. I'm not very familiar with the clark but can you separate the top/fly from the body? There's no reason really to wash the fly and the body of the hammock isn't waterproof so there's no worry. Maybe go ahead and soak/wash the guylines and tree straps if you think those came into contact with some oak/ivy.

Any chance your hiking poles are covered too? That was my biggest worry after my trip so I soaked/scrubbed them with Simple Green (non-toxic degreaser) when I got home and so far so good.

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Antihistamines don't prevent a flair up. They are only there to mitigate any itching that may occur due to allergies.

Getting poison ivy, will only occur if you happen upon either a root or broken plant. The oil itself doesn't reside on the plant but within the plant. Think of it like maple syrup in the tree. So until the plant is broken, nothing is secreted.

Two thoughts:

+1 on dish detergent. Usherol chemically binds WITH SKIN. Not with fabric. In fabric, ordinary grease-cutting detergents will wash it out.

My other thought is that your second outbreak may not have been a result of exposure from your gear or from your second hike. Once the steroid shot (which suppresses your immune system) wore off, your immune system immediately ramped up its response to the first exposure. Steroids have to be TAPERED off to avoid this rebound effect which is often as bad as the initial response. Perhaps your doctor should have given you oral steroids to taper off to avoid this. Don't be surprised if you get a third response when your second shot wears off even without additional exposure. :scared:

Still, it's probably a good idea to wash your gear, since you got into poison ivy somewhere. Wash your hammock in a bucket with dish detergent and rinse well with a hose. Hang to dry. Best of luck to you!! :D

Don't forget to wash everything else you've been in contact with. Pack, quilts, clothes, gear.

You may need to wash all the bedding and towels at home too.
We had to with our son. Some say P.I. doesnt stick to clothes, but it did in our case.

Pack some benadryl, and some P.I. wipes for any future problems.

Don't forget to wear long pants and long sleeved shirts and rubber gloves when washing down all your gear. Sounds like you maybe have a good exposure to the P.I. I got some on a tool belt I wore everyd and kept getting a rash on my arms weeks later till I washed down all my gear.

I am highly sensitive to P Ivy, Oak, and Sumac. Take your pick. I have actually been admitted to the hospital twice with it. Not much fun.

After the many times I have gotten it, I have learned to wash down everything I own in old fashion, out of the box Tide. When I say everything, I mean me too :) When I get home from hiking or working in the yard I have a small box of Tide that I wash me off with. Along with that I wash all my clothing and even my tent/hammock on gentle with Tide.

I been doing it for the last 45 years and any reaction has been mild compare to what I had before. My Mom started using the Tide on me at the recommendation of the doctor after my second hospital visit. Below is a cut/paste from a source about soaps. I suspect the suspending ability until rinses is why Tide takes the PI oil out of clothing and off skin.

"Procter & Gamble began an ambitious mission to change the way Americans washed their clothes. Researchers discovered two-part molecules which they called synthetic surfactants. Each part of the "miracle molecules" executed a specific function--one pulled grease and dirt from the clothes, while the other suspended dirt until it could be rinsed away. In 1933, this discovery was introduced in a detergent called "Dreft," but it could only handle lightly soiled jobs. The next goal was to create a detergent that could clean heavily soiled clothes. That detergent was Tide®.

Created in 1943, Tide detergent was the combination of synthetic surfactants and "builders." The builders helped the synthetic surfactants penetrate the clothes more deeply to attack greasy, difficult stains. Tide was introduced to test markets in October 1946 as the world’s first heavy-duty detergent."

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Originally Posted by L.D. Cakes

I don't think soap will dissolve the Urushoil enough to be effective. I would deff use a bucket method though but instead of soap use Tecnu Wash. It worked on a set of tree straps a while back to remove the oil.
Good Luck!

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+1 I've had very good luck with Technu and I usually have some around. When I don't have any I mix one part Dawn dish soap to one part mineral spirits. It really does the trick but can explode in a washing machine :scared:.

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Originally Posted by nickgann

... Any soap will do, the whole idea is an agent that will bind to the oil and break its bond with the cloth material. Technu wash is nice, but you don't need it. Use what you have.

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I have to disagree with you here, the irritant from poison ivy is an oil and not all soaps and detergents remove oils well. Degreasers will cut the oil though.

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Originally Posted by nickgann

Antihistamines don't prevent a flair up. They are only there to mitigate any itching that may occur due to allergies...

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Sorry I have to disagree again :blush:. I find that antihistamines slow the spread of rash once I have it.

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Originally Posted by Alan Burd

Don't forget to wear long pants and long sleeved shirts and rubber gloves when washing down all your gear. Sounds like you maybe have a good exposure to the P.I. ...

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I'll wear my rubber gloves and rain-gear while washing poison ivy, then I wash my rain gear off too (while wearing it).

So here is the synopsis. After considering everyone's suggestions, I took a little bit from everyone and went with the following method.

1) Created my own disposable chem suit (which maybe I should post in the DIY section ;))

2) Used warm water, a degreaser dish soap, filled a storage container about 1/3 of the way full with a mild soapy solution.

3) Hand washed for about 10 minutes and rinsed with a detachable shower head.

4) Hung to dry on the porch then bleached the hell out of the shower.

5) Discarded chem suit and quickly took a cold shower (in another bathroom)

Note: I have washed everything else I took on the last couple trips to make sure it's all free of the urushoil.

Here are a few pics (because I like looking at picture and assume everyone else does too and because it's Sunday and I don't have anything else to do, now that my Miami Dolphins are done for the season:() Hope you guys like the chem suit. The other arm looked exactly the same but I wouldn't have been able to take a picture with the other glove on.

I have no idea why the pictures uploaded upside down...just flip your screen over

My $.02 as another person hyper-sensitive to PI.

For some, PI on clothing/fabrics may not be a problem, but I have gotten poison ivy from my KID's clothes after I carried an armload to the washer.

Unbroken plants? Try the leaf tip brushing softly on one spot. I had a big PI blister that took 6 weeks to heal.

Prednisone shots and pills only help me somewhat, and it still takes 6 weeks for the PI to clear.

Usually, I can't find jewel weed when I want it. When a friend helped my locate some, my rash got worse. This one wasn't from PI, but from sunscreen or bug repellant. I don't know which one got me that time. It is tough to be a redhead who is allergic to most sunscreens. I will try jewel weed again, but wil also make sure I wash my hands and the affected area first. Maybe I just respread whatever the allergen was.

I have brushed poison ivy plants doing yard work, looked down to see what I just bumped, and immediately washed the area twice with Technu and still broke out. This happened more than once. I'm glad that Technu works for some, but can't depend on it.

One big piece of advice: Get to a health food store and buy some "Rhus Tox" homeopathic pills to carry. If I THINK I have brushed some poison ivy, I try to clean it off with hand sanitizer and let a couple of Rhus Tox pills dissolve under my tougue. So far, no more rashes. If I haven't done this, the Rhus Tox pills help me more than prednisone does with fewer possible dangerous side effects. (And no doctor bill.)

Another shared piece of experince-Most of my gear has been washed on the gentle cylce of my front load washer using Atsko Sport Wash with no bad effect. I've washed items from silk dresses to Firefighter turn-out gear with this product and been happy with the results. No residue, no fading, no perfumes, no optical brighteners are in the laundry product.

There are poison ivy oil cleaners on the market, I can't remember what I used, but it worked well on skin and I am willing to bet it will work on gear. (it was supplied by employer).

Also, crushed jewelweed works to mitigate the effects of poison ivy, and usually grows near poison ivy as it likes similar growing conditions. Not always of course, but I have found it next to each other a few times. Might want to try some jewelweed on it.

Pitcher plants are different than jewelweeds, and many pitchers are uncommon or extinct, so please don't pick those :o

Balsaminacea family is the jewelweeds aka touch me nots due to the seeds popping when disturbed.

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Originally Posted by Marine2000

I have no idea why the pictures uploaded upside down...just flip your screen over

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But it's an Ipad and it keeps just flipping over on me :lol:

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Originally Posted by Pipsissewa

Two thoughts:

+1 on dish detergent. Usherol chemically binds WITH SKIN. Not with fabric. In fabric, ordinary grease-cutting detergents will wash it out.

My other thought is that your second outbreak may not have been a result of exposure from your gear or from your second hike. Once the steroid shot (which suppresses your immune system) wore off, your immune system immediately ramped up its response to the first exposure. Steroids have to be TAPERED off to avoid this rebound effect which is often as bad as the initial response. Perhaps your doctor should have given you oral steroids to taper off to avoid this. Don't be surprised if you get a third response when your second shot wears off even without additional exposure. :scared:

Still, it's probably a good idea to wash your gear, since you got into poison ivy somewhere. Wash your hammock in a bucket with dish detergent and rinse well with a hose. Hang to dry. Best of luck to you!! :D

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Your other thought is right in line with what happens to many people. I literally just soaked in epsom salts and slept, just let my body fight the course. This is the first time my whole body has swollen up over such a thing, but letting my body take it's course was IMO the best option. Not a fan of steroids and most other "western" styled medicines for the above reason.

My local arborist, who is in poison ivy all the time, recommends (like L.D. Cakes) Technu. Says it will remove the irritating oil.

I know this was a problem for you a while back but I'm from Florida and poison ivy is a big problem down here. One of the best ways to get that oily resin off of your skin fast is old school octagon lye soap. Yes...lye. For some reason there's a big stigma against it but trust me it works great and is safe to use on a bunch of stuff like laundry, pots, pans, dishes..you name it. I take it with me when I camp because it works just as well in hot or cold water so I can treat myself with whatever water is available. That and it's dirt cheap at the piggly wiggly (yes...I know...sorry I live in the South, I didn't name it). If you've got a rag or spare clean shirt with you while you're out just get it wet, rub octagon on it and scrub scrub scrub. It works awesome. The lye cuts through the resin like butter. A little hydrocortisone cream and I'm good to go :).

According to Cooking Illustrated, "Method" dish washing soap is one of their best tested soaps for cutting through oil & other junk. I'd use this in combination with:

As odd (painful) as it may seem, use the hottest water at the highest pressure as you can stand. It washes the oils off the most completely (pepper spray is notorious for being painful your second time through the shower).

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Originally Posted by nickgann

Antihistamines don't prevent a flair up. They are only there to mitigate any itching that may occur due to allergies.

Getting poison ivy, will only occur if you happen upon either a root or broken plant. The oil itself doesn't reside on the plant but within the plant. Think of it like maple syrup in the tree. So until the plant is broken, nothing is secreted.

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Each year we have a ton of poison ivy growing along our gravel road and spend early spring killing it off with gallons of spray. If we don't, and this is no joke, my Mother can pick it up simply by standing down wind.

Are you supposed to be able to got it this way? Probably not, but I think she's just lucky that way. :eek:

Oh yeah man, if any of the plant is broken, those with allergies to the plant can get it from down wind. My grandmother has the same issue.

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Originally Posted by FBG

Each year we have a ton of poison ivy growing along our gravel road and spend early spring killing it off with gallons of spray. If we don't, and this is no joke, my Mother can pick it up simply by standing down wind.

Are you supposed to be able to got it this way? Probably not, but I think she's just lucky that way. :eek:

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Originally Posted by nickgann

Oh yeah man, if any of the plant is broken, those with allergies to the plant can get it from down wind. My grandmother has the same issue.

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I hear when it's burned the smoke can get you.

What about smearing and lightly brushing the hammock with Orange (automotive) hand cleaner then soaking it in a 5 gallon bucket with a solution of Oxyclean and powdered laundry detergent followed by a clean rinse and hang dry?

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Originally Posted by BillyBob58

I hear when it's burned the smoke can get you.

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This is true, oil does bind to smoke, think rubber fire.

I would take it to the doctor for a shot :D

I can't tell you this is safe to use on your hammock - but for what it's worth:

I am highly allergic to Ivy, Oak, or Sumac and have learned a lot of things by trial & error over the years. I aways seek and follow medical advise from my doctor, but there are a lot of things I have learned I can do on my own to prevent outbreaks too.

I use a 50/50 mixture of Dawn dish liquid & odorless mineral spirits (add water to form a lather) to wash my skin and clothing to remove Urushiol. This has worked very well for me in avoiding breakouts as long as I am dilligent in keeping any exposed skin cleaned, sometimes this means washing up two or three times a day while backpacking.

Degreasing soap & mineral spirits are two of the ingredients in Technu. I find Technu also works well as long as I use it regularly to remove Urushiol, but it gets pricey.

Fels Naptha heavy duty laundry bar soap used to be great for removing Urushiol from skin & clothing, but I have been told that the effective ingredient, Naptha, has been removed. I have yet to verify that with the manufacturer, but I intend to.

I hope that may help, sorry for your suffering, I know it well!