I read (in Backpacker Magazine I think) that Dawn dish liquid is great for washing affected clothing because it breaks down the oils in poison ivy. Anyone tried it?

Any soap should work fine on clothes. Soaps work by having one end bond to oils and the other bond to water molecules if I remember correctly and since urushiol oil (the thing in poison ivy/oak that makes us break out) is an oil they'll stick to it and remove it from the clothes, just like grease on a pan. Its also supposed to work on any areas you came into contact with the ivy/oak if you wash with it before it manages to bond with your skin. Most sources say half an hour but I've heard anywhere from seconds to hours. Can't necessarily vouch for it but I've never gotten a bad outbreak by washing immediately. Another interesting thing to note is that rubbing alcohol is said to work for a few hours after, the downside is that it completely strips your skin of protection from future exposure for a day or so (so don't touch those clothes) making any contact much worse.

http://poisonivy.aesir.com/ had pretty accurate information by from what I can remember. Hey its been a few months since I needed a cure.

I was pounding through some poison ivy this past weekend. While I cannot say whether or not I had any urushiol on me (I was trying to be both careful and gentle near the plants) I did give my exposed skin a good rubdown with Tecnu and have not seen any indication of an outbreak. My son did the same with the same results. This was potentially contact plus 8 hours.

Bill

Here in the Fl. Keys we have a tree called Poisonwood with the same agent(Urushriol)as Poison Ivy. Being in the landscape trade for many years I had my share of run-ins with the stuff. By far the most successful treatment has been using a product called Zanfel. In the shower you squeeze a small amount on your hand and scrub the affected area for about 30 secs.Then rinse the area. There is a bit of pumice in the salvelike product. Zanfel binds with the urushriol oils and is rinsed away. I have always used it well after exposure when the blisters have begun. Itching stops instantly and the blisters heal nicely. Sometimes it will take a couple treatments but "Oh, what a relief it is".Zanfel is a bit pricey at $35.00 for a couple ounces but well worth it and has a shelf life of several years. Great stuff!!!

Scott

When I get it...it's usually from just looking at the stuff. It never gets to the point of weeping...but just rashes up pretty bad and spread rapidly. All of those lotions, creams don't do squat for me. I've actually had to go through two cycles of predisone to clear it up.

I would be very reluctant nowadays to apply aspirin or any other salicylates topically to a child's skin. Reye's syndrome is a rare but devestating complication of aspirin use in children. I have personally had one 6 year old patient in my care who ended up requiring a liver transplant after having been rubbed with oil of wintergreen (a salicylate containing product) by his grandmother.

Adult use would be OK as far as I know (but I am just a simple country pediatrician and I wouldn't take just my word on that).