Response to Poison Ivy! Help!

You poor baby !!!! Poison IVY is spread by the oil on the plant or the oil in the atmosphere coming from the plant(sensitive folks only).The big mistake that alot of people make is not scrubbing off the oil...Use laundry detergent because it will dry off your skin quite well...Any liquid detergent will do...take it in the shower with you, pour a bunch on a washcloth or sponge, and scrub away...Do not use the cloth or the sponge again unless you have soaked it overnight in the detergent...Then you can treat yourself to an oatmeal bath (they're neat)..Take an old sock, fill it with a cup of oatmeal, knot it up good and put it in the tub while the tub fills with warm (not hot) water....All rashes will be worse after a hot bath or shower...baking sodas paste will work well after this .Poison Ivy lesions can get infected, so watch for nasty stuff that is thick and yellow or brown, swelling that feels hot to the touch,etc....You probably already know this, but for those reading who do not...NEVER burn poison Ivy to get rid of it....I've seen some wicked cases of eyes and noses and lungs after that...yuck....Lastly, the family dog, or goat can be a wonderful source of poison ivy..they brush up against it and then you affectionately give them "rubbies"..so if your animals have been helping you weed the Ivy, consider giving them a bath as well.Good luck, and welcome to Spring !!!!

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