Last Friday, my husband started our spring gardening and ended up pulling weeds that turned out to be poison ivy. We washed his clothes and he showered, but his reaction is only on his forearms. I, however, have it way worse with rashes on my stomach, back, and chest, even though I wasn't the one gardening! As it's been a week, I'm still getting new small spots appear, while he seems fine now. Is this my body reacting from the initial exposure, or could I be dealing with some ongoing contamination? We've cleaned everything we could think of, but I'm really worried about our 3-month-old baby. So far he hasn't shown any signs, but I'm in full panic mode since I'm still developing a few new spots!
3 Answers
I feel your pain! Poison ivy can be a nightmare. Here’s my tip: think of it like if your husband spilled motor oil on himself. A quick rinse won't cut it; you need to really wipe off as much as possible before washing. He might still be spreading the oils around your home, so think about everything he touched right after gardening. If you can bear to part with anything, maybe toss it instead of washing. For the stuff you want to keep, wash it in hot water. It takes a bit, but eventually, it’ll stop spreading. Hang in there!
Totally understand the stress! Just so you know, not everyone is allergic to poison ivy. When I was doing conservation work, we always kept hand sanitizer on us. Applying it immediately after contact can break down the oils from the plant and help prevent a reaction. Might be something to consider for your husband next time!
Oh man, that sounds rough! I had a bad experience with poison ivy myself a few years back and ended up with rashes in some really sensitive areas. What worked for me was Domeboro soaks. I tried a bunch of other remedies, but this one was the only thing that brought me relief. Just buy a couple of boxes; your local pharmacy should have it!
Thanks for the advice! I’ll definitely keep that in mind when cleaning. It’s so stressful with the baby around.