I have used round-up and had very good results here. It does work but slower in my experience than Brush-B-gon Poison Ivy and Brush Killer. A few things I do that may
make my results better with round-up.
- I buy the pro concentrate and mix my own.
- I add a little soap to help reduce the surface tension of water and make the herbicide cover better.
- I sometimes have to reapply later.
I like the Brush-B-Gon Poison Ivy and brush killer and it does work better than round-up in my experience but at a higher cost. It all depends how fast you want those plants dead. Brush-B-Gon uses the herbicide triclopyr and Round-up uses glyphosate. Nice to have options. Since I have to kill acres of the stuff... I choose round-up for most of my applications... but I always use triclopyr for the big vines.
As far as soap and water or rubbing alcohol... This has some interesting sides.
I have used both. Each will work prior to urushiol protein cell bonding. Remember that soap doesn't disolve the oil. Soap molecules work by attaching to one end of the oil molecule and to one end of the water molecue and is rinsed out with the flow of water. See how soap works for more information. If you do not use enough water or enough soap it is very possible to spread it since you are pulling the oil around.
On the other hand, rubbing alcohol is a solvent and attempts to disolve the
oil which then allows it to be easily wiped off.
Note that rubbing alcohol which can be 30% water isn't as good as isopropyl alcohol which is often 90% pure. One possible side effect though.
It is so good at disolving oil that it even removes our bodies own oil protectant on our skin. So if we went right back outside and got some urushiol oil on us. It could be very bad as it might bond quickly without our bodies own oil to slow this process down.
One expert often quoted is William Epstein, MD who says
rubbing alcohol is the best choice. In fact, the general practice recommended is his three step process is.
- Clean with rubbing alcohol
- Rinse with plenty of water
- Shower and Bath with plenty of soap and water
By the way, one of the most popular products for poison ivy is
tecnu which works according to this model. It is a very effective solvent prior to the oil bonding to the skin.
Other experts say the procedure should be.
- Clean with plenty of soap and water
- Final rinse with alcohol
Most chemists will always clean with soap and water prior to using a solvent to remove any residual oils. Remember your chemistry teacher explaining the procedure for clean glassware. We would always rinse last with acetone.
I think rubbing alcohol is a great solution especially when you do not have a lot of water available. Plus you can throw some wipes in your jacket when out in the woods. | 
