Re: 3 MONTHS LATER AND STILL FIGHTING POISON IVY, AND MAYBE SUMAK|
| Denise, I am sorry for you being involved in the last 2 hurricanes and sick with PI or sumac. I can see why your stress level is high. Anyhow, cleaning with a good detergent like Tide (not a bargain brand) and hot water is enough to dissolve the oils on fabrics. I always let the tub fill up with soapy hot water and let the clothes agitate for 10 minutes, then turn the machine off and let them soak for at least 30 min. to make sure all the oil is dissolved. Then I reset the washer to run on the longest cycle. That works for me and I have never got re-infected from the oil on clothing. You could also add 2/3 cup of bleach (it won't ruin your clothes) or 20 Mule Team Borax (it is a powder in a box). This helps your detergent clean even better. Rinsing twice is an option also. As far as your cats go-- probably the only way to stop your ankle outbreaks are to keep them in the house. |
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