okay ladies, my family took my 3 year old son (i had dress shoes on ok, i didn't go!) on a trek through the woods on thanksgiving. they had a blast! but a couple days ago my mom calls me and says she and my little brother have poison ivy all over their faces and necks, and nowhere else, and they're blaming my son, because he was crawling through the brush on their walk. (all this said jokingly of course) so when she mentioned it, i realized i had a spot inside my elbow that was probably poison ivy too, and now a couple days later, it obviously is. we figured it got on his coat, and that's how we got it, because he has nary a spot! not ONE! great for him. BUT it's been a week now, and he has worn his coat every day. i have not gotten any more, and he still is ivy free, but i'm wondering if i should just wash his coat just to be safe. would that get rid of it, if there's any left? does it "dry out" after awhile and not cause a rash? i'd hate for us to keep getting these little spots (of course i'd wash it at that point), but i live in an apartment and have to go to the laundry mat, so before i go buy quarters, pack us all up in 30 degree weather, while my son can't wear his coat for all that time...i want to be sure. not to mention can i even put his coat in the dryer? or does he have to go without for two days while it dries??
funny how things work out! went shopping with my mom today and she found him a nice coat for about $8, so he will have one to wear until i get his washed and dried. thanks for the advice - i looked online and found the same answers. guess i should have done some research first! thanks again!
You can put the coat in the dryer, usually. Just check the washing instructions. Also take a blanket so he will stay warm while his coat is washing.
I feel if he hasn't poison ivy by now, maybe he won't. It probably wouldn't hurt to wash the coat if it makes you feel better. But I am sure he will be fine.
Good Luck and Happy Holidays!
Yes the poison ivy oil can stay on the clothes. It doesn't dry out. The coat and all clothing he was wearing needs to be washed well. I would also wipe his shoes off.
I'm sure you can put his coat in the dryer, just check the label. Just have him wrap himself with a fleece blanket or just wear layers hat and gloves. Going to and from places without a jacket is okay and not going to harm him unless he has a medical condition that makes him unable to regulate his body temperature.
to answer your questions.. Yes you can get poison ivy or poison oak from clothing that was exposed to it in the woods. yes you should be able to wash that coat and would get rid of it. Should be able to dry it on a low setting too depending on what it is made of. There is usually a tag that tells how to wash and dry it unless it says dry clean only which isn't practical for a kid to have and most are washable.
I got poison oak from hubby's army uniforms when I was putting them in the washer. I had not been anywhere to pick it up outside but was rather miserable and was also pregnant at the time so was a surprise as I had never got poison ivy or poison oak before in my life so had no clue what it was and thought something was going wrong during pregnancy.. well went to the doc and he said it looked like poison oak and asked if I had been in the woods or anywhere to get it and had to figure out how I got it, then he asked if hubby had been to the field lately and yep that was the cause. After that he washed his own clothes when he got back from the field because I got it bad.
I would put a few layered shirts on him with a blanket and go wash the coat. check the labels and see the proper way to wash and dry it and go from there. If it says tumble dry low then dry it on low and would watch it carefully because those laundrymat dryers are usually hotter than household ones. It probably won't take long to dry so would have the other laundry available to throw in as soon as the coat gets dry so you can use the rest of your dryer time to dry the other clothes. Or what about going to your Mom's and washing it there while you visit?
Hi Carrie,
I just looked it up on the internet. The other mama was correct. The oil can live on inanimate objects and keep reinfecting/infecting people that come in contact with it. You'll just have to wash his coat. I don't blame you--washing coats even if you have the washer in your own home is a pain. Hopefully you don't have much running around to do with the little man while his coat dries! Good luck!
your son may have a natural immunity to the poison ivy.
yes wash the coat a 2-3 times before drying - if it can go in the dryer - dry it.
it is an oil from the poison ivy plant and No, it doesn't dry out.
S. Rutledge
I am a health and wellness coach and had poison ivy for 2 months on about 40% of my body - no fun. I don't break out hardly at all any more - because my body is adapting and able to make the antibodies needed to protect me from it.
I would say go by your moms if the coat has to be dry cleaned but not that expensive a coat I would use the dryel stuff that is not expensive but the only thing with that is not being able to use it at the laundry mat. I was wondering if you don't have any more spots on you an he doesn't either then how could it still be on the coat is what I would be wondering an why can't you use a damp rag over it an then put the rag in a sink of bleach water. Have you tried to check via internet if poison ivy could still be on the coat or if it just disapates after being airborne
Good Morning Carrie. I read online that you can clean your skin & clothing with alcohol, even beer.. WOW wouldn't that be a hoot at church or pre-school...lol
Also our boys could just be down wind from the stuff and get it. Then it was my turn.. UGH.. We used the benadryl for the itching, and calamine lotion. Our eldest son just got over a really terrible case of it on his feet and legs. He is an electrician and it was by a building they were wiring. UGH.. He was miserable.
I betcha you could find a inexpensive coat some where until you can get his cleaned. Remember to use some gloves or something to place it in the washer and wash alone. Use COLD water. The oils from the ivies can and will get on other clothing and your skin for as long as a year.
(according to net search) Wish I had known some of this stuff when my boys were little guys.
My hubby doesn't seem to be bothered with it. So when our youngest son found it in his rental house's back yard, dad to the rescue and sprayed it three times before they got it all.
The net said if you go walking in the woods to be on the safe said wipe your cloths down with rubbing Alcohol when returning to remove the oils from the ivy, BEFORE going in the house. So tell Grams to carry some with her next time....lol
God Bless you Carrie, hope it all works out great for you.
Itching drives ya crazzzzzzzzy
K. Nana of 5
