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After receiving many messages from readers over the years about poison ivy, we have finally put together a great guide to dealing with poison ivy for you!

This guide not only talks about the plants themselves, but also dealing with the RASHES you get!

I come from a long line of country people. We are not only Texans, but the type of people you see outside feeding cows, building fence, clearing out brush, and doing physical labor in the pastures. Needless to say, this type of life has brought us to many poison ivy encounters.

My little 90 year old grandmother just recently went to the doctor for a poison ivy rash! LOL

Anyways, I would love to share our tips, experience plus some science to help you with all your poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac dealings.

Let’s get started on this complete guide to dealing with poison ivy, oak, and sumac!

The Complete Guide to Dealing with Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac

Growing up, my dad taught us at an early age what poison ivy was. We would be out helping him work, and he could point out those poisonous plants a mile away. He has always been very sensitive to the rashes of poison ivy.

I grew up being extremely cautious about these poisonous plants. Many of my friends didn’t know anything about it, so I was always protecting them from these plants too.

There are actually three main types of these poisonous plants: poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. They are named after the leaves they resemble. The ivy looks just ivy. Poison oak has leaves that look like those on an oak tree. Poison sumac resembles the leaves of a sumac.

The most common type you find is poison ivy.

Poison ivy is one of the most invasive plants. It has this incredible root system. The poison ivy you see popping up is just a portion, underneath the soil is a very webbed root structure which is what makes it impossible to kill.

One time we cleared out poison ivy underneath a tree, the roots were over 20 foot long and had branches off the main root into dozens of other plants. It all stemmed from a main poison ivy plant that was about 4 inches thick at least 20 feet away! It was crazy.

Here is what these poisonous plants look like:

This is just some small cutouts from the plants we see locally. A good rule of thumb is “leaves of three, let them be”

Poison sumac can be more difficult to identify since it looks similar to other sumac. Here is a good link to help you identify the poisonous sumac plant.

Is There a Homemade Poison Ivy Killer??

The next part of this guide is going to address how to kill this plant! I am going to tell you right now, it is hard to kill it! In fact, we have tried every single type of homemade remedy and store-bought solution on the market to get rid of this horrible plant species.

As much as I love our homemade weed killer for almost everything, it doesn’t kill poison ivy! Why? It is the root system that makes this so hard to kill.

No homemade remedy kills this. If you have tried a homemade remedy and it worked, it is probably just the one strand it withered. Like we mentioned above, the root system is like a web, that shoots out everywhere.

If you read a homemade poison ivy killer recipe online, beware of it. I have tried and tested everything. Yes, it will wither the leaves and probably kill the strand you pour it on, BUT this is only that small portion. The webbed root system is still under the ground with other shoots everywhere. This is why it is so difficult to kill.

What Kills Poison Ivy the Fastest:

The key to killing it is to catch it before it gets out of control. Unfortunately, you will have to buy a specially formulated poison ivy killer to get this stuff successfully.

We have always used the Ortho Poison Ivy Killer and RoundUP. They have been the only brands to kill the entire strand in our yard.

A more Eco-friendly option is this product called ECO Guard Pro. The main component is acetic acid in this. However, I have used this, and it did NOT kill the roots, just the strand. So, again, the homemade remedies and Eco-friendly options have not been successful in killing entire plant.

The only method that isn’t an herbicide that works to kill poison ivy is gasoline. You can pour gasoline onto the ivy and it will kill it! However, I don’t recommend this because it can be dangerous when weather is dry. So, PLEASE don’t try this. It also kills all plants!

What other method is there besides an herbicide?

I know many of our readers don’t want to use a commercial herbicide which I understand. A safe method is Goats. If you have the option, goats will eat and destroy poison ivy completely. They eat anything, but they especially love poison ivy, oak, and sumac.

We had some friends who moved to a new home. It had beautiful oak trees all around the property, but it had horrible poison ivy all around the trees. You couldn’t even step foot near the area because of bad poison ivy. They bought some goats and put them around the oak grove. Within a few weeks, the poison ivy was completely gone. They keep goats out there now and have not had poison ivy since then.

For those of us who can’t have goats, you have to stick to the specially formulated herbicides.

Why Is Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac So Dangerous?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, all of these plants contain a chemical called Urushiol.

This chemical absorbs into skin quickly when you touch any part of the plant! You can touch the root when the plant is dead and still get it. It is very dangerous. Another dangerous situation is inhaling it. Urushiol can go into the lungs.

If you are clearing bush or weed eating near areas where poisonous plants like this may linger, you must wear a mask or bandana.

Here is an interesting fact about Urushiol. According to Education in Chemistry, this compound is also found in mango skins! Mangoes belong to the same family as poison ivy. Since we don’t bit into mangoes or eat the skin, it isn’t a problem. This is something to be aware of though if you have a serious allergy to the compound.

What Happens When You Get Into Poison Ivy?

IF you get into poison ivy and you know it, immediately run into the bathroom and wash down the area with Tecnu! What is Tecnu?? The greatest product invented by a chemist. Originally created as a way to remove radioactive material, they found out it was very effective at removing the oils from poison ivy keeping it from penetrating the skin.

My husband is highly allergic to poison ivy. If he gets into poison ivy, he sprints to the bathroom and washes down the area with Tecnu. It prevents him from getting any poison ivy rashes.

If he doesn’t get to the bathroom or doesn’t realize he got into the poison, he will break out quickly. Tecnu is truly a miracle poison ivy cure!

Can This Work When You Already Have The Rash?

Tecnu can also be used once you already have the rash. It is a little abrasive, but amazingly soothing to the itching and burning rash poison ivy creates. It will cut down on the length you have rash and also soothe the itching.

When I had a bad poison ivy outbreak about 5 years ago, I would wake up in the middle of night with intense burning and itching. I would get in the shower and rub Tecnu everywhere. Rinse, then be able to sleep the rest of the night.

I had another reader send me a message that this Tecnu stuff was a life saver for her friends who had poison ivy really bad. No one had heard of this product before. We love it at my house!

I highly recommend keeping it on hand at all times.

By the way, we love success stories on Chemistry Cachet. Feel free to comment, email, or tag us in social media when you try a one of our tips and enjoy it!

How Long Does Poison Ivy Rash Last?

If you have already noticed the rash on your skin, WebMD says this rash can last anywhere from 5-12 days. If you have it pretty bad, it can last up to 30 days.

Since I have grown up around these plants and all members of my family have gotten poison ivy many times, I can tell you some people react differently than others to this rash.

My dad is highly, HIGHLY allergic to poison ivy. If he gets any on his skin, it is a pretty bad breakout. He had it so bad many years ago, it turned into staph on his arm.

If you have sensitive skin, or the rash isn’t going away after a certain amount of time, you must go to the doctor. Also, if you notice the rash isn’t the typical itchy, bumpy situation, but unbearable itching, go to the doctor. Some people are much more sensitive to the outbreak!

How I Deal With a Poison Ivy Rash Step by Step:

Again, it is ideal to get some tecnu on your skin immediately after anything poisonous touches it, but sometimes this isn’t an option.

If you get the poison ivy rash, here is how we deal with it and get relief! Those who have had poison ivy before know the itching can be so bad it will wake you up in the night.

There was a time when I didn’t have any reaction to poison ivy! I thought I was the lucky one. So, I cleared out a bunch of poison ivy with gloves on one year, and had the WORST outbreak. These tips helped me deal with it.

Step One:

Scrub the area thoroughly with tecnu. You can do this in the shower or over the sink depending on the area. Be very cautious to only scrub the rash and not allow it to spread to any other spot on your body.

Step Two:

Dry the area with a clean towel or even a paper towel, then dispose of the towel or throw it in the washing machine. It is important not to spread the juices!

Step Three:

Next, you can apply a topical to the area to help it dry out and minimize itching.

I use a few products:

Calagel – This stuff is is fantastic. Also by the makers of Tecnu. It forms a great protective layer, relieving all the itching.
Alcohol – Rubbing alcohol is really great for weeping poison ivy rashes. It will dry it out quickly relieving the itch for awhile. I stop using rubbing alcohol once the rash is dried out.
Calamine lotion – This is also great at drying out the rash and taking away the itch for a little bit. You can read how it works in our post about bug bites.

These are the only topical treatments that have personally helped my poison ivy outbreaks. I have tried many different essential oils and steroid creams, but none worked well.

Step Four:

Once you have a product on the rash for itching and to help dry it out, you can use cold compresses to relieve pain and swelling.

Repeat these steps a few times per day until symptoms are gone!

Remember, go to the doctor if rash starts spreading or does not improve after a few days of treatment! If your kids get into poison ivy, CALL THE DOCTOR! Children can be more sensitive to the rashes!

Share your stories with us! Feel free to comment, email, or tag us in social media when you try a one of our tips and enjoy it!

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