How long does it take for a dead poison ivy vine to become inactive ?
About 10 years ago I noticed a poison ivy (maybe oak) vine about an inch in diameter growing up the side of a ceder tree that was about 30 feet tall. I cut the vine near the root. It has turned rotten over the years. Now the tree is dead and I want to cut it down.
Thing is even though the vine has turned to almost powder does it still have anything left in it that would be harmful ? Especially dust from a chain saw. Most of the vine is in a groove that runs up the side of the vine.
I get poison ivy/oak rashes that are so bad that this thread is making me itch.
That said, that video has a couple of serious problems.
His basic premise is that anything that you have touched that has been exposed to urushiol - even years prior - could cause a rash so you need to use his 3 times washing technique within his specified time frame* after you touch the object.
Here's the problem: Do we know what has been exposed to urushiol? No, because if we did, we wouldn't touch it. Therefore, in order to follow his "wash it off" advice we would need to scrub 3 times with a washcloth within the specified time frame* every time we touch anything that could possibly have been exposed to urushiol, even years ago. Who is going to do that? (Sure, I touched that rake last month and didn't get a rash, but did I touch every part of it that might have been exposed? I don't know. I better go wash. With a washcloth. 3 times.)
Like I said, I get very bad rashes, so I know all about the washing it off rule. The problem is that I rarely know where it came from. When I break out, I do my best to think back. Where did I go? What did I touch? Have I touched anything or been anywhere in the last
24-48 hours that I haven't touched or been to a dozen or more times since the last rash? The answer is usually "No". Rarely can I pinpoint a possible source of exposure. I guess I should be washing more often. With a washcloth. 3 times.
*Now let's talk about his specified time frame. What does he mean by "clean your skin within 2 - 8 hours of contact"?
Is 1 hour too soon? Of course not. Immediately would be the best. Can you wait as long as 8 hours? If so, how does the "2 hours" fit into the equation? Is it that some people need to wash within 2 and others can wait as long as 8? Who? Is it based on exposure amount - 2 is the max for a lot of exposure, 8 is the max for a tiny bit? I don't know, he doesn't explain it.
Besides, how would know if you were exposed to a little or to a lot? You can't see the oil like you can the grease, so you don't even know that you touched an object or put on a piece of clothing that had urushiol on it. That takes us all the back to having to follow his washing advice every time you touch anything or go anywhere where a possible exposure could occur.
Yes, his overall advice is correct: Wash off the oil and you'll never get a rash. However, putting his advice into practice means a lot of washing, with a washcloth, 3 times within (?) 2 - 8 hours (?) of every *possible* exposure.
Can't you use a saw or axe to cut out a foot of the vine where you are about to use the chain saw?
I think I have what used to be called Johnson & Johnson First Aid Spray, with iirc lidocaine, and iirc I used tha once when I had poison ivy to stop the itching, and it worked. I had to spray again every few hours.
I'm not sure of the name but I'll check if you want me to.
The vine is in a grove in the tree so there is no way to cut any of it out.
I will probably just leave the tree where it is. It is out of the way in the back yard among other trees. Being ceder it probably will never rot or fall on its on.
Yeah, but it doesn't have naptha anymore. It may or may not still be effective on urushiol. Like TSP when you have something that works they'll ban it.
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