10/15/12 Poison Ivy News

NPR has an article on a new invention, not yet on the market, that makes poison ivy oil visible. Caution: nasty picture! It also has immediately useful information on some of the best ways of cleaning the oil off.

"So, OK, [inventor and poison ivy expert and sufferer] Braslau's spray lets you know you've been exposed to urushiol [the oil in poison ivy]. Then what, I asked her?

"TecNu," she replied.

TecNu is a water-free cleanser. There are other soaps that work getting the oil off - for example, that stuff called Goop car mechanics use to degrease their hands, Braslau says, and some dish-washing detergents. But she relies on TecNu."

There is plenty of poison ivy in the Victor area including on and near our trails.