Heather Solos's Blog, page 60

Give Your Nose a Hug and Learn a New Vocabulary Word: Pthalates

Heather says:

I can’t believe it has been four months since I flew to San Francisco for the Method Summit where I was able to meet the people behind the Method brand. Not only did I have a wonderful time, I got to learn about the mission, goals, and ideology that make the Method company so frigging awesome. Yeah, I went there.

They are the scrappy little start up that could. Do you have any idea how hard it is to break into the CPG (consumer packaged good) industry? Especially in the cleaning field where most consumers buy products based solely on learned habits. Be honest, how many of you buy the same cleaners as your parents? Those scents and memories are powerful and it takes an amazing amount of effort to change long standing habits.

While I was at the summit, they had the attendees take part in a photo-shoot and doesn’t it just figure that the best picture (in my opinion) ever taken of me, has me hugging a freakishly large nose? Seriously? Whatever. You take what you get, I suppose. (It’s amazing what a little good lighting and professional make-up can do)

 

But the summit wasn’t all just fun (ok, it was all fun because I’m a big chemistry dork and I truly love learning about the science behind the method product line). What do you know about pthalates? Are they something you are conscious of when you make purchasing decisions*?

Pthalates are most commonly used to make plastics more flexible, but because of the chemical structure of this compound, pthalates quickly end up in the environment and there is increasing concern about cumulative pthalate exposure. Sure, a little bit isn’t anything to freak out about, you can’t avoid them completely. That said, pthalates are endocrine (hormone) disruptors and there is potentially a link between the increase in pthalate exposure and the increased incidence of obesity. (I’ve told y’all not to microwave in plastic, right? Pthalates are why plastic, even microwavable plastic isn’t the best idea.)

The Method brand wants to assure you that they choose pthalate free formulas and plastics for their products. Additionally, their dish cleaners include derivatives from coconut oil, aloe vera, and purified water. So when you choose Method, you’re not increasing the amount of pthalates in your home or the water supply. That’s pretty cool.

One of my favorite things about Method is that while they completely understand the importance of creating the most ecologically product possible, they don’t really care if that is the reason you choose Method. They didn’t stop at eco-friendly, they wanted to create a product consumers would choose because: it works, it is beautiful, and because it smells nice.

What Method scents appeal to you? Method has a quiz on Facebook and a chance to win a year’s supply of dish soap, and that my friends is nothing to sneeze at. (har har)

Here’s Noah in the final installment of the Method Clean Happy Video Campaign. Enjoy!

*Further reading on pthalates:

More concerns about pthalates: effects may be cumulative

ToxTown: Pthalates

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This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Monday Morning Confessional, I Have Jury Duty

Heather says:

File this one under, “Sometimes I really wish I had a normal 9-5 job so I could keep the days of the week straight.”

You know how on Sundays the chore chart reminds everyone to check their schedules?

I forgot.

This means I completely spaced, until five minutes ago, that I have jury duty this afternoon.

This being human thing? It’s for the birds.

So tell me, what air headed thing have you done lately? Hopefully they won’t take my phone away and your comments will entertain me until I have to pay attention. Oh and tomorrow? We leave for Minnesota, 24 hours in the car with kids, send some good thoughts in this direction and include some caffeine in those thoughts.

Click here to leave a comment on Monday Morning Confessional, I Have Jury Duty . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Home Ec 101 Retro Round Up

Heather says:

Wow, this week flew by and I’m going to blame the mid-week holiday. I hope you and yours had a wonderful Fourth and for those of you across the pond and elsewhere, I simply hope you had a pleasant week. (I was going to say summer, but I know some of you are from Australia and New Zealand. This is really starting to mess with my mind, I really just can’t generalize, can I?)

Those tomatoes I thought I’d use for a fearless Friday are still sitting on my counter and I need to get moving with them before heading in to work.

Suggestions? I do have everything on hand to go with the old standby tomato pie, but I think I’m in the mood for something a little different. I’m thinking tomato soup would be good, despite it being approximately 8 million degrees. I think to go with it, I’d like to make grilled cheese with jalapenos a la Closet Cooking. (OMGoodness the nom)

Here’s a look at what we were doing this first week of July in the Home Ec 101 past:

2007 – I introduced readers to the tried and true standby of oven-fried chicken fingers.

2008 – We talked about how hard water spots are pretty much an annoying fact of life and Ivy -remember Ivy?- shared a granny square tutorial that, to this day, remains one of this site’s most popular posts.

2009 – I learned, the hard way, that if you’re allergic to ragweed, chamomile tea may be a very bad idea and on the Home Ec front we talked about why thawing chicken in a water bath is safer than on the counter.

2010- Speaking of chicken, in 2010 I was on  roll and shared a tutorial on how to cut up a whole chicken and we talked about how to keep stainless steel shiny. On the food front I learned about dry roux and used it to make shrimp etouffee and shared how to set up an emergency pantry.

2011 – Have you had chipotle mayonnaise? No? Why not? I hate mayonnaise and could drink this stuff and we also explored why sometimes a gas grill won’t get hot.

Enjoy your weekend!

 

 

 

Click here to leave a comment on Home Ec 101 Retro Round Up . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Recipes for the Farmer’s Market Summer Produce and Seasonal Eating

Dear Home-Ec 101,

It’s summertime and the local Farmer’s Market has an abundance of beautiful fruits and veggies.

The problem is I don’t have very many “side item”/veggie/fruit recipes in my recipe repertoire, so I go to the farmer’s market, admire the selection, sniff the air, buy some peaches and tomatoes and leave with the feeling that I missed the boat. Sometimes I’ll buy the peas or butter beans and cook them in some oil and salted water & occasionally throw in some bacon, but there’s got to be some better recipes out there to help us enjoy summer’s bounty.

Can you help?
Most cookbooks find it beneath them to share those simple little recipes that just require a pat of butter and a little baking time, but I’m new to cooking and need all the help I can get.

Thanks,
Searching in Summerton

Heather says:

Here at Home-Ec 101 I’m all about the simple recipes and ideas, so your question is the perfect way to get back into Fearless Fridays (as another reader requested). Fearless Fridays are my way of encouraging myself and all of you to push your boundaries in the kitchen. I have to work this evening so tomorrow’s Fearless Friday may be posted a little later than usual if I make a go of it. (Then again, I do have a bunch of tomatoes begging to be used today so maybe it won’t be as much of a pain in the rear to get done as I thought)

To get you started though here are some simple ideas, some are simply ways to save produce for later rather than side dishes. I’ll work more on getting lots of side dishes for you over the course of this summer. What area are you in? That will help me know when your produce is coming into season

Here is a table with a bunch of ideas.

Asparagus, GrilledBaked PotatoesBaked Potato SoupBroccoli Almond SaladBroccoli Cheddar FrittataBroccoli with Bell PepperBroccoli, RoastedBroccoli, SteamedBroccoli Rabe with Garlic and GingerBrussels Sprouts, Oven-RoastedBrussels Sprouts with BaconButternut Squash, SavoryButternut SquashCapreseCarrot Raisin SaladCauliflower Cheddar BitesColeslawCollard GreensCollard Greens and Northern BeansCollard Greens, Vegetarian StyleFried Green CornCorn and Bean SaladCorn ChowderCorn Chowder, Gluten FreeGazpachoGreen Beans, RoastedGuacamoleHasselback PotatoesHow to Roast PotatoesKale, BraisedLeek and Cabbage SoupLeek and Potato SoupLoaded Mashed PotatoesOlive TapenadePeach Salsa / Mango SalsaPeach SyrupPear SaucePeas and AlmondsPotato SaladRanch Potato WedgesRice and PeasRoasted VegetablesRutabaga, BraisedRutabaga, Mashed Slow Roasted Tomatoes Tomato Soup  Turnips and Rutabagas, Braised

Zucchini and squash are fantastic sliced and grilled, just brush with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Or I like to quickly saute them in a little butter, garlic, and a sprinkle with parmesan cheese

Here’s how to make vegetable foil packets for the grill, and why not try Bobbie’s two cucumber salad recipes.

Home Eccers, please feel free to share and link to your favorite sources for side dishes.

And if you have your own recipes to share, get them ready for tomorrow.

Click here to leave a comment on Recipes for the Farmer’s Market Summer Produce and Seasonal Eating . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Water Storage Solution for Hurricane Preparedness

Heather says:

This year, after doing my annual Hurricane Preparedness Reminder, I was contacted by David Hodges of AquaStorage, creators of the Aquapod Kit. The Aquapod Kit is a  solution to the whole, “But I don’t have enough space to store a two week supply of water for my family of six.” (Quick math will tell you that’s 84 gallons of water)

Water storage has always been one of the more obnoxious pain points of hurricane preparedness in my household. Yes, I do have about 30 gallons of water, but it’s distributed throughout the house in a closet, in the garage, under the stairs. Remember to rotate the jugs doesn’t always happen. (Oh yeah, we’re back to that whole fallible human thing, aren’t we?)

The Aquapodkit holds up to 65 gallons of potable water and doesn’t take up more than a square foot of storage space until you need it. Brilliant!

The Aquapodkit is an incredibly simple solution to an obnoxious problem. It’s a food grade, hygienic liner for your bathtub that comes with a pump. While the liners are not reusable, you can purchase refills rather than an entirely new kit. Frigging awesome, if you ask me.

Toss the kit into a closet until a hurricane looms and then follow the instructions.

The Aquapodkit now has the Home-Ec101.com Seal of Approval.

However, there are a couple of drawbacks I must mention. The Aquapodkit is only useful for situations in which you have adequate warning. It’s not a great water storage solution for those who deal with emergencies where there may only be a few moments warning or no warning at all. And as I mentioned, the liners themselves are not reusable -the pump is. You should still keep some water on hand for emergencies other than hurricanes.

A few other quick notes about the product from the representative who took the initiative to contact me (Hey, I’m also an entrepreneur, I like people who take appropriate initiative.)

1. Our product is made here in the USA.
2. We support local organizations – our kits are put together at the Austin State School of the Aged and Disabled – we love them and have been working with them for years.
3. We are the only product that offers replacement liners / refills – a great value to the consumer.
4. My parents tested and used the product during Hurricane Katrina.

You can purchase the kits through the website directly or you can purchase the Aquapod Kit from Amazon.

I was sent an Aquapod Kit for review purposes. I opened up the box, took one look at it and said, “Brilliant.” I closed the box and put it with my emergency preparedness supplies. I may be a lot of things, but stupid isn’t one. All opinions are my own, including that one. 

Click here to leave a comment on Water Storage Solution for Hurricane Preparedness . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Why Won’t My Dried Beans Soften?

Dear Home-Ec 101,

HELP! We tried dried black beans and mistakenly added salt, seasonings, and wine after soaking and the beans are not getting tender even after hours of cooking.
Are there any fixes for tough beans you know of?

Thanks in advance,
Chewy in Chesterfield

Heather says:

Despite what you have been told, salting the water does not cause the skins of beans to become tough. Some people believe that the salt prevents beans from absorbing water, but this has been disproven by a few studies.

Water generally enters beans through three openings with fancy names: raphe, hilum, and micropyle rather than crossing the outer coat of the dried bean. So don’t worry too much about adding salt or seasonings to the cooking water. Your beans will still soften even in salted cooking water.

Acidic ingredients can cause tougher beans. The acidity can react with the coating of the bean, so hold off on adding acidic ingredients until the end of the cooking process.

If you have hard water, the minerals can deposit on the beans which can also make them tougher than beans cooked in soft water. While some people suggest adding baking soda to the water, I find that can create a weird texture and / or a funky taste. If you have hard water consider using bottled water instead.

The leading cause of toughness in beans (sounds like I’m about to unveil some scary medical news, huh?) is age. Just because you bought the dried beans from your store last week doesn’t mean they are new. As dried beans age the pores through which the water enters tend to close and the outer coating may change, too. If water can’t get into the bean, they aren’t going to soften no matter how long you cook them.

My best advice is to try again with beans from a store with a high turnover rate on their dry goods. It won’t do any good to buy the same beans from the same store if they came out of that same shipment from long ago.

If you live at high altitude, you may find that a pressure cooker significantly reduces the amount of time it takes your beans to soften.

Good luck!

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

 

Click here to leave a comment on Why Won’t My Dried Beans Soften? . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Home Ec Round Up and Retro Saturday All in One

Heather says:

Know what’s riveting? Not hearing about how I spent last night in fever dreams in which I ran from alligators (anyone feel like analyzing that?) and a random little girl stole my favorite dress. No, riveting is checking out this interesting graph that compares the leading causes of death from 1900 vs. 2010. Yeah, so I’m a little weird, but if you’ve been reading here for any length of time, you knew that. Look at the graph to see what modern medicine and access to clean water has and has not done for us. Additionally, I also wonder how much of the current causes of death are caused by lifestyle and how many just show up because people lived long enough to succumb to the other causes.

That said, I still invite you to check out my old post on Why I Try to Cook from Scratch.  I openly admit that since I started my second job in March that I haven’t been nearly as on top of things, but as I settle into the routine things are getting more “normal.” Just remember, that’s my “normal” not society’s.

Here’s a round up of things that caught my eye this week that are at least tangentially related to Home-Ec101.com’s topics and a round up of what happened this week in a quick blast from the Home-Ec101 past.

Since Saturday is also project day (look at the chore chart) I thought I’d include a couple of  project ideas.

Since it’s only June and breaking 100°F here, I could use fans in every room. There’s just no way the AC is going to keep up. This project looks simple enough to actually do. Thank you Before and After for this simple, yet great idea. How nice will it be to not look at a white and grimy fan? Quite.

Lunch in a Box has advice those of you looking to freeze ground beef in small portions. I look at it, shake my head and say, “Duh, why didn’t I think of that” and yes, this advice is perfect for those of you with only a small freezer.

Crafter Neftolak has a brilliant project for storing small items. You certainly don’t have to get this fancy -you know me, put down the glue gun and back away- unless that’s what floats your boat. I believe the concept would be great for the garage, too -nuts, bolts, washers, etc. I occasionally can, so I’ve always got mason jars around.

Home-Ec 101 has been around for five (gasp!) years. Here’s what we’ve done the last week of June:

2007 – How to Dice a Tomato -Remember you’ll want to have a sharp knife for this tut.

2008- Take a Crockpot on Vacation?

2009- Spring Rolls! Nom! And while I’m looking at this old post, do you think I should bring back Fearless Fridays?

2010- Lowcountry Boil

and finally 2011 - How to Clean Window Sills -they are a frigging pain in the butt and mine are in sore need of revisiting. Bleh.

What are you doing this weekend?

Click here to leave a comment on Home Ec Round Up and Retro Saturday All in One . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Quick Tip from Q-Tips and a note about Q-Tips for Good

Heather says:

As you know, Home-Ec101.com works with Q-tips®. Did you know that Q-tips® cotton swabs do a lot of good?  This summer Q-tips® cotton swabs brand is donating 1 Million Q-tips® cotton swabs to 3 charities that can use them daily – Operation Gratitude for care packages, Ronald McDonald House of New York for arts & crafts and Glamour Gals for intergenerational manicures & makeovers.

Visit Facebook.com/Qtips and SHARE to show your support!

And that’s not all, here’s another quick tip from Q-tips®. This month my suggestion is to use Q-tips® Precision Tips to apply grout sealant to stained grout (obviously this is tiled surfaces with thin grout lines). I have previously talked about How to Fix Stained Grout (and there is a video demonstrating the technique, SWEET!) You’d use the same technique, just with a small brush or disposable Q-tips® for smaller lines.

Just for fun I wanted to know what those of you on Twitter suggest as uses for Q-tips®.

@HeatherSolosUmmm. . . I’m rather fond of using Q-tips®  for booger removal. I learned this watching boxing. . .works great!

— Sly (@SwampFoxSly) June 28, 2012

 

@HeatherSolos Cleaning lens around the edge and the threads that hold in the lenses of my binoculars.

— lowcountrywolf (@lowcountrywolf) June 28, 2012

 

@heathersolos I like to use Q-tips® to smudge my eyeliner for smokey eyes They are also great for cleaning up stray nail polish.

— Andrea(LilKidThings) (@AndreaUpdyke) June 28, 2012

 

@HeatherSolos I use Q-tips® when applying makeup. They’re great for cleaning small mistakes off your face, or making the perfect smoky eye.

— Amy Bradley-Hole (@amybhole) June 28, 2012

And the lovely @janlnye said they make great cat toys, but she had a potty mouth, don’t mind her, she’s writing a book or three and that gets stressful. And someone else said they make great blow darts, but I didn’t think Q-tips would like that suggestion, no matter how much it made me giggle.

What uses do you have for Q-tips®?

This is a sponsored post. Q-tips® product was provided by Unilever, the makers of Q-tips®; my usage suggestions are my own and those of the Home-Ec101.com Community.

Click here to leave a comment on Quick Tip from Q-Tips and a note about Q-Tips for Good . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Plato’s Potato Salad Recipe – The Requisite Summer Cookout Side Dish

Bobbie says:

Am I the only one who thinks a summer cookout just doesn’t seem right without potato salad? Whether you’re planning a barbecue for the July Fourth Independence Day here in the states, or planning a small family picnic, this easy potato salad recipe will round out the menu nicely.

I had a fear of making potato salad for a while. When I still lived at home, my parents had a friend who was a very nice lady, but a rather dreadful cook. Her chili was thin and watery and I doubt a single chili pepper in any form was ever anywhere near it. And her potato salad was crunchy. Not from crisp, fresh bits of celery or onion, or even bacon. It was the potatoes. My husband has a similar story, of a beloved relative whose potato salad was spoken of only in hushed tones so as not to hurt her feelings. I did not want to be THAT person.

And when I finally decided to give it a go, guess who I turned out to be? Yep. The crunchy-potatoes-potato-salad-maker person. Fortunately, it was only for my own household, no guests, and it was only some of the potatoes that were a bit not un-crunchy. So, mostly edible. I kept working at it, trying different methods for getting the potatoes just right, and tweaking the dressing based on family input.

I was certain I’d finally perfected my potato salad on the day my husband referred to it as “Plato’s Potato Salad.”

We’d both had to take the same religion & philosophy course long ago at Grove City College, so I knew exactly what he meant. You’ve heard of Plato, that wacky ancient Greek philosopher? Well, he had this notion that things in the physical world were only cheap knockoffs of perfect things that existed only in the realm of thought. (No, seriously. It’s called Plato’s Theory of Forms. Look it up.) That chair you’re sitting on, comfy as it may be, is nowhere the ideal of perfect chair-ness that exists in your mind. So, when my husband called this Plato’s Potato Salad, I knew he liked it. A lot.

Now that we’ve gotten the involuntary Greek philosophy lesson out of the way, on to the actual food discussion. I think it’s time for a picture.

And there it is. I’m presentationally-impaired, so forgive my lame attempt at a garnish.

This is a pretty simple recipe, with only four chopped ingredients tossed with a non-sweet dressing. If you prefer yours on the sweet side or with – as we say at our house – “lots of stuff in it” then you might want to check out the potato salad recipe that Heather posted in 2009. That recipe also uses a different method of cooking the potatoes, which of course you could use here, as well. When I try it that way, I tend to end up making mashed potatoes and trying the potato salad again at a later time. It’s probably just my inability to pay attention to a timer beyond setting the thing. My method still uses a timer, but it’s slightly more forgiving in the paying-attention department.

 

Plato’s Potato Salad Recipe2 pounds medium potatoes (5 to 6 medium) – enough to end up with 4 1/2 cups cubed, cooked potatoes6 hard cooked eggs, peeled1 cup chopped celery1/2 cup chopped onion (yellow or purple)1 cup mayonnaise2 tablespoons white wine vinegar1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon granulated sugar1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Wash the potatoes, scrubbing well with a brush if they’re very dirty. You want them completely free of dirt before cooking to avoid simmering the potatoes in muddy water. That wouldn’t be conducive to tasty tater salad. Get ‘em clean, kids.

Choose a pot large enough to hold all the potatoes in one layer, and make sure it has a lid that fits well. Fill with water to a depth of 1 inch and bring to a boil. Add the whole, clean and not-peeled potatoes. Cover tightly and return to boiling. Reduce heat to a high simmer and cook 30 to 35 minutes or until tender. If you can push a table knife (not a sharp knife) easily through to the center of the largest potato, they’re done. Drain and allow potatoes to cool until you can handle them enough to peel.

While the potatoes are cooking and cooling, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt, sugar and pepper. Set aside. Oh, and if you haven’t cooked your eggs yet, git ‘er done. (See the link in the ingredients list to Heather’s demo.)

Here’s how I peel the cooked potatoes: take a sharp, non-serrated paring knife and use it to scrape the skin right off. I hold the knife so the blade is perpendicular to the surface of the potato. It comes off rather easily.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cut the potatoes into bite-sized chunks, or smaller if you prefer. Chop up the eggs into bite size or smaller pieces. I like big chunks of egg, but others may not. If you want to garnish with egg slices, cook an extra egg or two, then peel and keep in the fridge to slice just before serving.

 

Put the potatoes, eggs, celery and onion in a large bowl.

Pour dressing over and gently mix until all pieces are coated well.

 

 

Transfer to storage container or serving bowl and cover. Chill a bare minimum of two hours, but preferably several hours or overnight. Salad should be stirred gently before serving (or before adding your garnish if you’re doing that)

Recipe makes 3 1/4 pounds, or about 14 half-cup servings

Bobbie Laughman shot a man in Reno just to watch him die. You could report her, but you know they’ll just laugh at you. Besides, you know he had it coming, so instead you should go check out her blog Gruntled. Sheveled. Whelmed. Send questions to Bobbie@Home-Ec101.com

Click here to leave a comment on Plato’s Potato Salad Recipe – The Requisite Summer Cookout Side Dish . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011

Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac, It’s All About the Urushiol

From Facebook:

How do you deal with poison oak, sumac, and ivy in general?

Scratchy in Santa Fe

Heather says:

If you come into contact with poison ivy, oak, or sumac the most effective “treatment” is to immediately and thoroughly wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and water. All three of these plants (and interestingly their distant cousin the mango) have the same allergenic oil, urushiol. Interestingly, not everyone is allergic to urushiol. While I’m allergic to everything else Mother Nature throws at me, I’ve never had a case of poison ivy despite my years and years of rambling in the woods, but enough about me.

So the structure of urushiol looks a bit like this, with alkyl chain at the R in the image. An alkyl chain is simply a bunch of carbon atoms with hydrogen attached kind of like this C/C\C/C\CH3 (That’s about the best I can do in a standard text editor, just pretend you get it). That alkyl chain makes the urushiol molecule difficult to dissolve in water.

However your skin has oils and urushiol will gladly hang out in those oils, having a party, raising blisters and an ugly rash.

The urushiol can be spread through contact, if you have some on your arm and you scratch, you may get the urushiol under your finger nails which will then be spread to your face or wherever you decide to touch before you wash. (And gentlemen, I’ve heard plenty of embarrassing stories about men not washing their hands thoroughly and -how do we put this delicately- spreading the fun to less public body parts and later assuming they have other issues that require a visit to the county health department.)

Despite the persistent old wives tale, you cannot spread poison ivy from the rash itself, UNLESS, that rash never got washed and still has urushiol. Got it?

If you don’t wash the oil promptly your skin may absorb the urushiol; which, as you can imagine may intensify your reaction. Some people even have systemic (whole body) reactions to poison ivy and will break out in rashes, even in places that have not had contact with the irritant.

Keep in mind that animals that have come in contact with poison ivy, oak, or sumac may spread the urushiol on their fur. If you’re especially sensitive, try to keep animals off of the furniture (especially beds) and bathe them thoroughly.

When removing poison ivy, sumac, or oak from your property, your best defense is to wear long pants, long sleeves, and gloves. Take this clothing and immediately place it in the washer – check out How to Remove Poison Ivy from Clothing, and wash your hands thoroughly. That’s it. There’s no magic trick. Sure there are plenty of products out there that claim to work especially well, but that’s mostly marketing. Wash the area with plain old soap or dish detergent (for hand washing, not the stuff you put in your dishwasher) and then treat the rash itself with your favorite OTC topical ointment.

Oh and a very important side note: Never burn poison ivy. That rash you get on your skin? It’s nothing compared to a potential reaction in the lungs.

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

Click here to leave a comment on Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac, It’s All About the Urushiol . We'd love to hear your say.This is a post from: Home-Ec101 ©Home-Ec 101.com 2007 - 2011