Do you clean your weed eater

Michael Soldan · Jun 27, 2018

This is an interesting question since I became infected with poison ivy. The only thing I touched was the weed eater to put a new spool of
sting in. A few days later I have a rash on my wrists and forearms No question the poison ivy came from the spool and the changing of the
string. I am not sure if hot soapy water will clean up the business end of the weed eater or whether I should be wiping it down with laquer
thinner or even brake cleaner. Anyone experience weed eater poisoning and how do you clean up your yard tools ?? I know that uriol is the
oily sap from poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac and a drop of it goes a long way and could infect several people. The head of the weed
eater will be covered with it.

da.bees · Jun 27, 2018

I don't intentually string trim ivy for fear of getting sap in my eyes. If changing spool were a problem I'd use latex gloves.

1948CaseVAI · Jun 27, 2018

Anything that has been touched by poison ivy needs to be cleaned. The offensive oil will remain on surfaces for many years if not removed.

Jaden · Jun 27, 2018

I believe hot soapy water is probably the best to remove the plant oils.

glennster · Jun 27, 2018

get a bar of fels naptha laundry soap and wash with that if you are exposed to poison ivy. in the laundry isle at the grocery store.
fels naptha soap

Charlie M · Jun 27, 2018

I don't think I would ever use a weed eater on poison ivy. Too much stuff flies around from them from all the ones I've ever used.

Billy NY · Jun 27, 2018

Urishiol, been said that a quantity equivalent to the head of a pin would make quite a few people itch. Tincture of green is also another remedy, to clean off urishiol from one skin initially if one knows the have been exposed. Apparently urishiol needs time to set or cling. This is supposed to minimize contact dermatitis. Urishiol can cross contaminate, so use care.

I warned one of the help about poison ivy along a hedgerow and pasture fence, especially with a string trimmer. He went for it anyways and ended up with the rash all over.

JD Seller · Jun 27, 2018

My sister catches poison ivy and oak really bad. She DOES clean her weed eater. She just puts warm water and dish soap in a wash tub. She runs the weed eater slow and sets the running head down into the water slowly. Submerge the head just an inch or so does the job. She dunks it a few times. She then just sprays it off with a garden hose. Then she runs the weed eater wide open for a minute or so to make sure there is not water left in the head section. She has done this for years. It actually makes working on the head section much nicer.

ss55 · Jun 27, 2018

Oils from Sumac give me an itchy rash for about two solid weeks.

Russ from MN · Jun 27, 2018

I wouldn't use a weed eater on poison ivy on purpose, I use 2,4-D on it!

Mike(NEOhio) · Jun 27, 2018

I don't get PI but the wife is really sensitive to it. I've waded into a patch with the weed eater wearing short pants and only got four blisters on one ankle. If you have jewel weed growing in you're area crush the stems and apply the juice to it. Kills the itch right away.

hanovertom · Jun 27, 2018

Used to use Otagon soap, but Proctor and Gambel quit making it

Bob Harvey · Jun 27, 2018

I clean ALL my yard tools after every use - just hi pressure water (not Pressure Washer). Luckily ,don't have any poison ivy on the claim.

MSS3020 · Jun 27, 2018

use to wash out lawn mowers, trimmers etc.. now just scrap with puddy knife.. wash out at end of seasons..

Michael Soldan · Jun 27, 2018

Incidentally, I don't weed eat poison ivy, but there must have been some in the long grass I was cutting

bcdave · Jun 27, 2018

Another thing, if you burn it don't get in the smoke. My new neighbor was burning weeds with little berries growing along his fence line. He ended up covered in a rash. I thought everyone in the country new what PI looked like!!!!! I guess not.
Dave

oldtanker · Jun 27, 2018

Nope I don't clean my weed eater.......she's old enough to clean herself......

Rick

hd6gtom · Jun 27, 2018

I'm lucky, I can almost roll around in the stuff and only get a spot or two on me. Gasoline with ethonal rubbed on it takes care of it overnight. No I don't clean my weed eater unless it is real bad when I restring it. Mine is a Core brand commercial unit made in Montana. To restring it I just line up two holes, push the string thru the holes, wind up about 6' of line, and I am done. No taking it apart, but it is very heavy. Battery will last over an hour.

Tom in CO · Jun 27, 2018

Funny you mentioned poison ivy. It happen to me the other day and i have little blisters all over my arms and anywhere i scratch, be careful who and where you touch. I spray Ivarest poison ivy itch spray and also use tecnu lotion. I used my power washer and blast everything off, and it looks brand new.
Tom

MARK ROBKE · Jun 28, 2018

I thought I heard Dawn dish soap will clean off poison ivy oil-? Mark.

Northvale PA · Jun 28, 2018

Last weekend I spent a good couple hours weed whacking our pasture fences. About 800? runs along neighbors corn and he uses roundup ready seed. Only thing growing along that entire fence this year is poison ivy. So I weed whacked away, washed up and don?t have any rash. Which, I do get. Funny how roundup kills the easy stuff and the bad plants just get more resistant.

Do you clean your weed eater

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