SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/scout-urushiol-on-gear

How long can poison ivy oil stay active on tools or boots?

Up to 5 years.

  1. Up to 5 years ✔
  2. About 5 minutes
  3. Until the next rain

Why: The itchy oil, urushiol, sticks to clothes, tools and pets and can still cause a rash later. NIOSH says to wash exposed clothes separately in hot water with detergent.

Huh, didn't know that: NIOSH says an amount of urushiol smaller than a grain of salt causes a rash in 80 to 90 percent of adults.

The dad joke
Why did the boot get a rash? It stepped out with the wrong crowd of leaves.
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Sources

  1. Poisonous Plants (CDC NIOSH) https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/outdoor-workers/about/poisonous-plants.html

Test yourself in the game

Outdoors & CampingDoes "leaves of three, let it be" help you spot poison sumac?Outdoors & CampingWhy should you never burn poison ivy in a campfire?Outdoors & CampingYou're lost on a hiking trail. What do you do?

That's stuff everyone should know.