can you poison ivy from a couch if an infected person was sitting there...like my slovenly roommate?

Answer 1

Yes, if it is on their clothing or a pet. It's the oil of the plant that causes the rash.I know this as I am allergic to it and have to be very careful when I see it. If my husband comes in from the field he will throw his clothes in the washer in case he has a residue from the plant on his clothes.Also if you burn wood and the plant is on the wood you can also get it from burning the wood. Look it up and you may be surprised. Hope you don't have it Ouch !!!

Answer 2

Yes, the oil is what causes the allergic reaction. If it is still on your skin when you pet your cat or sit on the couch, it will transfer the oil, and the rash/reaction within 2 days. It's almost immediate for me because I'm also allergic, as is 80% of the population.

MORE FACTS:

The urushiol oil stays 'alive' even 5 years after the plant is dead.

hint: Use bleach or Dawn with bleach to wash gardening tools or anything that has come in contact, with exception to your washing machine! Dawn will leave you with a bubbling mess. But you can soak clothes in super hot water and Dawn, even w-o bleach it breaks through the grease and oils ; ) This is ok for the pooch too, and it kills fleas, just don't let him/her drink it!


Children under the age of 7 are rarely sesitive.

DO NOT BURN ~ you can inhale and get a serious reaction in your lungs.... from miles away even!

Myth: breaking blisters does not spread the urushiol oil, but may get infected easier if you scratch them open... let nature takes it's course...Poison Ivy Rash usually only lasts 7-10 days.

Good Luck! Mizz's fingers are crossed 4 U!

Sourse(s) lists some great sites too~~>

Answer 3

The only way you can get poison ivy is from the oils secreted by the plant itself. It is not contagious from person to person. So unless the oils were left on the couch, then no.

But make sure the oils were not transferred to other objects from his clothing he wore the day he came into contact with the ivy. I got it in the Winter one year from a log ivy had secreted oils upon that Summer. That s#!t is some nasty stuff.

Answer 4

A variety of things could happen here..... if you are allergic to poison ivy and the oils from the plant touch your skin..... then yes you can get it off of anything that has the oils on it. Poison ivy is not airborne so that is a plus! Anyway if he already has sores he needs to be cleaning it often, and keeping the "oooze" from getting on anything other than what he's cleaning it with. Dispose of all gauze, washcloths, or whatever he uses to clean them with. This should help!

Answer 5

Absolutely...you can get it from others directly or indirectly, and spread it around your own body that way too.

Get some topical remedy quick if you are allergic to it...and if you are VERY allergic, your doc can give you an injection to help clear it up faster...it's miserable stuff to have...

...also, be sure and wash all the surfaces the infected person's poison ivy came in contact with so it doesn't spread to others, or parts of the body where it's VERY inconvenient!

Answer 6

If the oil that causes the rash was still on his clothes or he had open blisters from scratching then yes it's possible. Posion Ivy is only contagious if the oil that causes it is present.

If you think you have come in contact with posion ivy you should wash with soap and water -- I reccommend rubbing alcohol too, within 30 minutes. The clothing you were wearing should also be washed.

Answer 7

Yes you can. The oils from the poison ivy plant can get on fabric and transfer to your skin, that is IF the oil is still on the person's skin. If he has already thoroughly washed the affected area with soap and water (removing the oils) and you touch something that his rash has touched, you shouldn't catch poison ivy from him. However, stay away from open oozing sores. Eeeewwwwww

Answer 8

First of all Poison Ivy is not an infection! It is an allergic reaction. Unless the person has the particles allergic susbtance still stuck to his skin, you can rub against the itchy skin and will not 'catch it'. I have done that!

Answer 9

Myth: Poison ivy is contagious from person to person. Fact: Poison ivy rash is not contagious and can not be spread by scratching or rubbing the rash or blisters. It is a very common misconception that poison ivy is contagious. Poison ivy is spread by urushiol oil, and only contact with remnants of the oil can spread the rash to other people or parts of the body.

Myth: "Leaves of three, let them be" Fact: This well known saying is misleading. Although poison ivy and oak have 3 leaves per cluster, poison sumac (which also spreads urushiol) may contain as many as 15 leaves per cluster. It is also possible for poison ivy and oak to to have varied cluster formations that leave them with more or less leaves. It is more beneficial to carefully identify a suspected plant before dismissing the possibility of it being toxic due to cluster formations.

Myth: Dead poison ivy plants are not contagious, they're harmless. Fact: Couldn't be more wrong. Even dead plants can contain active urushiol oil for as long as 5 years! Dead poison ivy is just as contagious as live plants. Learn to identify dead leaves and plants as well as live ones to further avoid contact with the plant.

Myth: Only poison ivy plants are contagious. Fact: While the urushiol oil is excreted from the stems and leaves of the plant, the roots are also a source of urushiol. The oil can be spread from the plants on just about anything that disturbs a plant. This includes clothing, tools, lawn equipment, pet hair, ect.

Myth: I can get rid of poison ivy plants by burning them. Fact: Burning poison ivy is one of the most dangerous ways you can dispose of it. If you're going to do something as careless as that, you might as well pull the plants with your bare hands! When burned the urushiol oil turns to vapor that can travel through the air. This vapor is free to be inhaled, causing internal reactions, or cling to skin, clothing, and anything else it has contact with. Poison ivy smoke is contagious and should be avoided because of this ability to cause internal allergic reactions.

Myth: Poison ivy is only a vine. Fact: While it is true poison ivy is commonly found as a vine that climbs and crawls, it can also grow as small bushes or shrubs that are also contagious. Myth: "I've never experienced a poison ivy reaction, I am immune to the problems caused by the plants." Fact: Just because you've never had a reaction doesn't mean it isn't possible. At least 90% of individuals are allergic to poison ivy, and it could be just a matter of time and exposure before you have a reaction. This is why it is recommended you help protect yourself with something like Ivy Block lotion for poison ivy prevention when you plan to spend time in areas where exposure is likely.

Myth: "If I'm allergic to poison ivy, I will always be allergic" Fact: Not true. As our bodies grow and change, our sensitivity levels change as well. Some people will find that even though they were allergic to poison ivy as a child, they no longer experience the reaction as an adult. The opposite is true as well. You can try to manipulate your bodie's reaction with homeopathic remedies such as oral Rhus-tox solution for poison ivy immunity

Answer 10

Yes, it's contagious... highly contagious. I've had it a ton of times, best thing I found you can do is just squeeze it out like a pimple and have a cloth with alcohol to wipe up the ooze with.