Washing work boots. I was in poison ivy.

[Pkrankow]

I have a pair of leather work boots, steel toe. I was doing yard work in them and got into poison ivy, while my arms cleared up my ankles keep getting new blisters. I think I have contaminated the cuff of the work boot. They are Work1 brand.

To remove poison ivy oils the indicated treatment is soap and lots of water.

Yesterday I took a stick of Arko (yea, well, the most suitable soap I had handy other than dish soap) and a stiff plastic brush to the boots with plenty of water. I ran the laces through the washer, along with the insoles (Dr. Sholls, the original insoles died long ago, took hours to remove as they were glued and stitched in! My only real complaint about these boots.)

I did fill the boot full of water several times to get all the soap out of the cloth ankle lining, and soaked the leather in water for some time while working on them (about 30 minutes per boot) After hanging them up to dry they turned from brown to white (!) in places, both scuffed areas and unscuffed areas, but not everywhere.

Today the boots are still damp, they were no longer drippy when I brought them inside around nightfall, about 6 hours after the cleaning. Since they looked horrible, and felt incredibly dry (even though they are still damp) I attacked the moist leather with Kiwi boot polish. The leather regained suppleness and appearance, although some of the scuffs still show.

The real questions: Did I likely get all the poison ivy oils out of the boots? (I want to believe yes, but time will tell) and Did I do anything that will damage the boots in the long term. They are 3 years old, and now look almost as good as when I bought them.

I expect they will take a couple more days to dry fully inside.

Remind me to wear long pants when tiptoeing through the poison ivy with a lawnmower or scythe.

Phil

 

[echotron]

Sounds like you've done about everything I would have done - except I have some Saddle Soap that I would have used instead of ARKO!

I bet you removed the PI oils ...

 

[camjr]

+1 on saddle soap. MUCH better for the leather, I would think.

 

[Pkrankow]

I didn't have saddle soap in the house when I started. I just bought some in case I have to do something similar anytime soon.

Phil

 

[redrako]

Old school poison ivy recommendation - Fels-Naptha soap.

Usually it's stocked in the supermarket in the laundry section and in a lot of old school harware stores.

 

[Taylor of Bank Street]

Not for the poison ivy oils but for helping your boots recover from the washing: stuff them with newspaper to help absorb the moisture slowly from the leather. Replace each day with fresh paper till dry.

 

[Pkrankow]

Old school poison ivy recommendation - Fels-Naptha soap.

Usually it's stocked in the supermarket in the laundry section and in a lot of old school harware stores.

I use that already. Kinda drying, but not bad. I have also bathed in dish soap with good results in the past. I just wish I was younger, I could handle poison ivy, not wash for hours, and I would be fine! Not anymore!

On that note I have been reading that just because you are tolerant to poison ivy today, tomorrow you might not be... Treating the stuff with impunity is not good in the long term.

Recommendations are to glove, then bag the hands(wear a bag as a poncho if needed), then mechanically remove placing into another suitable bag for disposal (trash, long term mold pile, or _hot_ compost pile) I need to stop messing with the stuff, but that isn't much of a choice lately. At least Roundup works on it! (Poison ivy and tough brush formula works better)

Not for the poison ivy oils but for helping your boots recover from the washing: stuff them with newspaper to help absorb the moisture slowly from the leather. Replace each day with fresh paper till dry.

I may try that. Thank you.

Phil

 

[Go West Young Man]

Burn the boots, it's the only sure way!

- spoken as someone who last year went the worst case of poison oak I've ever had. It was popping out all over the place for months!

 

[Pkrankow]

Burn the boots, it's the only sure way!

- spoken as someone who last year went the worst case of poison oak I've ever had. It was popping out all over the place for months!

Still an option.

Phil

 

[morganjg]

Since the soap may have adversely effected the leather, mainly drying it out, you may be keen to using some mink oil on them when they dry the rest of the way to help restore some of the lost oils. As a bonus, it will bring some sheen back and offer some waterproofing.

 

[benvh]

Make sure to rinse that Arko stick before shaving tomorrow

 

[Pkrankow]

Make sure to rinse that Arko stick before shaving tomorrow

Yea, did that.

Phil

 

[Pkrankow]

I picked up some neat foot oil and mink oil. Oiling these is on tomorrow's agenda.

Phil

 

[Mojo88]

There is a product called Tecnu that you can get almost anywhere. I use it when coming in contact with poision ivy or oak, after being exposed I wash with it to remove the oils. It has saved me a couple times already this year.

 

[Pkrankow]

There is a product called Tecnu that you can get almost anywhere. I use it when coming in contact with poision ivy or oak, after being exposed I wash with it to remove the oils. It has saved me a couple times already this year.

I think I picked a tube of that up with the saddle soap, mink and neet foot oils. I will have to look at the tube again.

Phil

 

[Gamad]

Haven't you put too much hours of work and money into fixing those boots? How much do new ones cost? Or do they have emotional value?

 

[Pkrankow]

I have very wide feet, so getting footwear that fits decently is difficult. They were about $200 new. If they are destroyed, then fine, but I like preserving good, useful things so I can use them more. The time involved is not much of a factor.

I ended up running them thought the washing machine like a pair of sneakers last night. Harsh I know, but it is what I would have done with a pair of white leather topped sneakers without thinking twice.

Phil

 

[camjr]

I have very wide feet, so getting footwear that fits decently is difficult. They were about $200 new. If they are destroyed, then fine, but I like preserving good, useful things so I can use them more. The time involved is not much of a factor.

I ended up running them thought the washing machine like a pair of sneakers last night. Harsh I know, but it is what I would have done with a pair of white leather topped sneakers without thinking twice.

Phil

Yikes!! At least I hope you didn't put them into the dryer. I couldn't imagine how loud that would be. Also, I wouldn't think either would be too good for the boots (or the machines, for that matter...)

 

[Pkrankow]

Yikes!! At least I hope you didn't put them into the dryer. I couldn't imagine how loud that would be. Also, I wouldn't think either would be too good for the boots (or the machines, for that matter...)

I ran them on gentle, slow spin for the sake of the machine.

No, no dryer. I don't run my sneakers through the dryer.

I oiled them with neatsfoot till the oil wouldn't soak in anymore and then slathered them with mink oil till white. Now they are hanging on the garden fence in the sun, getting quite warm. The oil has almost all soaked in.

Phil

 

[roklein]

Burn the boots, it's the only sure way!

- spoken as someone who last year went the worst case of poison oak I've ever had. It was popping out all over the place for months!

Never ever burn anything that has come into contact with poison ivy or the plant for that matter. Inhaled burned gases will cause a bad reaction to your airway and passages.