People’s Pharmacy | Dish detergent to wash off poison ivy
Q. Spending time in my garden or woods is delightful but risky. I put a layer of petroleum jelly on my ankles and arms from wrist to elbow before donning my gloves.
After properly doffing my clothing and gloves, I rush into the shower and wash with a popular blue liquid dish detergent. I usually do three wash rinse cycles in the shower with this detergent, because when I get poison ivy, my skin goes crazy!
Ivy-Dry helps if I have a small spot from incidental contact. Sometimes I swear the animals in the woods transfer the oil from their fur onto other unsuspecting plants.
A. Thanks for sharing your decontamination ritual. It sounds like it should be effective, at least most of the time. We hope that when you remove your clothing and gloves, you drop them straight into the washing machine so they cannot contaminate anything else in your house.
Q. If I get heartburn sometimes from tomato products, I take one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water, and after a few sips it’s gone. This works every time.
A. People may be shocked to hear that vinegar could help ease heartburn. Yours is not the first such report, however. Many other readers agree with you that apple cider vinegar can be helpful. One study found that people consuming vinegar three or four times a week as part of their regular diet were less likely to suffer symptoms of indigestion (PeerJ, Dec. 16, 2025).
Other people have found that consuming a handful of almonds at the end of a meal may help prevent symptoms. Anyone who is interested in non-drug approaches to controlling heartburn may wish to consult our eGuide to Overcoming Digestive Disorders. This online resource is located under the Health eGuides tab at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.
Q. My mother started struggling with an antibiotic-resistant urinary tract infection. After the second round of antibiotics, we started her on a supplement that combined probiotics with cranberry (she couldn’t bring herself to swallow straight cranberry juice). She also slightly increased her fluids.
This strategy worked. The infection did not come back a third time.
A. Cranberry products, as extracts or juice, have a reputation for warding off urinary tract infections UTIs). Recent research suggests that compounds in cranberries may help prevent infectious bacteria from developing antibiotic resistance. One study found that cranberry juice potentiated the antibiotic fosfomycin and reduced bacterial resistance (Applied and Environmental Microbiology, May 20, 2026).
A systematic review of 12 studies noted that “Cranberry products were generally less effective than antibiotics but prevented the development of resistant fecal flora. Probiotics significantly prolonged the time to first recurrence” (International Urogynecology Journal, May 14, 2026).
It seems that you found a good way to help your mother avoid yet another round of antibiotic treatment. We suspect that increasing her fluid intake was also helpful.
Another reader suggests adding D-mannose to cranberry extract for UTI prevention. Although this is a popular choice among our readers, a recent review concluded that this naturally occurring sugar is not very effective (Urology Research & Practice, March 13, 2026).
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In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or e-mail them via their Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.com. Their newest book is Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them (Crown).