[ThisTooShallPass]

Save your hysterical laughter for later, right now I need to know how to unstink mysefl!

As title says, I spilled the nasty used contents of a Milk Jug fly trap on me. I did a mighty fine job of it too. The jug was old (the sun degrades them enough in 3-4 months they turn brittle) & it cracked open as I was carrying it. It is all down my arm, my hand, my pants, & my shoe.

The MSDS sheet says soap & water, & then alcohol.

I have repeatedly washed myself until I am bright pink, & my skin still stinks. I mean I really, realy stink. I've even scrubbed with the green scrubby side of a kitchen sponge.

I am scared to death to throw my clothes in the washer as I do not want to contaminate my washer.

My favorite Ryka slip on shoes for daily wear, I think they shall have to be trashed. They are washable, but I have washed them so often already I think one more wash & the insides will fall out.

HOW DO I GET THE STINK OUT?! Of me, & the clothes, & maybe the shoes too? Help! Help! Help! How do I uncontaminate the washing machine?


This shall be one of those remember when stories:

When you spilled the fly trap & stunk for a week! *Hystercial laughter all around.* And we had to throw out the washing machine! We wanted to throw you out too, but you own the place...Wouldn't be seen with her in public....*More hysterical laughter.*

I keep reciting my screen name, This Too Shall Pass." *head desk*

A huge thanks in advance for any helpful advice.

[SanJacMonument]

I'm really sorry this happened but it is a tad funny too. Maybe some of the same remedies as de-skunking? Tomato juice & Vinegar soaks? I think the farm store sells a de-skunk dog shampoo.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[kookicat]

Baking soda for the shoes? Tea-tree soap for you?

[StGermain]

I wouldn't bother washing the clothes. Just throw them out. As for you, you might try the skunk trick of baking soda and peroxide and Dawn dish soap.

Good luck. Hopefully it would be too long before you can look back on this and laugh.

StG

[Guin]

Oh, YUCK!!! I am really not laughing; it's too disgusting. It sounds like maybe it's some sort of oil? I'd agree with trying the baking soda/hydrogen peroxide/dawn dish soap. Maybe even nail polish remover? And either throw your clothes out or bag them and sneak them into the laundromat. If you still smell fragrant on Monday, call the manufacturer of the fly trap and yell at them until they stop laughing and help you.

Do they list the ingredients on the trap? Maybe you could google the ingredients and see if there are remedies?

EDIT: Instead of showering, try soaking in a tub with an added box of baking soda and bottle of white vinegar. Maybe it's permeated your skin too much to wash off the surface.

[ThisTooShallPass]

Seriously? I get a thumbs down for asking for help to a very stinky problem? *whatever*


After tons of soap scrubbing & 4 bottles of alcohol; I just took a tomato bath, as in sit down in it. (Thanks for the suggestion.) Turns out I had about a gallon & a half of it on hand, that I keep horded for deskunking the dogs. I scrubbed myself like crazy.

If I actually raise my hand to my nose I can still smell it. But just sitting here I am not reeking like I was when I originally posted pleading for ideas. So making progess. I think it is easier to deskunk a dog.

Will now try washing my arm, hand & shin; with baking soda, peroxide & palmolive. If that does not work, I will go buy some Dawn.

I seriously do appreciate all the ideas. You have no idea how nasty of an experience this has been.


Lessoned learned for everyone: Do NOT leave those milk jugs hanging out there so long they start to turn brittle.

[kookicat]

I really feel for you.

What was in the jug? Might help people to give you ideas if we know what you're trying to get off.

(Oh, and ignore the thumbs down. It seems random which posts get them and which don't.)

[ThisTooShallPass]

http://www.starbarproducts.com/sub_page.php?id=2

Scroll down to the Milk Jugg Fly trap.

The jug had their stinky attractant. Nauseating enough alone. About 1/3 water. But then add 3 quarts of dead decaying flies & the (oh so gross to say) juice they make as they decay. I cannot even begin to tell you how hideously horrid it smells.

If have used this fly "system" for years, & have never experienced a complete failure like this! It has been an extremely warm fall for us, so just left the traps out to continue to catch flies. My mistake. In the future they shall be changed out once a month like clockwork, so the plastic cannot even come close to breaking down in the sunlight.

I am now going to the store to buy some of the other suggestions made in Off Course.

I am so very grateful for the suggestions. I smell better than I did, but...

[katarine]

Seriously? I get a thumbs down for asking for help to a very stinky problem? *whatever*


After tons of soap scrubbing & 4 bottles of alcohol; I just took a tomato bath, as in sit down in it. (Thanks for the suggestion.) Turns out I had about a gallon & a half of it on hand, that I keep horded for deskunking the dogs. I scrubbed myself like crazy.

If I actually raise my hand to my nose I can still smell it. But just sitting here I am not reeking like I was when I originally posted pleading for ideas. So making progess. I think it is easier to deskunk a dog.

Will now try washing my arm, hand & shin; with baking soda, peroxide & palmolive. If that does not work, I will go buy some Dawn.

I seriously do appreciate all the ideas. You have no idea how nasty of an experience this has been.


Lessoned learned for everyone: Do NOT leave those milk jugs hanging out there so long they start to turn brittle.

They may have been empathizing with you...consider it a thumbs down of your predicament

[ThisTooShallPass]

Everyone, I cannot thank you enough for all the suggestions. I am extremely grateful.

The clothes & shoes, I have no idea how they shall turn out at this point. They are soaking in soup of combined suggestions.

My keyboard keys seem okay after cleaing with alcohol. My pricey mouse, alcohol & lemon do not seem to have worked. It has some sort of rubber "grips," not just hard plastic like the keyboard. I think the mouse may have to go bye-bye.

The bathtub is soaking in an incredible amount of bleach. Have the bathroom window open.

Me, I smell so much better than originally, though I do still have an "aroma." Quite frankly, I am still feeling a bit nauseated too, but this too shall pass.


EVERYONE LEARN FROM MY HIDEOUS LESSON! Do not leave the milk jugs out there too long! Change them out monthly (or sooner if full), whether they need it or not. The plastic degrades over time, all the faster in straight southern sun. Avoid my less than pleasant experience of today!

IMPORTANT SAFETY TIP: I save the original milk jug lids to recap the jugs as I change them out, to keep the contents from spilling out. BUT! And this is a really important BUT, make sure you punch a hole or make a slit in the lid before recapping with the dead fly contents inside. As the dead bodies do gas off! *seriously* If this now recapped jug cannot "breathe," the jug WILL explode. You do not ever want to find out first hand how hideous this stench is! The trash company was so pissed off at me as the trash can hideously stank forever more & attracted flies like crazy. They finally gave me a new trash can. (That happened last year.)

(Yeah, my learning curve has been a little rough. )

Will I continue to use milk jug fly traps. Yes. I really like being able to recap the jug to help avoid stinky stench spills, verses the mess of emptying out the refillable kind of traps. Sure cannot blame anyone for chickening out & using the trap & toss varities though. But be careful when disposing that they do not spill/leak all over in your trash can!

Good luck everyone, & lord knows you never want to go through what I did today.


Again, I am so grateful for all the suggestions.


THANK YOU!
ThisTooShallPass

[pj]

I seriously do appreciate all the ideas. You have no idea how nasty of an experience this has been.

Actually I kinda do.
Many many years ago when I was young and cute I had a date I was really excited about. I showered, washed my hair with sweet smelling shampo, donned white jeans and a cute pink top, white tennis shoes. I looked GOOD.
My dogs got into a ruckus outside and I went flying out to break it up.
ZOOOOM! Feet went flying and I went face down in the overflow of a septic tank!
I thought I was going to die.

Cut my shirt off and threw all my clothes away. No telling how many baths and shampos I took that day and the next but it seemed as if I could smell it for a month.

Of course I had to break my date, too, and I couldn't bring my silly self to tell him why. He never asked me out again.

Just talking about it I can almost smell it again.

[Frank B]

Excaliber? While I didn't use it on my horse (used KY), it did help get the smegma smell off my hands.

[ThisTooShallPass]

Besides lots of soap & water as that is what the MDSD decrees one must do; I think I vote for tomato juice-at least for getting off of your skin. Though lord knows I tried several of the suggestions. Probably using one after the other is what really worked.

I think the smell is now gone-from me. No one has had funny looks or taken a step away today.

Before going to bed I generously rubbed lots fresh rosemary, straight from the bushes over my hands, arm & leg. It really helped to mask the situation.

The shoes are a loss. The pants, shirt & socks are going to get a couple of more washings, with even more tomato juice added. I may boil up some rosemary & add that to the wash water as well. Lemon juice added in too. (Sticking with that CSI recommendation proffered.)

Overally, an experience I hope to never repeat.

Again, very grateful for all the help!

[ThisTooShallPass]

PJ, so sorry about your incident. When young, I would have done the same thing-never told him why I had to cancel. I would have been so humiliated.


Now days, just think about it, we get on the Internet & tell the whole world what hideous thing just happened to us. But hey, posting got me the answers I needed. My how times change.

[reay6790]

Toothpaste might help get any remaining smell off...learned that trick after AIing dairy cows...residual stink after scrubbing. ew.