Spray windex on jelly fish stings?

Windex has ammonia among other strong irritants - hmmm. Jelly stings are almost electrical in nature (chemically induced and injected via dart and pipe) so maybe the ammonia is blocking the chemical stimuli - wouldn't do much for the irritation though, still have lots of darts and pipes in there. Tomato juice, paste or salsa contains acidic enzymes that dissolve the darts and pipes. I suppose it is theoretically possible that the solvents in Windex would cause them to dissolve. Check the label for broken skin warnings.

Windex has ammonia among other strong irritants - hmmm. Jelly stings are almost electrical in nature (chemically induced and injected via dart and pipe) so maybe the ammonia is blocking the chemical stimuli - wouldn't do much for the irritation though, still have lots of darts and pipes in there. Tomato juice, paste or salsa contains acidic enzymes that dissolve the darts and pipes. I suppose it is theoretically possible that the solvents in Windex would cause them to dissolve. Check the label for broken skin warnings.

Momma Mia....sounds like a real Ital-Tex-Greek feast there! Do you remember the movie..."My Big Fat Greek Wedding"? The dad put Windex on everything!!!

since it came from mr. surf it's probably a good remedy (but probably not very good for your skin).

Windex has ammonia among other strong irritants - hmmm. Jelly stings are almost electrical in nature (chemically induced and injected via dart and pipe) so maybe the ammonia is blocking the chemical stimuli - wouldn't do much for the irritation though, still have lots of darts and pipes in there. Tomato juice, paste or salsa contains acidic enzymes that dissolve the darts and pipes. I suppose it is theoretically possible that the solvents in Windex would cause them to dissolve. Check the label for broken skin warnings.

Interesting. I thought at one time, Windex had two products, one featuring Ammonia, and one without. I have pulled my bottle of Windex "Origianal" and it has Ammonia - D. The warning label is hidden on the back of the front label so I have to remove the sticker off of the back of the bottle and read through the blue and weed out the front label peaking through in order to read it. No warning about keeping it off your body, but they do give a question, comments number 1800-558-5252.
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From the Dept of Natural Resources website regarding jellyfish stings:

Treatment of Sting



"Primary first aid for any jellyfish sting should be to minimize the number of nematocysts discharging into the skin and to reduce the harmful effects of the venom. If stung by a jellyfish, the victim should carefully remove the tentacles that adhere to the skin by using sand, clothing, towels, seaweed or other available materials. As long as tentacles remain on the skin, they will continue to discharge venom.

A variety of substances have been used to reduce the effects of jellyfish stings. Meat tenderizer, sugar, vinegar, plant juices and sodium bicarbonate have all been used with varying degrees of success. Methylated spirits and other forms of alcohol formerly recommended for inhibiting stinging cells actually stimulate them and may increase pain and cause severe skin reactions. Picric acid and human urine also cause a discharge of nematocysts and should not be used. Victims of serious stings should make every effort to get out of the water as soon as possible to avoid drowning. If swelling and pain from more serious stings persists, prompt medical attention should be sought. Recovery periods can vary from several minutes to several weeks."


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When I read about the Windex, all I could think about was the father in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." If you saw the movie, you know what I am talking about. If you didn't see that movie, you missed one of the funniest movies ever made.

WIndex used to be my "po-man's" cure for poison ivy too, back in college...(back before Zanfel was created.) Ew, right? But it used to work pretty well. I think it was the bleach...

WIndex used to be my "po-man's" cure for poison ivy too, back in college...(back before Zanfel was created.) Ew, right? But it used to work pretty well. I think it was the bleach...

Straight bleach works well for Poison Ivy if you can wash the affected area immediately. Bleach, as you know, will eat your skin, too, so you have to wash off the bleach fairly quickly too. Do not mix the Windex and Bleach, or you will have a toxic nightmare.

What is the remedy for chiggers?????

What is the remedy for chiggers?????

I wish I had one. I worked on a National Wildlife Reserve growning up, and we focussed on preventative measures rather than on remedies. Every morning before going out, we used duct tape to tape our pants at the bottom so they would not be loose. Then, we took a rag dipped in kerosene and dabbed it around the tops of our boots. That worked well. Of course it helps to tuck in your shirt too.

I have used nail polish to "suffocate" the little critters, but that never seems to work. If I get them again, I may try the Windex. Who knows?

Momma Mia....sounds like a real Ital-Tex-Greek feast there! Do you remember the movie..."My Big Fat Greek Wedding"? The dad put Windex on everything!!!

I had almost forgotten about that movie..wasn't it hilarious?! Funny how I could relate to so much of it....my own parents immigrated from Austria back in the 50's, and so much in that movie hit home with me!
Thankfully my dad didn't walk around with a Windex bottle though
Bless his heart....he passed away a few years ago, but I still chuckle when I think of some of his expressions and words of wisdom, all narrated in very broken English

Meat tenderizer seems to work ok and it is easy to carry a small bottle of the powder in a beach bag. For chiggers there is a product available at drugstores called Chiggerid. It is a liquid that you dab on and it hardens up stopping the itch.

Meat tenderizer seems to work ok and it is easy to carry a small bottle of the powder in a beach bag. For chiggers there is a product available at drugstores called Chiggerid. It is a liquid that you dab on and it hardens up stopping the itch.

Thanks for the info on Chiggerid! We'll be ready for the little buggers! Bring it on you little varmints! :boxing:

What's a chigger? Never heard of it.

What is the remedy for chiggers?????

Fingernail polish over the affected area. Allow to dry so that it cuts off air to the bugger.

What's a chigger? Never heard of it.

This gives me the willies just thinking about it but here ya go Paula.

A chigger or red bug is an immature stage (larvae) of the harvest mite. Like all mites, the harvest mite life cycle includes larva, nymph, and adult. In the last two stages, this mite feeds on plant materials. The stage that gets the attention of humans is the larval stage. This is the stage that is considered to be a pest, causing intense itching.

The tiny nymph (chigger) will infest humans (and other animals) usually when we work or walk in tall grass or other such undergrowth. The chigger has a mouthpart similar to that of a tick and uses this mouthpart for feeding. But, unlike ticks, chiggers do not feed on our blood.
A chigger's saliva will at first harden the walls of the hole made by its mouthpart. This hardening gives the chigger a "straw" to use for feeding and prevents our body from closing off the hole made by this pest. Once the chigger has made its hole, it can now feed. Its saliva will actually liquefy our skin cells which the bug now uses for food.

The chemicals or proteins in a chigger's saliva will cause itching in the area where the tiny red bug feeds. This itching is delayed; we sense intense itching about 24 to 48 hours after being exposed to chigger bites. Some itching might be detected in 3 or 4 hours but the worst sensations (a day or two later) are what fool us into believing that we picked up chiggers (or red bugs, as they are sometimes called) in our lawn.
Having a terrible itch from red bugs or chiggers? Where were you yesterday or the day before? That area is usually the origin of infestation. This is very important when eliminating chiggers or harvest mites in all stages.
A chigger is too tiny to see with the naked eye but a group of them can be visible when they congregate on our ankles, waist or other body area. (These areas are preferred by the chigger because our skin is thinner and makes it easier for this microscopic pest to penetrate our skin for its meal.) When grouped together in large numbers they appear red in color. This is their natural color, not caused by blood feeding!

Chigger Myths
Chiggers do not bore into and live inside of our skin. Applying finger nail polish or other household chemicals to red bumps on our skin does not help. They will not burrow deep inside our body and eventually die. By the time your severe itching problem sets in, the chigger is nowhere in sight. Trying to smother a chigger with various products is a total waste of your time and might actually cause more problems.

Chiggers do not drink blood. They are red because that is their color. Chiggers drink liquefied skin cells. Ticks feed on blood; chiggers do not.

A chigger or red bug is not an adult bug. It is an immature larvae.

These pests are not insects; they are mites.

That tiny hole or red bump on your skin is not where chiggers lay eggs. A chigger is a baby, a harvest mite larvae. Only the adult harvest mite lays eggs.

Elimination
Once you have established which area the chiggers have infested, you can treat lawns, fence rows and ornamentals with Permethrin Pro. Use one ounce of concentrate per 1,000 square feet of area to be treated. Use a hose-end sprayer for applying to lawns, fence rows.
This material is safe for use in areas where children, pets and wildlife frequent when applied correctly. Keep people and pets off treated areas until dry. Permethrin Pro will kill chiggers, ants, fleas, ticks and other pests found in lawns. It can also be used indoors for general purpose pest control: roaches, ants, fleas, ticks, spiders, silverfish and other labeled pests.

I used to scorn chigger bites on the buttocks! I wonder if I could find some now to "liquify" that area? Those devils itch like crazy! Usually got them at camp or by the bay.

Yech, chiggers sound disgusting. I assume you can't get chigger bites just walking by some nice sea oats on the way to the pool or the beach? Sounds like something you encounter if your're sporty (hiking, camping, etc.). Are those of us who are lazy beach bums who dont walk in tall grasses, woods, etc., at risk?

Yech, chiggers sound disgusting. I assume you can't get chigger bites just walking by some nice sea oats on the way to the pool or the beach? Sounds like something you encounter if your're sporty (hiking, camping, etc.). Are those of us who are lazy beach bums who dont walk in tall grasses, woods, etc., at risk?

no, you are not at risk, unless you go in October, when the Chiggers are all over the beach. You know they don't just bite and leave. They actually bury themselves under your skin. Just another reason to stay in the big cities during Oct.;-)

thanx for the tip

Thanks for the advice on chiggers in October. I've heard they get in your food and drink, too, and are especially active at Grayton Beach during sunset and they look for people with SoWal stickers on their cars (I think they're drawn to bold black and white patterns).

I've also heard about aliens visiting SoWal in October, but that one's probably just a myth (like the one about the 4500 pound alligator in New Orleans). What's most interesting about the alien stories is that the aliens tend to go after people who have the most postings on discussion groups.

Thanks for the advice on chiggers in October. I've heard they get in your food and drink, too, and are especially active at Grayton Beach during sunset and they look for people with SoWal stickers on their cars (I think they're drawn to bold black and white patterns).

I've also heard about aliens visiting SoWal in October, but that one's probably just a myth (like the one about the 4500 pound alligator in New Orleans). What's most interesting about the alien stories is that the aliens tend to go after people who have the most postings on discussion groups.

hee hee hee

I think they only go after people who PARK their cars ON the beach!!!!

hee hee hee

I think they only go after people who PARK their cars ON the beach!!!!

Or people who get in the dunes!

Seriously, be careful to stay out of the dune areas because that is where the concentration of chiggers would be the greatest (more prevalent in October but not unheard of in other months).

A preventative remedy would be to dust your legs with dusting sulfur to keep them from crawling up. And watch out for the tight areas of those thong lines. They love to burrow into places like that!

Or people who get in the dunes!

Seriously, be careful to stay out of the dune areas because that is where the concentration of chiggers would be the greatest (more prevalent in October but not unheard of in other months).

A preventative remedy would be to dust your legs with dusting sulfur to keep them from crawling up. And watch out for the tight areas of those thong lines. They love to burrow into places like that!

Thank you...you are so correct!!! Vinegar and dusting sulfur are both on my packing list...ah, I love the smell of toxic fumes during October in SoWal!!

Ahhh, so far the SoWal perfume is a pleasant well-balanced mix of windex, and meat tenderizer (for jelly fish bites), vinegar (for biting flies), and sulfer (for chiggers). What shall this lovely brew be called?

Ahhh, so far the SoWal perfume is a pleasant well-balanced mix of windex, and meat tenderizer (for jelly fish bites), vinegar (for biting flies), and sulfer (for chiggers). What shall this lovely brew be called?

Misery de October....a whiff of SoWal!

Misery de October....a whiff of SoWal!

What a great name...