Help! How do you remove the oil/residue from hot peppers from your hands?

[progmom]

I cooked with jalapeno and serrano peppers yesterday. Dinner was delicious, but my fingers are still burning. I actually transferred some of that oil from my fingers onto Progspawn's blueberries - he complained that his lips were burning.

So what the heck does one do to get this off one's hands??

[Bassic]

1. Just wash them throughly.

And by God, don't go to the toilet before you do! Trust me!

[AngryAmish]

2. Seconded from experience

[progmom]

3. This was last night. I have washed them thoroughly and repeatedly

And yes - there have been troubles of the sort to which you alluded. :scared: :nuke:

[dolo amber]

4. ...

[progmom]

18. why didn't i think of that?

:hi:

[RevCheesehead]

5. I think that rubbing them with a cut lemon should work.

(at least, that's what the so-called experts say)
Use a real lemon, rather than reconstituted juice.

[progmom]

10. yeah - i didn't have any lemon left and used lime

i guess that doesn't work. :(

[pagerbear]

27. I would think anything acidic like that would work

The substance in peppers that causes the burning sensation is a strong base (think lye), so a strong acid should neutralize it.

Otherwise I'm clueless.

[Nickster]

6. Make sure to rub your eyes very deeply and roughly. LoL. Seriously,

I've handled tons of peppers and just scrubbing the heck out of your hands with soap and water always seems to do the trick for me. I don't know if there's any "secret" to it or not. Maybe soak them for a while longer if you're still having trouble? Sorry I couldn't be much more help.

[NMDemDist2]

7. try vinegar or lemon n/t

[1gobluedem]

8. I agree with the lemon answer

Rub a cut lemon over your hands.

And next time wear surgical gloves when cutting up the peppers....:evilgrin:

[progmom]

11. yes - we have agreed that surgical gloves will be used next time

:thumbsup:

[Frank Cannon]

9. Try a nonpolar solvent

The oils attacking your hands are a nonpolar chemical, so water (which is a polar substance) may not do the job. Alcohol has polar and non-polar properties, so it should work okay. If you have isopropyl alcohol around, or even a fifth of Jack Daniels, try using that on them.

ON EDIT: For the above reason, if you are eating super-hot Mexican food, chasing it with a beer, tequila, or milk will help with the flames.

[progmom]

12. i think i should leave work right now and break out the Jack

:bounce:

[Frank Cannon]

13. You will also find that if you take the Jack Daniels internally

the pain in your hands won't bother you at all. :)

[Midlodemocrat]

14. Try milk. Dairy cuts heat.

[Richardo]

15. I find that wiping my eyes does the trick...

...at least I don't care so much about the oil on my hands after that. :eyes:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

16. Wash them in MILK

I had that problem when I helped someone prepare a spicy Mexican dish before a party. No matter how much I washed my hands, they kept burning.

One of the women there had been a missionary kid in a part of India that is known for particularly spicy food. She told me to wash my hands in milk (and incidentally, to eat yogurt with an Indian meal that seems too spicy), and lo and behold, it worked immediately.

Water just spreads the chili oil. Milk gloms onto it and can then be rinsed off.

[Karenca]

17. Calendula

Get a good Calendula cream---one with a high
percentage of calendula, and natural non-irrating
ingredients. (You probably want to get it at a Whole Foods or health food type store).

I had some unbelievable burns in bOth my hands--I could'nt move my fingers at all.
The calendula worked great,

[progmom]

23. thanks!

your burns sound terrible. are your hands ok now?

[Karenca]

25. Your welcome!

Thanks.

Yes, my hands are all better---but the burns were so severe, I couldn't even wiggle a pinky.

That Calendula worked miracles.
Keep a tube in the house----It's good to know you have it!....Good Luck!!

[Dora]

19. Yes, milk! And use a scrub brush.

Use a scrub brush on your fingertips, nails, and cuticles - BOTH hands.

One morning I diced a chile for our eggs, and an hour later I put in my contact lenses. Ouch.

Scotch-brite pad, toothbrush, fingernail brush - whatever - SCRUB BOTH HANDS with soap/water, or give that milk bath a shot.

[Crabby Appleton]

20. mechanics hand cleaner

sold at auto parts stores in tubes or small tubs. One brand name is GoJo:

http://automotive.gojo.com/products/product.asp?cat_id=15

[Orrex]

21. I had a friend who swore that masturbation helped

Generally speaking, that is. Didn't do anything for the pepper-oil on his hands.

[progmom]

22. ...

:rofl:

[gardenista]

24. Whatever you do, be careful

with matters of feminine hygeine. Even if you think your hands are clean, wash them again and again in yogurt. I speak from experience. Ow.

Yogurt will help neutralize the oils.

Good luck, and don't touch your eyes or other mucousy bits.

[progmom]

26. yes

lessons were learned. :hide:

[pagerbear]

28. I like the use of passive voice there

One often hears it coming out of the mouths of politicians' press aides. We call it the "past exonerative" tense.

[progmom]

29. If Stuart Baker were in my cabinet....

This would definitely fall under his purview.

[gardenista]

35. I like that.

Plans are afoot to use that tense more often.

[Beetwasher]

30. Wipe Them Off On Your Genitals

:evilgrin:

[Puglover]

38. I peed once w/o

washing my hands after cutting peppers.


:scared:

Dawn works the best with oil.

[Kali]

31. When you get it removed you can then purchase cream with

capsacin (sp?) in it for mucle pain/arthritis. :evilgrin:

[Karenca]

40. i WOULDN'T put Capsacin on a pepper burn

Capsacain is made from an extract of a hot pepper.
She'll end up aaggravating the burn she already has.


Oh, I just saw the "devil" icon.
You were just kidding?

[Kali]

41. Yes sick joke, sorry.

[arwalden]

32. Purel, Or Rubbing Alcohol

[progmom]

33. i'll try that if the milk thing doesn't work

:patriot:

thanks!

[jobycom]

34. Your fingers may just be burned.

The oils can leave actual burns on yor finger. Did you contaminate the blueberries last night, or this morning?

I'd be a little careful with the lemon advice. If they are burned, the lemon will hurt! Try a mild cream, or aloe vera soap. If the oil is still on your fingers, washing thoroughly should remove it.

[progmom]

36. hmmmm

well, the blueberry thing happened last night.

i am willing to bet that my fingers are a little burned. but i also think there is still some oil on them, or maybe under my finger nails. i just jammed my thumb and instinctively stuck it into my mouth...and now my mouth burns again. this is insane - those were some potent peppers. i have washed my hands at least a couple of dozen times since i touched them!

[jobycom]

37. Aloe Vera soap or handcream, then.

You may have both things going--burn, and residue. Aloe Vera could take care of both.

Here's a forum discussion on it from somewhere else. You'll notice that the "rub eye" solution is ubiquitous there, as well. :)

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/pepper/msg081330274973.html?32

[IA_Seth]

39. Milk?

Soap has always done the trick for me, but a chef friend of mine (Thai food - used to dealing with peppers) says soaking in milk or cream does the job too?

Never tried it but its worth a shot.

[MadAsHellNewYorker]

42. next time wear rubber gloves

otherwise, i have no idea

:hi:

[Kali]

43. Dig aournd in the garden or do some other

hard-on-the-hands type work - you will shed the pepper residue and the old skin it seems to be attached to.

[HeardOnTheHill]

44. I promise, use milk-

For reasons I won't go into, I can promise that milk will stop the burning of hot pepper exposure to any part of your body :grr: