View Full Version : Permethrin and synthetic clothing
I've seen warnings on every DEET-containing insect repellent about using it on synthetic fabric... what about permethrin? The only permethrin I've found is packaged for use as an outdoor fogger rather than a clothing spray. Is permethrin safe on nylon, polyester, etc.?
Permethrine is fine on clothing. That's what the spray-on and soak-in treatments are made for. Be careful in using it. Pets that have issues with flea collars can be seriously injured or killed by permethrine. We have a cat we have to keep away from it until it fully dries and bonds to clothing.
DEET will melt certain plastics and some types of nylon, but it is a totally different chemical.
seconded. i put it on my hammock bottom and on my under armour shirt, nylon shorts, and synthetic sneakers.
and thirded...
I spray my hennessy hammock top (screen/mesh) and bottom (nylon), as well as my hiking shoes and clothing-synthetic Treckmor shirt and pants, and wool socks.
iirc, permithrin is bad for dogs, but deadly for cats... keep everything away from all of them until it's dried. i wear a pair of gloves while spraying too...
brooklynkayak
02-19-2010, 09:10
Regarding cats:
Actually some recommend that you not only wait till dry, but give everything one wash. Permethrin won't wash out of clothing. You do need to treat every few months.
I buy the commercial grade Permethrin. It is 10%. I then dilute it with 20 parts water before soaking.
The stuff you buy at outfitters is already diluted and is way too expensive compared to the commercial stuff.
I soak all my hiking clothes in it.
Lyme disease is too common where I live.
Good to know, re: cats. Thanks, all.
Permethrin exposure can be fatal to cats and fish. Ive heard stories of cats sleeping in treated clothes and then suffereing from neurological issues. On the other hand permethrin is the active ingredient K9 Advantix flea and tick treatments for dogs.
I dont own any cats, so i use it on all my hiking clothes. It makes a world of difference.
Regarding cats:
I buy the commercial grade Permethrin. It is 10%. I then dilute it with 20 parts water before soaking.
Question 1: Where do you buy commercial grade Permethrin?
Question 2: After dilution, would there be any problem putting the solution in a plastic spray bottle to spray on, rather than soaking the clothing?
iirc, permithrin is bad for dogs, but deadly for cats... keep everything away from all of them until it's dried.
Spraying my car now...
and thirded...
iirc, permithrin is bad for dogs, but deadly for cats... I think I read another thread on here where someone issued a warning for using this around cats, as theirs had been seriously affected by it.
Kerosene
02-19-2010, 14:16
Question 1: Where do you buy commercial grade Permethrin?http://www.rei.com/product/768970
This is a spray-on application; no need to soak the clothing.
http://www.rei.com/product/768970
This is a spray-on application; no need to soak the clothing.
Kerosene, thanks for your reply. But, I had actually asked where to buy the "commercial" Permethrin. I currently use the spray-on stuff.
Brooklynkyak's message (#5 in this thread) read, "I buy the commercial grade Permethrin. It is 10%. I then dilute it with 20 parts water before soaking.
The stuff you buy at outfitters is already diluted and is way too expensive compared to the commercial stuff."
So, looking to save some $, I was just asking for a source to buy this.
Anybody know a source for Permethrin that I can mix with water and spray?
Snowleopard
02-19-2010, 19:23
Fine on all the clothes I've used it on -- nylon and cotton.
Good for ticks, mosquitos and black flies (well actually it's really bad for them which is why it's good for you).
Really bad for for fish and other aquatic creatures. So be careful to use it well away from any body of water or stream.
Let it dry before using the clothing.
Buzzoff clothing is the same stuff.
Bags4266
02-19-2010, 19:32
Regarding cats:
Actually some recommend that you not only wait till dry, but give everything one wash. Permethrin won't wash out of clothing. You do need to treat every few months.
I buy the commercial grade Permethrin. It is 10%. I then dilute it with 20 parts water before soaking.
The stuff you buy at outfitters is already diluted and is way too expensive compared to the commercial stuff.
I soak all my hiking clothes in it.
Lyme disease is too common where I live.
I've been looking for a answer to the Commercial grade 10% stuff. Thanks . I needed to know what ratio people were using.
Blissful
02-19-2010, 20:32
You can also get Sawyer permethrin to spray (http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___56624) on clothes from Campmor. A lot cheaper too then REI
You can also get Sawyer permethrin to spray (http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___56624) on clothes from Campmor. A lot cheaper too then REI
Wow, a whole penny cheaper than REI!
Bags4266
02-19-2010, 23:27
You can also get Sawyer permethrin to spray (http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___56624) on clothes from Campmor. A lot cheaper too then REI
Nowhere cheaper than buying a quart of 10% for $12.00 to $20.00 dollars (depending where you buy) and mixing up several quarts yourself. At the ratio of 1:20 thats 20 quarts of the stuff for less than 20 dollars.
Did you find a place to buy it and haven't shared it, or are you making wild guesses about how much it'd cost?
Nowhere cheaper than buying a quart of 10% for $12.00 to $20.00 dollars (depending where you buy) and mixing up several quarts yourself. At the ratio of 1:20 thats 20 quarts of the stuff for less than 20 dollars.
Great News! I'd love to mix it up.... But, WHERE do you buy it???
Bags4266
02-20-2010, 00:16
Agway or Farm and Tractor or Amazon.com or just Google it!
Bags4266
02-20-2010, 00:17
http://www.amazon.com/Permethrin-10-32oz/dp/B00061MSS0/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1YV1LIVY1F38P&colid=10YLTXM4EIKAJ
Link to it on Amazon
Yes, thanks. Guess I didn't look deep enough when searching on Google.
I'll call my local Agway, where I went in the fall to buy winter rye seed which keeps my veggie garden beds green all winter - OOPS, sorry - off topic...
Comet Omega
02-20-2010, 09:23
Got some at "Tractor Supply" and it is pretty cheap! In the horse section.
Got some at "Tractor Supply" and it is pretty cheap! In the horse section.
Thanks C.O. - I wouldn't have known to look in their horse section. There's a Tractor Supply right near Agway in RI. I'll check them both out for Permethrin!
Here's an article on permethrin and pyrethrin (I'm aware of the second one only because I worked at a Petco store a few years ago and sold products with pyrethrins in them).
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1677+1684&aid=2252
I've seen warnings on every DEET-containing insect repellent about using it on synthetic fabric... what about permethrin? The only permethrin I've found is packaged for use as an outdoor fogger rather than a clothing spray. Is permethrin safe on nylon, polyester, etc.?
Nothing beats DEET to repel mosquitoes (http://www.annals.org/content/128/11/931.full). "DEET remains the gold standard of currently available insect repellents." (American College of Physicians) Works on ticks, too. I try to avoid getting DEET on eyeglass lenses, GPS screens, and watch faces, because DEET can damage certain kinds of plastics if concentrated. But in decades of using it I've never noticed any damage to clothing other than occasional minor stains which fade with time, and that includes nylon clothing. In mosquito country I like to wear clothing that's just thick enough or tightly woven enough so mosquitoes can't bit through it. I just mist a little DEET on exposed skin, and I'm good to go.
Now if it were a tuxedo or other fancy clothing, I'd avoid getting DEET on it to prevent possible stains. But for backpacking clothes? I don't worry about it a bit and it's never been a problem and I've gotten DEET on my clothing many hundreds of times.