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  1. #1
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    Default Permethrine in the dryer?

    I usually hang my clothes to dry after dunking them in permethrine solution, but didn't have time or weather for it...so I threw all the clothes in the dryer.
    .
    Is this ok? Or does the heat hurt it?

  2. #2

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    Its not something to do all the time. The permethrin is a surface treatment on top of the fabric. It is abraded off by friction. A dryer is going to tumble the fabric against itself abrading the permethrin off the fabric. The same issue arises with washing, the recommendation is to wash on gentle mode. Permethrin is cheap so it best to reapply routinely.

  3. #3
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    The Insect Shield folks use high temperature drying for their permanent permethrin treatment (which they define as 70 washings). That's probably one reason they warn you against shrinkage; next time, I'd buy a size up in DT wool socks to be treated.

    For DIY-ers, I would drip dry, esp. if your permethrin has an odor of petroleum distillates. That can make your washer/dryer smell not so good for awhile.

  4. #4
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    When I see my hike coming, even on very short notice, the first thing I do is get my list of stuff to be treated with Permethrine. Then, I spray for a 3 gallon sprayer / mixing it myself. Then I need 2 hours I feel somewhere with no rain hitting the stuff. I have sat and watched storm fronts coming in to do this. Then I hang it all outside the house in a shed I have. Soaked wool takes awhile as you know because you have done this before. I just don't pack the clothes until the trailhead if stuff is damp. Then loose as I can so it doesn't "stick" to itself; which has never happened in any situation. So, fight to find a way to air dry. I am not a pro with anything I do; but I really fight to get this done early rather than late. Food is easy to pick up. Permethrine treatment presents a different sort of logistical problem everytime I do it. Hiking life is either so so slow, or it comes at you so so fast. But P treatment solves so many important problems I fight to do it early. Do sooner than maybe needed. Air Dry.

  5. #5
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    Well, it seems to be working fine. Dunking it in the solution seems to more thoroughly treat the clothes, though the smell is stronger than if you spray them.
    .
    I guess I'll wash a load of towels when I get home, hopefully they will help get the smell out of the dryer.

  6. #6
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    If you think about how that stuff works in the first place. It gives off something that ticks don't like. It was only tested in the lab at it's strongest. Nobody has ever actually tested it in lab conditions after any kind of use, let alone a washer and dryer. The people who make that stuff don't want that answer.

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by moldy View Post
    If you think about how that stuff works in the first place. It gives off something that ticks don't like. It was only tested in the lab at it's strongest. Nobody has ever actually tested it in lab conditions after any kind of use, let alone a washer and dryer. The people who make that stuff don't want that answer.
    Does this go along with flat earth theory?. The mechanism on how it gets rid of ticks is pretty well proven. Its a contact insecticide. If ticks contact it for any period they die, if they inadvertently land on it they will scramble to get away from it. It binds to fabric and eventually it wears off. It is inactivated by skin oils so its useless for applying to skin like DEET. The problem is folks are using farm grade mixes not intended for fabric treatment because its cheaper. Some are petroleum based and stink and may be causing secondary health effects.

    Pretty easy to test, one of the tests for detecting tick populations is drag white fabric through the underbrush and count the number of ticks that are latched to it. Do the same with treated piece of fabric and there are no ticks to count.

    Could there be some incidental health effects in a minute portion of the population, possibly yes but ts far less than the proven impacts of tick bites.

  8. #8
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    It seemed to work fine being dried in the dryer rather than being line dried.
    No ticks (or any other insects) got on my gf or I on the camping trip.
    Other people who didn't treat clothes with permethrine or used natural stuff had less luck.
    The next load of laundry may have gotten some tick protection, too. Shrug.

  9. #9
    Registered User 4eyedbuzzard's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by peakbagger View Post
    Does this go along with flat earth theory?. The mechanism on how it gets rid of ticks is pretty well proven. Its a contact insecticide. If ticks contact it for any period they die, if they inadvertently land on it they will scramble to get away from it. It binds to fabric and eventually it wears off. It is inactivated by skin oils so its useless for applying to skin like DEET. The problem is folks are using farm grade mixes not intended for fabric treatment because its cheaper. Some are petroleum based and stink and may be causing secondary health effects.

    Pretty easy to test, one of the tests for detecting tick populations is drag white fabric through the underbrush and count the number of ticks that are latched to it. Do the same with treated piece of fabric and there are no ticks to count.

    Could there be some incidental health effects in a minute portion of the population, possibly yes but ts far less than the proven impacts of tick bites.
    Just some additional info: Typical clothing treatments use a 0.5% solution to apply to clothing. Permethrin is the active ingredient most commonly used in treatment for human head lice, scabies, etc., and used directly on the skin at concentrations of 1% to 5% as a treatment. Probably millions of applications per year in the US mostly due to kids getting head lice in schools with very few health complications. The most common side effects are tingling and minor skin irritation / redness. Pretty safe for humans. Pretty deadly to ticks, fleas, chiggers, etc.

    The downside is that it's also just as deadly to bees and fish and spiders lots of other invertebrate creatures that we don't want to kill. For every "bad" bug we want to control there are 100's that are vital parts of our ecosystem and food chain.

    Use only what you need and try not to have leftover if you mix your own solution. Dispose of any left over by treating other clothing or fabrics or such (car seats, rugs, or even house foundation). Do not dump where water could wash it into creeks or ponds, etc.

    DO NOT APPLY IT NEAR CATS EITHER! It is toxic to cats when still wet in doses/concentrations that are safe for dogs and humans. Okay around cats after it drys.

    https://parasitipedia.net/index.php?...76&Itemid=3018
    Last edited by 4eyedbuzzard; 03-03-2019 at 11:30.

  10. #10
    Registered User egilbe's Avatar
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    I soak my hiking clothes in a .1% solution using the farm stuff that's petroleum based, I think. It's stinky. Last year I dried it outside for a couple hours then threw them in the dryer on low temp for an hour or so. No ticks and no exploding dryer from petroleum fumes igniting. No ticks last year, but people I took hiking found them on their untreated clothes.

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