Tick Proof Clothing
Tick proof clothing? A lot of our customers have asked about tick proof clothing, and our opinion on the product. Any discussion of these garments goes to permethrin, the tick repelling chemical used to treat clothes, pants, and gear, “tick proofing” it.
With the problem of ticks and tick-borne disease escalating, worsening exponentially each year, there are now a wide variety of brands and retailers offering clothing pretreated with permethrin, and permethrin spray, whereas you treat your own fabrics with the chemical.
Permethrin is effective against ticks, there is no doubt about that, however it certainly isn’t a natural product. If you are a consumer that trends toward natural solutions and understands the efficacy of such items is usually superior to that of chemical alternatives, you are probably not going to be a fan of permethrin. It is not only not natural, but every bottle is plastered with a wide variety of scary warnings about using it directly on your skin. You cannot apply permethrin to your body, at all, it is only for clothing and gear.
Natural versus not natural is usually a product comparison whereas both products are applied in the same way, both function in the same way. Permethrin is a large standard deviation outside of that norm, it is not safe for application on your skin.
It is not apples and oranges, its apples and not safe for apples, apply to fabric that you place the apple in.
Do you feel comfortable wearing clothing soaked with something that is not safe to spray on your skin? The way these products work treating your clothing is inherently different than spraying yourself, and deemed perfectly safe by the government, however some may be creeped out by the concept.
The pitch for permethrin is that it does not wash out of your clothing or gear either, it will remain active and “in” your fabrics for dozens of launderings. To some this is a positive, getting you good value for the money you spend on permethrin, others find this unsettling, yet another aspect of the product bearing no similarity to any other consumer good they have ever used, which makes them uncomfortable. The fact permethrin will not wash out of your clothes certainly makes it seem very “chemical-y”.
Also, some may find it difficult to believe that permethrin will still work after their treated and tick proofed clothes have been washed, feeling the need to reapply another application.
In summary if you are an individual trying to avoid chemicals, trending toward natural solutions, tick proofed clothing treated with permethrin is probably not for you. If you could care less about chemicals, it is an option that is effective, however, it is good only for your clothing and gear.
Picture yourself outdoors, camping, hiking, fishing, biking, whatever your passion. Are you fully clothed head to foot with long pants and long sleeve shirts? Probably not. Therefore, if you are going to take advantage of clothing proofed with permethrin, you are still going to need an additional repellent, one for your skin. Shorts and T shirts are what summer is all about, quadruple treating your shorts with permethrin isn’t going to help you if you leave your legs unprotected.
This means a bottle of Tick Proof should be on deck, regardless as to if you use permethrin-based clothing or products.
Tick Proof can also be used to “proof” clothing just as effectively as permethrin, and it will certainly wash out of your clothing. Luckily one of our big 8-ounce bottles is enough to protect a family of 4 for an entire spring and summer season, or more.
Click here to buy Tick Proof