So I used the soak method to treat our clothes this weekend, then hung to dry in our garage. However, we are all surprised by the noticable smell. Do any of you wash your clothes after the initial treatment to reduce the pesticide odor? If so, do you you hang dry them or run them through the dryer? TIA!

What brand did you use? Some brands have a very strong odor.

straighthairedcurly: "What brand did you use? Some brands have a very strong odor."

I used Gordon's Permethrin 10 and diluted down to a 0.5% permethrin solution.

FindHim: "

straighthairedcurly: "What brand did you use? Some brands have a very strong odor."

I used Gordon's Permethrin 10 and diluted down to a 0.5% permethrin solution. "

Yeah, Gordon's has a petrol-like smell. Use Martin's next time and you won't notice any odor.

I've applied with a diluted 36.8% Martin's brand and notice a smell when wet that disappears almost completely when it dries. My latest buy was a quart of 10% Durvet brand but haven't opened it yet.

I always treat and hang outdoors in a shaded location. The smell fades with drying and reminds me I am not supposed to be breathing the fumes. I have put things away not completely dry and have smelled the odor later, but if dry no smell.

Lots of concentrates are made for agricultural use and have petroleum distillates in them which smell and can have undesirable feel or even skin reactions. I've read that Martin's does not, but I have not used it nor do I know for sure. Duration is a brand that makes a concentrate with clothing treatment in mind as well.

I seem to recall reading that putting the clothes in the dryer breaks down the effectiveness of the permethrin, but don’t know if it would help with the smell.

I've found that if you use anything that isn't designed for human use (i.e. something other than sawyer, duration, ranger ready, etc), you will be left with a smell.

mschi772: "Lots of concentrates are made for agricultural use and have petroleum distillates in them which smell and can have undesirable feel or even skin reactions. I've read that Martin's does not, but I have not used it nor do I know for sure. Duration is a brand that makes a concentrate with clothing treatment in mind as well."

The label on my quart of Martin's 36.8% states "contains petroleum distillates." Still, never bothered by long-term odor.