Don Foreman wrote in
news
On Mon, 24 May 2010 17:43:48 -0700, "Michael Koblic"
wrote:


"Bob Engelhardt" wrote in message
...
I have a couple of 1 oz bottles of 100% DEET, which I'm not going to
use. But I thought I could just dilute it to 30% and have 6 or so oz
to use in a spray bottle.

I looked up the MSDS for the 30% variety & found the solvent to be
ethanol. I went on & looked up the MSDS for ethanol & found that it
is a skin irritant! WTF - a solvent for repellent that is a skin
irritant!? Well, that's crazy, but it's never bothered me, so what
the hell.

Now, as far as the ethanol to use: is it even available? I'm
assuming that denatured is out because of the methanol in it. How
about isopropyl? Is it such a different animal that it wouldn't
work?


Why do you want to dilute it? The trials I have seen showed that
nothing is as effective as the 100% variety. In fact I like to bring
it from the States as it is not available he There were some
problems when it got rubbed on babies and such.

Trials I've seen indicate that there's no difference in effectiveness
between about 25% and 100%. The higher percentage repellents remain
effective longer before re-application is necessary.


Personal experience: 25% DEET doesn't repel Texas Gulf Coast 'Skeeters
but 100% does.

The tiny gnats that Minnesotans call 'skeeters can easily be kept at bay
by used Bounce dryer sheets. grin