PET1 bottles and oils

[David]

I'm looking for small (100 ml) plastic spray bottles. We are going on holiday and want to take the DIY insect repellent made of

50/50 Dettol and baby oil.

Local shops don't seem to stock spray bottles, but there are loads online.

Found which look to fit the bill, but the description says they are for water based products and not suitable for oils.

Does the team think that this is because the spray atomiser cannot cope with viscous liquids, or because of some chemical reaction with PET1?

The proposed mix is quite runny but obviously is 50% oil.

Cheers

Dave R

[Nick Odell]

I don't think you'd have a problem with the plastic the bottles are made of so if anything at all goes wrong it must be the pump mechanism.

Pound shops frequently sell assortments of these bottles (screw top, dispenser top, spray top, all in one display bag) for -erme- one pound. I'd be inclined to buy a set and try it out. If any doubt exists after trials, I'd try to avoid an environmental disaster in a suitcase by transporting the liquid in the screw-top bottle version and only putting the spray top on when you are going to use it at the destination.

Nick

[Tim Streater]

And by filling the bottle as full as possible to avoid any leakage at altitude.

[johno]

Interesting repellent. Presume its a tried and tested recipe. Not over bothered by biting things myself but know a man who is! May suggest he gives it a try.

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el artículo , johno escribió:

I should think the smell repels everything, not just the mozzies.

[newshound]

Avon "skin so soft" is allegedly used by the army as an insect repellent; it certainly works on horses.

[Bob Henson]

I've never needed to keep horses away from me - even living in Gloucestershire.

[David]

As used by a Kiwi boat skipper. We tried it and it certainly worked a treat. For fishermen it has the added benefit of helping abrasions heal.

Doesn't do bad things to clothes and plastics, unlike DEET.

Cheers

Dave R

[David]

Tried the local pound shops but although they sell plastic bottles, and ones with pump tops (like for hand cream or gel) they don't sell ones with the spray top.

Cheers

Dave R

[Richard]

:)

[Peter Parry]

Unless it contains industrial quantities of DEET it isn't the stuff issued. Dettol/Baby oil should at least keep other humans away even if it has no effect upon mosquitoes and other flying insects.

As far as dispensing the DIY solution -

[Chris French]

In message , Peter Parry writes

No, it's not standard issue, but is apparently used by some.

It does work - we've tried it - though nothing keeps them all of my wife. I'm not sure if it a repellent as such, I have a feeling it stops/puts them from biting in some manner.

I think there are different products under the skin so soft name, it need to be the right one.

[Richard]

In the absence of a fool-proof repellent, keep a more attractive target close by. Good thinking.

[Andrew Gabriel]

If you need to protect yourself from infectious disease, you really should be using a product containing around 50% Deet. Other products don't work anywhere near well enough to keep you safe. Also note that Deet doesn't have a long shelf life - only around 6 months before it stops working, so don't try using any you have left from the previous year.

Obviously, don't rely only on Deet for things like malaria protection, but it's good as part of the package.

[Nick Odell]

Ah. I didn't know that. Do you mean time after manufacture or time after first opening/using? I'm asking because I have some impregnated wrist and ankle bands that I've never broken out of their protective packaging and I'm wondering if I should just throw them away.

Nick