Is Permethrin Safe?
For clothing treated at the factory, the EPA’s risk assessments came in below its level of concern. The EPA says permethrin is the only insect repellent currently used for factory treatment of clothing, and that its 2009 revised exposure and risk assessment found permethrin factory-treated clothing is unlikely to pose any significant immediate or long-term hazard to people wearing it. It says the amount of permethrin allowed in clothing is very low, that human exposure from wearing treated clothing is also low, and that permethrin is poorly absorbed through the skin.
Permethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide registered by the EPA since 1979, and when it is used to pre-treat clothing it acts as an insect repellent. The EPA says it was first registered in 1990 for use as a repellent on clothing by the military, that consumer factory-treated clothing was first registered in 2003, and that its review of efficacy data found permethrin factory-treated clothing effective in repelling target pests.
Treated clothing only protects the skin it covers, so the EPA says to treat other exposed skin with a repellent labeled for use on skin. It says small amounts of permethrin can come off in the wash, that only outer clothing is treated and products are not to be applied to clothing such as underwear, and that labels tell consumers to wash permethrin-treated clothing separately. Treated clothing is a pesticide product sold with a hang-tag label, and the EPA says to follow its directions and precautions.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Government sourceThe EPA says permethrin, a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide, is the only insect repellent currently used for factory treatment of clothing, and that it acts as a repellent when used to pre-treat clothing. US EPA ↗
- Government sourceThe EPA says its 2009 revised exposure and risk assessment found permethrin factory-treated clothing is unlikely to pose any significant immediate or long-term hazard to people wearing it. US EPA ↗
- Government sourceThe EPA says the amount of permethrin allowed in clothing is very low, human exposure from wearing factory-treated clothing is low, and permethrin is poorly absorbed through the skin. US EPA ↗
- Regulatory filingThe EPA says permethrin has been registered since 1979, was first registered in 1990 as a repellent on clothing by the military, and was first registered for consumer factory-treated clothing in 2003. US EPA ↗
- Government sourceThe EPA says treated clothing only protects the skin it covers, and that other exposed parts of the body should be treated with a repellent labeled for use on skin. US EPA ↗
- Government sourceThe EPA says small amounts of permethrin can come off in the wash, that only outer clothing is treated, and that labels instruct consumers to wash permethrin-treated clothing separately. US EPA ↗
- Regulatory filingThe EPA says it reviewed efficacy data for permethrin factory-treated clothing and found it effective in repelling target pests. US EPA ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.