Murphy’s Naturals Lemon Eucalyptus: Odorless Bug Protection
A clothing-and-gear permethrin spray that's odorless once dry, lasts up to 6 weeks, and survives 6 washes. Here's how it actually held up in a mosquito-heavy yard.
Reviewed by
Seb and Michelle
We've tested over 6,500 products in the last 5 years – collaborating with over 4,000 brands and bringing our style of reviews to multiple platforms. Every video, every review and every post has started with a video we shot ourselves after testing these products. More about me →
This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Quick Verdict
You spray it on your gear, not your body, and it keeps working for up to 6 weeks or 6 washes. Odorless once dry, which is the part I didn’t expect. This isn’t a skin spray, and that’s the whole point.
Buy if you:
- Live somewhere with major mosquito issues like we do
- Camp or hike and want to treat clothing, tents, and packs ahead of time
- Want tick protection on dog beds and outdoor cushions
- Hate the chemical smell of typical bug sprays
Skip if you:
- Want something you can spray onto your skin right before heading out
- Need bug protection instantly with no drying time
- Have cats and can’t keep them away from treated items while wet
Clicking takes you to the seller's website. We may earn a small commission if you purchase, at no extra cost to you.
I Have Never Seen A Bug Spray Work Like This
We’ve got major mosquito issues here, and I’ll try anything and everything to keep them away. So when this permethrin insect repellent showed up for review, I went in expecting another spray bottle. I have never seen anything like it. You don’t spray it on yourself. You spray it on your clothing, your gear, your tent, and it bonds to the fabric and keeps repelling bugs for weeks.
That flips how most people think about bug spray. No reapplying every couple of hours. No greasy skin. You treat your stuff once, let it dry, and you’re set.
Spray The Gear, Not Your Skin
This is a fabric treatment, full stop. The big rule, and the reviewer in me wants to repeat it twice, is that you do not want this in contact with your skin. You’re never spraying it while you’re wearing the clothing. You lay everything out, mist it down in a ventilated area, and let it dry before anything touches you.
Once it dries, it’s genuinely odorless, and I mean that literally. I couldn’t smell it while it was still wet, which already put it ahead of every permethrin product I’d tried before. The nozzle is a simple spray/off toggle; shake the bottle hard first, because that part actually matters.
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Clothing & gear treatment (not for skin) |
| Protection duration | Up to 6 weeks on treated gear |
| Wash durability | Up to 6 washes on clothing |
| Targets | Mosquitoes, ticks, and other insects |
| Scent | Odorless once dry |
| Nozzle | 2 settings (spray / off), shake well first |
I Sprayed My Favorite Morning Spot
There’s one spot outside where I sit every morning, surrounded by bush on all sides. It is a mosquito magnet. I’ve found tons of them just hanging out in there waiting for me. So I grabbed the bottle, shook it well, and went after the pillow and the big cushion down low, two pieces of fabric that catch the worst of it.
The whole pitch is that tomorrow morning when I come back out, that corner isn’t going to be full of mosquitoes. For clothing it lasts up to 6 washes, but cushions like these I’m obviously never washing, so that protection should ride for the full 6 weeks. For a camping trip the logic is the same: lay out your clothing, spray it down, let it dry, pack it away. Set up your tent and mist the outside of it, never the inside. Then it repels the bugs around your shelter.
It also works on ticks, which is a bigger deal than the mosquito angle for some people. That’s why I’m planning to do the dog beds around the house too.
The Drying Wait Is The Catch
Here’s the friction: this is a plan-ahead product, not a grab-and-go one. You can’t spray it the second you want to head outside. Everything has to dry first, and that means timing your treatment hours before you need the gear.
The pet thing matters too. I’ve got my dog right here, and yes, I can treat dog beds because it’s good for ticks. But you have to let those beds fully dry before your pet uses them again. Same with the tent rule, outside only, never the interior where you’ll be breathing. None of this is a dealbreaker, but it’s a few extra steps you have to remember, and skipping the dry time is the mistake people will make.
Get it now
Permethrin Insect Repellent Spray
Get the best price on Amazon →This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Who Should Grab This
If you’re treating a fixed outdoor spot you return to every day, this pays off faster than any skin spray will. I hit one pillow and one large cushion in my morning corner, two pieces of fabric I’d otherwise be reapplying DEET around every couple of hours, and now that protection runs for six weeks without me touching the bottle again.
Campers and hikers are the obvious crowd. You’ve got gear, clothing, a backpack, a tent, and mosquitoes love all of it. Treat everything before the trip and you cut out the constant reapplying once you’re out there. Pet owners worried about ticks get a real use here too, since you can hit the dog beds, as long as you respect the dry time.
Clothing Treatment vs A Skin Spray
This treats fabric; a skin spray treats your body. Two different jobs, two different timelines. A skin spray goes on your body, works right away, and washes off in a few hours, so you reapply constantly. This treats your fabric instead and rides for up to 6 weeks or 6 washes without touching your skin at all.
The trade-off is this: a skin spray takes 30 seconds at the door and covers everything, but you’re reapplying every two hours and your hands smell like chemicals all day. This takes planning the night before, but once it’s dry you don’t think about it again for six weeks. For anyone with a regular outdoor routine, a morning seat, a camping trip, a yard you actually use, pre-treating gear and adding a skin spray only for exposed skin is the smarter stack.
Tips Before You Spray
Shake the bottle very well first. That part’s on the label and easy to rush past. Always work in a ventilated area, outside ideally, and keep it off your skin while you’re applying.
Give yourself a head start. Treat clothing and gear the night before a trip so it’s bone dry by morning. For pet beds and outdoor cushions, spray when the animals and kids are out of the area and let everything fully dry before anyone gets near it. And remember the tent rule: outside surface only. Do that and the rest of the routine is dead simple. I can’t wait to go spray everything else in the house.
Pros
- Odorless once dry, and I couldn’t even smell it while it was still wet
- Lasts up to 6 weeks on gear and up to 6 washes on clothing
- Works on ticks as well as mosquitoes
- Treats clothing, packs, tents, cushions, and dog beds, not your skin
- Simple spray-or-off nozzle
Cons
- Needs full drying time, so it’s not a grab-and-go before you head out
- Can’t touch your skin during application, so you have to be careful
- Pet beds and items must dry completely before animals use them
- Tent treatment is exterior only, never inside
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should treated items dry before use?
Let everything dry fully before skin contact, which is why I treat gear the night before a trip. The label is the boss here, so follow its drying guidance, but plan for a few hours to be safe. Don’t rush it just because the fabric feels almost dry.
Will it stain or damage my clothing and gear?
I didn’t notice any marks on the cushions or pillow I sprayed. As with any treatment, test a small hidden spot first if you’re nervous about a delicate or light-colored fabric. Most clothing, packs, and tents handle it fine.
Can I spray my backpack, tent, and shoes too?
Yes, gear is exactly what this is for. Clothing, backpacks, and the outside of a tent are all fair game. Just keep the tent treatment on the exterior, never the inside where you’ll be sleeping and breathing.
Is it safe to use around cats?
Be extra cautious with cats and keep them away from anything you’ve treated until it’s bone dry. I sprayed dog beds in my review and stressed letting them dry completely first. Check the label for pet guidance before treating anything your animals use.
Can I treat my kids’ clothing with it?
You’d treat the clothing while it’s off them, then let it fully dry before anyone wears it. The spray is for fabric, not skin, so the same dry-first rule applies. Follow the label directions for use around children.
Do I still need bug spray on my skin if my clothes are treated?
Treated clothing protects the covered areas, but it won’t do anything for bare arms, legs, or your face. If you’ve got exposed skin, pair this with a skin-safe repellent. The two work together rather than replacing each other.
Will rain or sweat wash the repellent off?
It bonds to fabric and survives up to 6 washes on clothing, so it’s built to hold through normal use. Heavy laundering is what wears it down, not a little rain or sweat. Once you hit the wash limit or the 6-week window, respray.
Can I respray the same items once protection fades?
Yes, just retreat them after the 6 weeks pass or after about 6 washes for clothing. Shake well, spray in a ventilated area, and let everything dry again. Stuff you never wash, like cushions, mainly needs a refresh on the time schedule.
Get it now
Permethrin Insect Repellent Spray
Get the best price on Amazon →This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
About the reviewer
Seb and Michelle
We've tested over 6,500 products in the last 5 years - collaborating with over 4,000 brands and bringing our style of reviews to multiple platforms. Every video, every review and every post has started with a video we shot ourselves after testing these products.
