Well, let me tell ya ’bout this deet stuff. It’s supposed to keep them pesky skeeters away, right? But it does some weird things, like meltin’ plastic. I ain’t no scientist, but I heard folks callin’ it by a long name, somethin’ like N, N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide, or somethin’ like that. Sounds fancy, don’t it? But it just means deet, the stuff you spray on yourself so them bugs don’t eat ya alive.
Now, they say this deet stuff is the best thing out there for keepin’ them skeeters away. Been around for a long, long time too, they say, more’n fifty years. Keeps them bitin’ critters off ya, and that’s a good thing, ‘specially when you’re out in the garden or fishin’ by the creek. But you gotta be careful with it, real careful.
- First off, don’t go sprayin’ it on everything. It ain’t for your clothes, not the fancy stretchy kind anyway. They say it messes up rayon and spandex. Sticks to cotton and wool just fine, though.
- Second, and this is the important part, keep it away from plastic. Yeah, you heard me right, plastic. This deet stuff, it can melt plastic like butter on a hot stove. Water bottles, watch faces, even the screen on your phone, it’ll mess ’em all up.
I seen it myself, you know. My grandson, he had this fancy water bottle, all bright and shiny. He sprayed hisself with deet, then grabbed the bottle, and the next thing you know, it was all sticky and warped. Looked like it was meltin’ right in his hand. He wasn’t too happy, let me tell ya. Had to go and buy him a new one.
They say it’s ’cause this deet is part of some chemical family, somethin’ called tolune. And these tolune things are like…well, like stuff that melts other stuff. They call ’em solvents, I think. Like paint thinner or somethin’. So, it makes sense, I guess, that it would melt plastic.
Now, nobody really knows how deet keeps the skeeters away. Some folks say it messes with their smellin’ parts, makes it hard for ’em to find ya. Like puttin’ on a cloak, a chemical cloak, so the skeeters can’t see ya. Sounds kinda like magic, don’t it? But it works, that’s for sure.
But the stronger the deet, the better it works. They got different kinds, you know, some with more of that chemical stuff than others. The stronger stuff, it keeps the bugs away longer, but it’s also harder on plastic. So, you gotta choose, I guess. Do you want to be skeeter-free or keep your plastic stuff safe? Can’t always have both, I reckon.
And it ain’t just plastic bottles, mind you. It’s all sorts of plastic. I heard tell of folks meltin’ their watch crystals, the plastic on their glasses, even the dashboard in their cars. So, you gotta be real careful where you’re sprayin’ that stuff and what you touch after. Wash your hands good, that’s what I always say. Soap and water, nothin’ fancy, just good ol’ soap and water.
So, that’s the lowdown on deet and plastic. It keeps them skeeters away, but it can melt your stuff. Just be careful, that’s all. Use it smart, and you’ll be alright. And if you do happen to melt somethin’, well, don’t say I didn’t warn ya. It ain’t my fault if you go sprayin’ it all over your fancy gadgets.
They been usin’ this deet stuff since way back, even the army used it, back in the day. Guess they figured out it was better to fight skeeters than the enemy sometimes. And they probably melted a few things along the way too, I betcha.
Anyhow, just remember, deet is good for keepin’ them skeeters away, but bad for plastic. Keep that in mind, and you’ll be just fine. And don’t go sprayin’ it on the grandkids, just a little dab’ll do ya. Too much of anything ain’t good for ya, that’s what my mama always said. And she was right about most things, that mama of mine.
And one more thing, if you ain’t sure about somethin’, just ask. No shame in askin’ questions. Better to ask than to ruin somethin’ expensive, right? That’s what I always tell the young’uns. Use your head, and you’ll be alright. And keep that deet away from plastic, for goodness sake!