You can get concentrated permetherin, mix with water and apply with spray bottle to cotton clothes/socks. It bonds to the fiber and keeps the ticks off. Lasts several washes, longer if you don’t dry clothes with heat.

Much cheaper to buy the concentrate instead of the premix.

Spray outside, allow clothes to dry outside. Stuff is pretty much harmless to humans. When still wet or in concentrate, it is absolutely deadly to cats. After it has bonded to your clothes, it won’t hurt the cats. Doesn’t work if you apply it to your skin, the skin oils or something deactivate it.

Haven’t had a tick in years since I started using it.