It's that time of year again. The flowers and trees are all coming back to life. And so are the weeds.

If your response to the weeds is to grab your pesticide sprayer and get to work, slow down. The weeds can wait while you dress for the occasion.

"Many people take for granted the clothing aspect of pesticide application," said Judy Hibbs, a family and consumer scientist with the University of Georgia Extension Service. "But it's very important for your safety."

If you're using pesticides in granular form, she said, wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, socks and shoes. For liquid pesticides with "caution" on the label, wear the same items plus rubber or chemical-resistant gloves. For products with "warning" or "danger" on the labels, add eye protection. The safety glasses should include front, brow and temple protection.

"After using pesticides, remove your clothing and launder them separately from other clothing," Hibbs said. "Wash your hands and any exposed skin promptly and thoroughly with soap and water."

After using liquid pesticides, follow the same cleanup instructions and rinse your gloves before you remove them. If any of your clothes are saturated with chemicals, remove them and shower.

"The dress code and cleaning instructions are the same whether you're spraying a few weeds in the yard or spraying acres of crops," Hibbs said.

Always launder pesticide-contaminated clothes before wearing them again, Hibbs said. Take other safety steps in the laundry room.

* Store the pesticide-contaminated items in a container outside or separate from the other laundry. For heavily contaminated clothing, wear gloves while working with them.

* Pre-rinse heavily contaminated clothing outside with a hose. Or soak them in a bucket, or use the pre-rinse cycle on the washer.

* Use heavy-duty detergent and increase the recommended amount by a fourth. Don't use bleach or ammonia. Avoid chemical reactions.

* Wash only a few garments at a time. Use hot water, a full water level and a normal washing cycle. Rewash heavily contaminated clothing two or three times without drying between washings. Wash them separately from other clothes.

* After laundering, run the empty washer through a complete cycle with hot water and detergent to remove residue.

* Line-dry clothing whenever possible. Air and sunshine help break down pesticide residue. Residue can build up inside the dryer and contaminate the following loads.

"If you're pregnant, please be extremely careful handling pesticide-contaminated clothing," Hibbs said.