Haven't tried any of the home remedies you mention but I have tried spraying clothing with permethrin. It works great! The ticks ARE really bad here in Missouri this year and it's interesting to see all the dead ticks in your socks at the end of a day of hiking if you've treated them with permethrin.

For those who don't know permethrin is an insecticide. You spray it on your socks, trousers, etc (not your skin!) and let them dry for a few hours before putting them on. I do it at home a day or two before I go hiking. Once it's dry it can't absorb through your skin but it still kills bugs, something like what happens when the exterminator sprays your house or office. Then when ticks try climbing up your clothes to get to your skin they absorb the stuff (even though it is dry) and they die.

I don't think deet should even claim that it works on ticks. It may have some mild effect on ticks but I haven't had good luck with it. For mosquitoes it's great but not for ticks. That's a bummer too because even if you treat your clothes with permethrin your bare skin is vulnerable if a tick can get directly to it (like if you are wearing shorts).