Tea Tree Oil Accident

gravitytolls

I spilled half a bottle of tea tree oil in the kitchen cupboard. I use it for deterring head lice, by adding it to the hair products (doesn't work), and lost the lid. So I popped it in the cupboard so it didn't get knocked over the work tops. Silly me.

Anyhoo, I've taken everything out, disposed of all open packets which were heavily tainted by it, cleaned the cupboard shelvews, back, sides, doors etc., cleaned all the stuff to go back in and put it back. One week on, it still smells very very strongly, and crumbles, cakes etc. taste of it, although these were unopened an wrapped packets of flour, oats etc.

Please, any suggestions for getting rid of it, my family are not impressed with the new flavours of pudding that I've been putting before them.

recovering_spendaholic

TBH it will be really difficult and I think that all the food that was in the cupboard, unless it was in a tin will have to be binned as Tea Tree is such a pungent thing. If I was you I would empty the cupboard and then make a paste of bicarb and water and spread it all over the inside of the cupboard and leave it on for about an hour (or more) then scrub it off with mildly soapy water (or blast it with a steam cleaner if you've got one) and then wipe the cupboard down with neat lemon juice. I would then leave the cupboard empty and open for a couple of days to air it out. This worked for me when I spilled a bottle of roasted sesame oil in my cupboard.

sweetnskint

this is a tricky one which is going to be difficult to get rid of... could try using some cheap coffee granules in a lid to 'soak' the smell up. change every few days!the granules should help but advise buying cheap ones cos will be expensive else!

Classy_Chick06

Try cuttin a lemon up into quarters and rubbing the shelves with them.

gravitytolls

Thanks folks. I have cleared the cupboard, and will try the lemon and the coffee suggestions (no bicarb or steamer). Might leave a bowl of vinegar in there too ~ anything's gotta be better than tea tree. If all else fails I'll have to swap that cupboard for the tinned cupboard.