To me, if you want to smell Australia. It means going into the bush after rain and breathing in deep. What you will smell is the earthy undertones of eucalyptus trees wet from a recent down pour or drizzle. It smells so wonderfully clean. There are hundreds of different varieties of eucalypts found in Australia. However due to them being introduced to all corners of the globe, you will also find them from Egypt to Chile. As they have been introduced to some areas that are not suitable for their growth and the fact that they are also large water suckers, not everyone is a fan of the old eucalypt.

10 reasons to become a fan of the oil they produce are…

1/ Stains in clothing can be easily gotten out with a paste of eucalyptus oil and liquid washing detergent. Rub it in to the stain with some thing like an old toothbrush, leave for 10 minutes and then wash as normal.

2/ Removing remains of anything sticky, eg. wax, sticker. Use oil straight and rub sticky business off.

3/ Feeling clogged? Or perhaps a toilet plunger to suction outgoing mucus sounds like a good idea? Try boiling some water, put the plug in the sink, fill sink with hot water and 3 drops of eucalyptus oil, and drape a towel over your head to breathe the vapours. The eucalyptus oil works as an expectorant and decongestant. DON’T add 2 tablespoons of the oil to the water, as your lungs will constrict and you will be blinded for approximately 5 minutes- you have been expertly warned.

4/ Underarms in clothing having a residual pong (smell)? Try the same oil to laundry liquid paste as no.  , leave and wash as normal. No residues from under arm body odour or deodorant build up.

5/ Freshens and deodorises anything that may need a little lift.

6/ Feet looking a little funky with a touch of athletes foot? Try soaking the foot in a bucket of 1 part vinegar/ 3 parts water, dry and then dab straight eucalyptus oil on to the infected area. Eucalyptus oil works as a fungicide. It can also be used straight on any discoloured nails that may have a fungal infection.

7/ A mixture of Eucalyptus, bicarbonate soda and vinegar can be made up and used for cleaning all parts of the bathroom, including the toilet. Its non-toxic for drains, and is great to disinfect, deoderises, and anti-bacterial.* [see this post for exact measurements]

8/ For dust mite control, add a cap full to your washing machine and wash sheets and mattress protector. Soft toys can also be washed in this way. This kills the dust mite and removes the allergen that the they produce which can effect asthmatics.

9/ Insect bites can be treated with dab of straight oil. eg. Mosquito or tick bites.

10/ When cleaning out cupboards. Get a 1/4 bucket of hot soapy water, with a cap full of eucalyptus oil, and wipe down shelves for clean and fresh smelling.

See here for 10 Tips on using Bicarbonate Soda.