AT A GLANCE
Why does dried eucalyptus smell bad?
Dried eucalyptus stinks if you have caught one of the many eucalyptus species that smell unpleasant, such as horse or cat urine. This smell is intensified with dried eucalyptus. Another cause can be bacterial or fungal colonization.
Why does dried eucalyptus smell?
If dried eucalyptus stinks, you most likely got the wrong kind of eucalyptus. Eucalyptus is not a single species, but a very diverse plant genus with around 600 different species. Of these, only a few smell of cough drops, while many others smell like horses or cat urine. In the dried state, this smell naturally intensifies.
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But be careful: sometimes the unpleasant smell is not due to the eucalyptus itself: it may also be that the leaves covered with bacteria or fungi and therefore stink. You should of course no longer use these sheets, but dispose of them.
How to stop dried eucalyptus from smelling?
To prevent the dried eucalyptus from smelling, first of all, you should only certain types dry. These smell nice:
- Lemon eucalyptus (Eucalyptus citriodora): smells intensely of lemon
- Peppermint eucalyptus (Eucalyptus radiata): pleasantly fresh peppermint scent
- Blue eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus): this species is used for the production of cough medicine, intense smell of cough drops
All three types can also be used as houseplant cultivate, although they are not frost hardy and have a strong need for warmth and high humidity. So you can even make your own eucalyptus to harvest.
How does dried eucalyptus affect animals?
But no matter what kind of dried eucalyptus you smell: All animals - with the exception of koalas - stay away from this smell. This also applies to annoying insects such as mosquitoes, which can be easily driven away in summer with a lemon eucalyptus planted on the balcony or terrace.
Some dried ones Eucalyptus branches (of course not from the stinking species!) as a decoration in the room have the same effect. In addition, eucalyptus has the property pests such as mites to kill. For this reason, preparations based on eucalyptus oil are used, for example, to remove mites on honey bees.
How to remove dried eucalyptus smell?
Eucalyptus smells very intense and if the dried eucalyptus stinks, this smell is difficult to get out of the apartment. You can only try to ventilate thoroughly and neutralize the scent with suitable means. These measures are suitable for this:
- set out a bowl of ground coffee
- Spray vinegar water
- Or pour into a bowl and set aside
Both attract foreign odors and absorb them. Of course you can also use room sprays or similar, but these often only smell worse.
Tip
Eucalyptus is poisonous
Whether dried or fresh: do not eat eucalyptus leaves! Eucalyptus contains many toxins that can lead to symptoms of poisoning of varying degrees. In cough medicine, these must be greatly reduced by the industry. Incidentally, the toxicity is also the reason why animals stay away from eucalyptus. Only the koala has adapted and can simply excrete the toxins.
