# Tea Tree Oil Recipe



## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

I really like Kanberra Gel (thanks chef2sail!), but I really *don't* like the cost. So, ever the DIY-er, I want to make my own. Tea Tree oil can be found at Target, CVA, Walgreens, etc.

Does anyone have a proven recipe? I have one that I found on the 'net but am looking for something that someone has used on their boat.

We've found that Kanberra Gel has eliminated the musty boat smell by about 90%! After we bought the boat in 2005, we attacked mold that was growing everywhere due to countless leaks and rotted shelving and bulkheads. After resolving the source of the problem we used gallons (literally) of bleach and shower mold spray, but the boat had a traditional musty smell. After one season of using two 4oz tubs of Kanberra Gel in the v berth and main cabin, the boat is odor free. Even the foul weather jackets smell neutral.


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

I use 1 teaspoon of Tea Tree Oil to 1 cup of water. I keep it in a small spray bottle, and give the lockers a couple of sprays once a month...


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## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

Have you ever made a gel?


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

According to Kanberra themselves, you're barking up the tree that makes their product superior. They claim competitors products either don't dissipate well, harden into a ball or contain toxic chemicals too. 

If you figure out how to make an effective home recipe, they're headed for the dust bin. I don't like dropping the $100 on refills, but I just loaded up for the winter. I refill 2 - 3 times per year now. It's expensive, but works.


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## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

> If you figure out how to make an effective home recipe, they're headed for the dust bin.


The challenge has been made and I accept!

Seriously, I've been around long enough to understand how marketing works. The reality is that often times, the difference between a marketed product and what I can make at home is that the vendor took the time to develop and market the product. I hold two copyrights to data analysis tools. My customers tell me that they could have done the same thing. It's true.. if they set aside two years and $250k. But I did and they didn't and that's how I make my living. 

I have no desire to compete with Kanberra or West Marine, it's just a drag to have to order that stuff all the time. And if I fail, then that's ok. At least I tried.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

I'm rooting for you.


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## Jgbrown (Mar 26, 2012)

The water and tea tree oil was a huge PITA for me. It always separated requiring shaking and it didn't spray nicely. I tried mixing it with some mild de-greasers and cleaners I used, thinking that if it was emulsified it might be a bit better. That reduced it's effectiveness as a cleaner, and it didn't really help the tea tree oil work any better. It seemed a bit silly to me spraying water everywhere when the whole point is to have a dry, clean smelling boat.

My current recipe for use in the bilges and lockers is really simple. It works for me.

*1 small bottle of tea tree oil.
1 300 mL spray bottle of 99% isopropanol from the drug store. I could only find a link to the 70% but it's the same bottle and brand.*
Spray I use

pour out a little alcohol, pour in the tea-tree oil and shake.

It works great, doesn't seem to separate like water and tea-tree oil! Spray in all the lockers and the bilge. Might not be as good as a gel for some things, but it coats everything with a light coat of tea-tree oil, and I think the alcohol helps dry stuff out and kill things too. I've used a quick spray on cuts as well, when I had nothing else.


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## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

$7.95 for 2 ounces is better!

* save the old tubs
* add about 1/2 oz. mineral oil (to keep it from drying completely)
* gel with cabosil (works on any petroleum/oil product)

On the other hand, Forespar dilutes with DI water (most probably with an emulsifying agent) and gels it with something like SAP (the powder in diapers).

I'm sure there are better ways, but you might have this stuff on hand.

----

Personally, I don't care for the smell and in testing I've found dehumidifiers to work better, but it does have some very slight biocide effectiveness. My wife likes it.


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## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

I just made a batch using the recipe in the following link, increasing the tea tree oil to 50 drops.
Things we did today: Homemade Air Freshener Gel

pdq - I like the idea to use mineral oil and silca. I have some West System Colloidal Silca so I can use that in place of the Cabosil (same thing from what I read). I'll definitely try that in my next batch. Right now, I'm thinking that the gelatin will evaporate quickly so your idea might work better.

The whole house smells like tea tree oil... good thing that Vicky likes the smell.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Sabreman said:


> I just made a batch using the recipe in the following link, increasing the tea tree oil to 50 drops.


Your link says it lasted for two weeks. I find Kanberra lasts for two months.

I think that's what one pays for, they're dispersal technology.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

pdqaltair said:


> $7.95 for 2 ounces is better!......


Is that the Kanberra refill cost or the cost of the product you are recommending?

I pay $3.75 per ounce to refill Kanberra.

Amazon.com: Kanberra Gel Refill Pouch 24 oz.: Health & Personal [email protected]@[email protected]@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/[email protected]@[email protected]@41fhssS8T6L


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## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

The thing of it is that most of the gel products (including Kanberra) are only about 8% tea tree oil. 

The Walmart product is 100% tea tree oil, making the Kanberra product see to be, well, a rip-off.

----

I tested dehumidifiers and tea tree oil and some other things for an article....

The dehumidifier won and it wasn't close; the dehumidifier stopped the mold, the tea tree oil made it smell pretty.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

What kind of dehumidifiers did you test? I recently installed a peltier style one (EvaDry 1100), but it is too new for me to really say how well it is working. It is filling up with water which is good.


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## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

Alex W said:


> What kind of dehumidifiers did you test? I recently installed a peltier style one (EvaDry 1100), but it is too new for me to really say how well it is working. It is filling up with water which is good.


I was using the EVA Dry 2000 in a 32-foot catamaran, so I think you've got the size about right. It will probably want to frost in the winter, so put it on a timer (it will thaw during the day, when it is off and the sun is up).

http://sail-delmarva.blogspot.com/2012/12/dehumidifier-vs-desicant.html

I ran a hose to the sink and sat it on the stove.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Dehumidifiers are great when you're dockside. However, up on the hard, most aren't permitted to run power 24/7. It's the shoulder seasons that heat up the interior that I find are the greatest risk. Kanberra has been holding them off nicely. Even the product that I set out in the Fall will freeze over the winter and be instantly available as the Spring thaw occurs. Perfectly timed for when its needed.


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## neilsty (Oct 15, 2009)

How much kanberra do people use for a boat on the hard in the Caribbean from mid July to end of October with no dehumidifier. I bought the 24 oz one and split it into separate containers one for each of 3 cabins 2 heads and 2 in the salon/galley. I hope it is working as I have not seen the boat since mid July. I also put some dehumidifier gel tubs around but a mechanic told me they were shot after about 4 weeks.


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

Kanberra Gel Online Store - Kanberra Gel

USent from my iPad

99 dollars.....24 oz....by last bag lasted 2+ years. Well worth it. No need to experiment


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## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

Minnewaska said:


> Dehumidifiers are great when you're dockside. However, up on the hard, most aren't permitted to run power 24/7. It's the shoulder seasons that heat up the interior that I find are the greatest risk. Kanberra has been holding them off nicely. Even the product that I set out in the Fall will freeze over the winter and be instantly available as the Spring thaw occurs. Perfectly timed for when its needed.


True enough, and deiscant (CaCl2) is impractical (lots is needed).

However, I have been experimenting with running the dehumidifier off the solar panels, which works fine if I set the cycle short (4 hours per day) and run it off the 12v side. That is enough to keep the RH ~ 50% with the boat sealed up.

I stay in the water all winter (a bit more humid I'm sure); dehumidifiers are probably a better answer in that case.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

pdqaltair said:


> True enough, and deiscant (CaCl2) is impractical (lots is needed).


I presume that is the stuff in Damp Rid? I do that too. I just buy the refill for about $5 that reloads about 8 or 10 baskets. Each will collect about a cup of water over the winter and I sit them in each sink so they would drain overboard if they froze and broke. I doubt that's really all that meaningful, but its cheap. Better than nothing, but no replacement for Kanberra, IMO.



> I stay in the water all winter (a bit more humid I'm sure); dehumidifiers are probably a better answer in that case.


At a mooring or slip? Seems a slip would provide power. If you stay in the water at our marina (no liveaboards), you get a meter and pay for what you use.


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## T37Chef (Oct 9, 2006)

Um, you know we make enough fruit jellies that I bet I could sub out some tea tree oil, the hang up would be how to get to diffuse/release?


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## bristol299bob (Apr 13, 2011)

Also a fan of Kanberra Gel.

has anyone tried this brand, its quite a bit less expensive


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Here is a thread that I started 3 years ago on Kanberra. In post #58, I reprinted an email from the owner of Kanberra (with their permission) that addresses, among other things, Safe-t-air. Its a good read.

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/general-discussion-sailing-related/70288-kanberra-gel.html


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## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

Minnewaska said:


> I presume that is the stuff in Damp Rid? I do that too. I just buy the refill for about $5 that reloads about 8 or 10 baskets. Each will collect about a cup of water over the winter and I sit them in each sink so they would drain overboard if they froze and broke. I doubt that's really all that meaningful, but its cheap. Better than nothing, but no replacement for Kanberra, IMO.
> 
> At a mooring or slip? Seems a slip would provide power. If you stay in the water at our marina (no liveaboards), you get a meter and pay for what you use.


a. A dehumidifier--even the smallest--would remove 10x that amount of water over the winter, at least 1 gallon per month even in the cold (assuming the air is not too dry). That is why CaCl2 doesn't work; the amount required to keep the humidity where it needs to be is impractical.

b. Slip with unmetered power. However, ice storm power failures being what they are it is nice to have independent systems. And I like to tinker. For example, folks that rely upon heaters for winterization are rolling the dice.

That said, tea tree oil has proven bacteriostatic properties at the recommended doses--I've tested this in the lab. Vapors (at any concentration you could stand) won't kill a healthy colony, but they can put a damper on spread. My wife likes the smell, I don't, so we use tea tree oil at home and not on the boat:laugher.


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## Don L (Aug 8, 2008)

I just can not see how the small amount of money saved by making your own gel over buying the refill bag is worth the trouble.


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## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

Don0190 said:


> I just can not see how the small amount of money saved by making your own gel over buying the refill bag is worth the trouble.


It's fun to try. Learn something about stuff that I didn't know before. Isn't about the money, just fun. The voyage of discovery....


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## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

Sabreman said:


> It's fun to try. Learn something about stuff that I didn't know before. Isn't about the money, just fun. The voyage of discovery....


Seems like why we sail, to me.


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

For those attempting a home brew, I think the gel nature of the product is probably misleading some. From intuition, I'm thinking that tea tree oil itself won't just evaporate well and disperse all on its own. Otherwise, just leave a tin of it out and we're all set. It must require a dispersant that both mixes with the oil and evaporates at room temperature. Not too fast, but not too slow. The gel nature is likely the result of emulsifying those ingredients to keep them combined. While gelatin will solidify the mixture, I don't think that's the actual goal. Further, while it may give off tea tree oil odor, suggesting some evaporation, I would think gelatin will be more effective in retaining the oil than helping to disperse. Who knows, maybe the smallest amount of gelatin helps retain the emulsification and accounts for the pea sized remaining nugget in Kanberra. Although, I should say that in areas of higher air movement, ever bit of Kanberra evaporates. Only where air is still do I get the remaining pea. 

Additionally, I suspect the quality and grade of oil matters. I can buy two different jalepenos, one will burn and the other won't. Depending on the source, one batch of home brew may work, while the next doesn't.

Anyway, I'm interested to hear how these recipes work.


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## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

If you really want to hurt your head, figure out how much you need and why.

* How much air will move thrugh the boat? Seal it up tight and you make condensation worse, ventilate too much and there won't be enough tea tree oil to do a thing.
* Minimum inhibiting concentration. Google it.
* Temperature sensativity of evaporation. Big affect. 

I went through the calculations and it's like this; the manufacturer suggestion is rational, BUT it is very easy to be off by 10x if the temperature or ventilation rate is changed. In that case you might get a pretty smell but there is no chance what so ever that it was biologically effective, like not taking enough antibiotic. There is some discussion that low levels can develop super bugs... but they're always sayin' that.


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## Delezynski (Sep 27, 2013)

Sabreman,

You got me thinking. So I am doing an experiment just now....

First I bought a small Kanberra Gel to see what it was like. Thanks, I like it. 

Next, I decided to try to make something that might work. I bought a package of Knox gelatine (with 4 envelops) and a bottle of Tea Tree oil at a local wally world for under $8.00 total.

I have a few old plastic yogurt cups that hold about 6 Oz.

The Tea Tree oil will not mix with water, but will mix in alcohol. So in a cup I mixed an eye dropper of oil in about an once of rubbing alcohol and set that aside.

I then put about 1.5 Oz. Of room temp water in the plastic cup and slowly sprinkled in 1 envelop of the gelatin in it to wet it out. 

I then got about 4 Ox. Of water boiling, and added that to the cup slowly and stirred it well. After a few min I added the oil & alcohol to the cup and stirred it well, then cover the cup with plastic wrap. I set it in the reefer for a few hours to set up.

I then took it out of the reefer (a few days ago) and put it in our garage here in Az. Over the last few days it did NOT turn back to a liquid as it was mixed so concentrated. 

First – it smells NOTHING LIKE THE Kanberra! They must put a lot of other “smell good stuff” in it!!! 

I took the top off and put it in the boat today. I'll report back in a week or so how it's going. I also have a couple of other ideas on how to do this.

Greg


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

I highly suspect that Kanberra is an emulsion, not gelatin. I don't see how gelatin will evaporate.


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## Delezynski (Sep 27, 2013)

Minnewaska,

I don't expect the gelatin to evaporate, just the moisture to come out of it. 

If it works I will let ya know, if not, I have another idea. At any rate, I still have a lot of the oil left over for other usages.

Greg


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

Hope it works. 

Try it side by side with kanberra by putting each in a container with something that will quickly go moldy. See if they work the same. Use a control with no tea tree oil at all.


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## Delezynski (Sep 27, 2013)

I think I will do one experiment at a time.....

Greg


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## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

So far, my gelatin/tree tea oil mixture is holding up and not evaporating. Right now, I have 1/2 TBS to 2 cups of water and 4 gelatin packets. I think that the tea tree oil needs to be increased 4x and the gelatin halved.

I like the control experiment, so I'll do that with my next batch. There are a lot of moldy things in my daughter's room so that's a good lab.....


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## Delezynski (Sep 27, 2013)

Progress Report from this end.....

As I said I made about 6 or so ounces. The smell worked well for a time, then, in about one week the gel skimmed over and it stopped working. I removed the HARD layer and it was working once more. About a week went by, then another layer of HARD glass or plastic like skim. I peeled that off today and it's working but only a small amount remains. I also use one of the small battery reefer fans next to it. That may have speed up of the skimming.  Next week I may try another idea with more oil in the mix and a different absorbent material. I have attached a photo of how it's looking today.

Disclaimer. We lived aboard full time in the San Francisco Bay area, cruised down through Mexico, and now have the boat on her trailer here in Az. In all that time we have had no mold to speak of. It may be due to living aboard or now the area we are at, so I can NOT attest to mold control of the oil! 

Greg


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