Essential Oil
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Joined: November 12, 2014
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Essential Oil
Having a rat or squirrel problem here in NYC. Every week i open my hood finding **** and **** from rodent. I have been spraying peppermint essential oil diluted with water in my engine bay. From what i searched it says it repels rodents but im cant find information anywhere regarding if these essential oil are safe to spray on plastic and rubber.
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Joined: February 2, 2004
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From: Insane
I found this, dunno how skookum it is, but still:
https://www.containerandpackaging.co...ic-it-depends/
So basically undiluted essential oils can cause deterioration of the rubber and silicone parts of the car. Diluted, it's not a problem, or so I've seen/found.
I've also found for automotive use they say to use the peppermint oil infused into cotton *****, and then use moth ***** as well in the engine compartment, not just spray it. I'd get a few little sachet bags that'll hold a few cotton *****, infuse the cotton with the undiluted peppermint oil, add an equal amount of moth *****, then place/hang them about as needed in the engine bay. This way they can be removed without fuss.
Lil' bags like this:
https://www.hobbylobby.com/Beads-Jew...x-5%22/p/13038
Stuff 'em, tie 'em up, add string, hang 'em about. No more spraying, diluting, evaporating as much... and more importantly no more rodents, one would hope.
Also, using these lil' bags with cotton ***** that have some smell good in 'em, like maybe the ever seasonal overly used but still people like it Pumpkin Spice smellin' oil, make pretty decent air fresheners! Well, ok, overly smelling smell maskers anyway... Just toss it under the pax seat and enjoy the new and better stench!
Just don't over do the amount of oils in the thing though or it'll overpower you. Think perfume on ladies. Have you ever walked past a woman and got a scent of something? Pleasant surprise? Yes? Like that. Then you walk past another one and HOLY SMOKES DID SHE BATHE IN (insert name of whatever perfume)!? *hack, wheeze*. (In case you can't tell, I *really* hated walking past the old Foleys/Dillards makeup/perfume counters in the middle of the store... just gag me, ugh, overpowering fumigation of perfume... 
)
(Guys... you're not much better sometimes. Back off with the cologne...)
Hope that helps!
Good luck with the infestation! 
https://www.containerandpackaging.co...ic-it-depends/
So basically undiluted essential oils can cause deterioration of the rubber and silicone parts of the car. Diluted, it's not a problem, or so I've seen/found.
I've also found for automotive use they say to use the peppermint oil infused into cotton *****, and then use moth ***** as well in the engine compartment, not just spray it. I'd get a few little sachet bags that'll hold a few cotton *****, infuse the cotton with the undiluted peppermint oil, add an equal amount of moth *****, then place/hang them about as needed in the engine bay. This way they can be removed without fuss.
Lil' bags like this:
https://www.hobbylobby.com/Beads-Jew...x-5%22/p/13038
Stuff 'em, tie 'em up, add string, hang 'em about. No more spraying, diluting, evaporating as much... and more importantly no more rodents, one would hope.
Also, using these lil' bags with cotton ***** that have some smell good in 'em, like maybe the ever seasonal overly used but still people like it Pumpkin Spice smellin' oil, make pretty decent air fresheners! Well, ok, overly smelling smell maskers anyway... Just toss it under the pax seat and enjoy the new and better stench!
Just don't over do the amount of oils in the thing though or it'll overpower you. Think perfume on ladies. Have you ever walked past a woman and got a scent of something? Pleasant surprise? Yes? Like that. Then you walk past another one and HOLY SMOKES DID SHE BATHE IN (insert name of whatever perfume)!? *hack, wheeze*. (In case you can't tell, I *really* hated walking past the old Foleys/Dillards makeup/perfume counters in the middle of the store... just gag me, ugh, overpowering fumigation of perfume... )(Guys... you're not much better sometimes. Back off with the cologne...)
Hope that helps!
Good luck with the infestation! Last edited by houtex; Oct 9, 2020 at 06:58 PM.
Thread Starter
GT Member
Joined: November 12, 2014
Posts: 112
Likes: 4
I found this, dunno how skookum it is, but still:
https://www.containerandpackaging.co...ic-it-depends/
So basically undiluted essential oils can cause deterioration of the rubber and silicone parts of the car. Diluted, it's not a problem, or so I've seen/found.
I've also found for automotive use they say to use the peppermint oil infused into cotton *****, and then use moth ***** as well in the engine compartment, not just spray it. I'd get a few little sachet bags that'll hold a few cotton *****, infuse the cotton with the undiluted peppermint oil, add an equal amount of moth *****, then place/hang them about as needed in the engine bay. This way they can be removed without fuss.
Lil' bags like this:
https://www.hobbylobby.com/Beads-Jew...x-5%22/p/13038
Stuff 'em, tie 'em up, add string, hang 'em about. No more spraying, diluting, evaporating as much... and more importantly no more rodents, one would hope.
Also, using these lil' bags with cotton ***** that have some smell good in 'em, like maybe the ever seasonal overly used but still people like it Pumpkin Spice smellin' oil, make pretty decent air fresheners! Well, ok, overly smelling smell maskers anyway... Just toss it under the pax seat and enjoy the new and better stench! Just don't over do the amount of oils in the thing though or it'll overpower you. Think perfume on ladies. Have you ever walked past a woman and got a scent of something? Pleasant surprise? Yes? Like that. Then you walk past another one and HOLY SMOKES DID SHE BATHE IN (insert name of whatever perfume)!? *hack, wheeze*. (In case you can't tell, I *really* hated walking past the old Foleys/Dillards makeup/perfume counters in the middle of the store... just gag me, ugh, overpowering fumigation of perfume... )
(Guys... you're not much better sometimes. Back off with the cologne...)
Hope that helps! Good luck with the infestation!
https://www.containerandpackaging.co...ic-it-depends/
So basically undiluted essential oils can cause deterioration of the rubber and silicone parts of the car. Diluted, it's not a problem, or so I've seen/found.
I've also found for automotive use they say to use the peppermint oil infused into cotton *****, and then use moth ***** as well in the engine compartment, not just spray it. I'd get a few little sachet bags that'll hold a few cotton *****, infuse the cotton with the undiluted peppermint oil, add an equal amount of moth *****, then place/hang them about as needed in the engine bay. This way they can be removed without fuss.
Lil' bags like this:
https://www.hobbylobby.com/Beads-Jew...x-5%22/p/13038
Stuff 'em, tie 'em up, add string, hang 'em about. No more spraying, diluting, evaporating as much... and more importantly no more rodents, one would hope.
Also, using these lil' bags with cotton ***** that have some smell good in 'em, like maybe the ever seasonal overly used but still people like it Pumpkin Spice smellin' oil, make pretty decent air fresheners! Well, ok, overly smelling smell maskers anyway... Just toss it under the pax seat and enjoy the new and better stench!
Just don't over do the amount of oils in the thing though or it'll overpower you. Think perfume on ladies. Have you ever walked past a woman and got a scent of something? Pleasant surprise? Yes? Like that. Then you walk past another one and HOLY SMOKES DID SHE BATHE IN (insert name of whatever perfume)!? *hack, wheeze*. (In case you can't tell, I *really* hated walking past the old Foleys/Dillards makeup/perfume counters in the middle of the store... just gag me, ugh, overpowering fumigation of perfume... )(Guys... you're not much better sometimes. Back off with the cologne...)
Hope that helps!
Good luck with the infestation!
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Joined: February 2, 2004
Posts: 7,648
Likes: 675
From: Insane
Well.. at this point, if you're still asking the questions, wouldn't it be prudent to side on 'probably' and try to avoid the damage? Also, I just ain't all that happy about sprayin' stuff on my motor, if for nothin' else the water spotting, but even if it's possibly/probably, avoidance is a good thing, methinks.
You do you, of course, and that'll be just dandy! Me? Them bags of cotton and moth *****. are what I'm doin'. Probably can leave them in there too, just be sure they're not gonna catch fire or such. 
You do you, of course, and that'll be just dandy!
Me? Them bags of cotton and moth *****. are what I'm doin'. Probably can leave them in there too, just be sure they're not gonna catch fire or such.
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Joined: January 25, 2010
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From: Massachusetts
a couple years ago I found some kind of "rodent be gone" repellant packets, which was mint and some other oils said to be repellent to rodents, pre-packaged in little fabric bags . . . it smelled real good to me, but they say rodents can't stand it, just like your Essential Oils . . . I hung them in my engine compartment, and other places like my lawnmover, over the winter . . . I can't say for sure that it worked, but I did not have any major rodent problems that year
worked well enough that I'm going to try to find it again this year . . . now if I can just remember what it was called and where I found it . . .
worked well enough that I'm going to try to find it again this year . . . now if I can just remember what it was called and where I found it . . .
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Posts: 117
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From: Connecticut
Last edited by JimB.; Oct 14, 2020 at 08:46 AM.
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