You may already know that cinnamon is an excellent addition to pies and wintery simmer pots, but did you know this common household spice is also a brilliant way to keep pests at bay in summer?
According to popular TikTok creator @brunchwithbabs, it’s possible to create a DIY mosquito repellent using only ground cinnamon and 3 other affordable ingredients. The best part? It smells great, too!
The 70-something cleaning guru, who boasts over 4 million TikTok followers, took to the platform to share her tried-and-tested cinnamon spray that she claims ‘keeps mosquitos at bay’.
@brunchwithbabs ♬ original sound - Babs
How to make Bab's DIY mosquito repellent
Bab’s affordable mosquito repellent uses just 4 simple ingredients that you'll likely have in your kitchen cupboards already:
- Ground cinnamon (you can purchase a jar of ground cinnamon for only $1.24 at Walmart)
- Half a teaspoon of dish soap
- Half a teaspoon of rubbing alcohol
- Warm water
To make your own repellent, whisk 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon into 4 cups of warm water and leave it to steep ‘like a cup of tea’ for an hour or so. Then, drain the cinnamon mixture into a spray bottle, add half a teaspoon of dish soap and half a teaspoon of rubbing alcohol, and give the bottle a good shake.
Provided you aren’t allergic to any ingredients, the spray is safe to use on your skin and can be spritzed around your al fresco setup to ward away mosquitos while you enjoy the summer sunshine.
How does it work?
Cinnamon is known to repel mosquitoes because of its strong scent and the presence of compounds like cinnamaldehyde. These compounds interfere with mosquitoes' sensory reception, making it difficult for them to locate their targets.
Cinnamon oil can also act as a natural insecticide, killing mosquito larvae and deterring adult mosquitoes from the area. As well as making a DIY spray, using cinnamon in various forms, such as essential oil or ground cinnamon, can help get rid of mosquitos.
Other clever uses for cinnamon
This warming spice has a number of uses around the home:
- Sprinkle a light layer of ground cinnamon on the lids and the bottom of your wheelie bins to get rid of prying raccoons.
- Dot a few cinnamon sticks in your fruit bowls to get rid of fruit flies.
- Mop your floors with cinnamon to make your rooms smell nice and 'boost your prosperity'.
- Use cinnamon to prevent mold as part of your daily cleaning routine.
- Blow cinnamon at your front door on the first day of the month to bring abundance into your home.
If the spicy scent of cinnamon isn’t for you, you might want to try these alternative DIY mosquito repellents to keep the blood-suckers at bay.
