This easy 4-ingredient mosquito repellent can be made for under $5

Make your own DIY cinnamon mosquito repellent to keep pests at bay this summer

An amber spray bottle and an outdoor summer garden set up by a poolside
(Image credit: Mykhailo Lukashuk via Getty Images / OKA Shorwell Garden Furniture)
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Gabriella Dyson
By
published
in Advice

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:

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.

Next, learn how to make your own cinnamon oil for cleaning.

Gabriella Dyson
Gabriella Dyson
Contributor

Gabriella is a freelance contributor for Homes & Gardens. She is a DIY enthusiast and a lover of all things interior design, often found antiquing or browsing the aisles of her local hardware store. She has a particular passion for historic buildings and is in the process of renovating a Victorian coachhouse in the British countryside. 

For much of the past decade, Gabriella has worked as a freelance writer, crafting copy for national publications and renowned homeware brands. Most recently, she worked for Homebuilding & Renovating Magazine and is the former Head of Solved at Homes & Gardens, focusing on case studies for the magazine and website, as well as writing features about issues surrounding historic and listed building projects.

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