Cinnamon is one of the handiest things to keep in your spice rack, and not just for its role in cooking and baking — though it’s certainly good for both. Whole sticks lend a sweet, spicy flavor to curries and mulled wine, while ground cinnamon is essential for desserts such as snickerdoodles and apple pie.…
Now cinnamon’s surprising versatility has it going viral on social media for another reason: its use as a DIY natural insect repellent. Here’s how you can create a cinnamon-based bug spray to keep the creepie-crawlies at bay around your home.
Four-Ingredient Cinnamon Bug Spray
Making your own natural insect repellent is as easy as making yourself a cup of instant coffee. The recipe calls for just four ingredients: ground cinnamon, water, rubbing alcohol, and dish soap. Keep in mind that natural bug sprays tend to lose their potency fairly quickly, as their volatile oils evaporate, so only make as much as you plan to use within the next week or so.
Step 1: Using a ratio of 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon for every pint of water — so, 2 teaspoons for a 4-cup batch, or 8 teaspoons for a half gallon — stir the ground cinnamon into warm water and let it steep for at least an hour. Then pour it through a fine-mesh strainer right into your spray bottle. If you’re worried about spilling, line a funnel with a paper towel or cheesecloth and use that to strain your concoction.
Step 2: Once the cinnamon and water mixture is in the bottle, add a quarter teaspoon each of rubbing alcohol and dish soap for every pint of water you’ve used (so a half teaspoon per quart, or 1 teaspoon for a half gallon).
Step 3: Mist the bug spray liberally around doorways and windows to repel ants, or in your closets to discourage spiders and earwigs. You can even spritz yourself to keep pesky mosquitoes away.
Is There Some Science Behind This?
Unlike a lot of viral DIYs, this one is well supported by research. Cornell University’s Integrated Pest Management program hosts a 16-page paper outlining cinnamon’s capabilities as an insect repellent. The short version is that it’s safe for humans and our pets, and it genuinely does repel a lot of pests. (It’s even used in commercial agricultural products.) So mix up a batch, and start spraying.
