Using just three dollar-store ingredients and you can make your own mosquito repellent!
I saw this post on Facebook and decided it was worth giving a try; Miss Madison is our family’s ‘sweet meat’ and the bugs can’t seem to leave her alone.
We use spray-on mosquito repellents like Deep woods and Off and Avon, but I really don’t like the thought of spraying her skin so often – I mean, even if it is supposed to be safe, the skin does absorb some of it and who knows the long-term side effects. On top of that, the kids always have to shower before bed so that the chemicals don’t get into their beds and on their sheets – it’s a true downside of summer.
Three ingredients from the dollar store (4 if you count buying a cheapo spray bottle), seemed like an inexpensive risk to test out an alternative that would be much safer for my baby.
I didn’t measure out our mixture per the instructions above – we didn’t have three stale beers and Hubby was reluctant to give up three for the cause – so instead we sacrificed one bottle of Canadian gold (not stale).
The mosquito repellent instructions tell you to mix until all of the epsom salt is dissolved – I managed to get most of it to dissolve, but I may have over saturated so there were some granules remaining (see bottom of the mason jar).
I sprayed the mixture all over the patio around these chairs and table and on the arms and backs as well. It sort of smells like you would have after a teenage drinking binge…. trying to hide the beer smell with mouthwash – when really nobody is fooled. On the other hand, it does bring up fond memories. lol
The areas you spray will get a bit sticky – not sticky like honey or maple syrup, but more like you’ve spilled a beer with mouthwash in it… not something you want sprayed on fabric cushions or glass.
It worked – but only about as well as the spray-on repellents work. A mosquito did cross the beerwash boundary and attempt to munch on my daughter, but she could have been a kamikaze fighter for the bad guys.
Per the original instructions above – I don’t know that I’d test it out by sitting outside in my underwear all night long – I might suggest that the author drank some of his concoction and the mosquitos stay away because it’s actually seeping from his pores. Just my two cents.
This recipe might have better results in different climates as well – we are in a humid patch in SW Ontario, so mosquitos are in their heyday and the moist air may keep the scent of the mosquito repellent from travelling. If you were in a more dry area, I could see this having more success.
Either way, it’s a much cheaper – and healthier – alternative to dousing the kids.
I’ll say it’s a 4 out of 5 stars recipe.
Have a great one!
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