Should you be mopping with cinnamon?

If you do a search on Tiktok for “mopping with cinnamon,” you’ll find a bunch of creators who are advising others on the best way to do just that. But why? What’s the advantage of cleaning with this fall-friendly spice — and should you take it up as well?

As it turns out, cinnamon has long been used by many different cultures to attract prosperity. It’s associated with financial gain and career success and its antiseptic qualities are said to help clear blockages to wealth.

“Hoodoo and Conjure traditions, as well as European folklore and Ayurvedic and Chinese traditional medicine all associate cinnamon with energizing, stimulating the senses, and promoting a sense of vitality and productivity, all of which are certainly necessary for abundance,” mystic Nikki Van De Car told Well+Good.

For maximum potency, mopping with cinnamon should be done on the first of the month, @cleaningvideos303 says.

Even if you don’t believe this, though, cinnamon has more useful and quantifiable properties backed by science. Cinnamon is antibacterial, antifungal, and characterized by antioxidant activity. There’s also some evidence that the spice repels pests such as ants, although one expert thinks you shouldn’t put too much stock in this claim.

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“The amounts you’d need to use to repel or kill insect pests would be dangerous to humans,” University of California Distinguished Professor of Entomology Lynn Kimsey told The Kitchn.“ “Small amounts of cinnamon in food are fine, but in large amounts it can be quite toxic. The primary flavor ingredient in cinnamon, cinnamaldehyde, is a skin irritant and is cytotoxic if inhaled. I think the pests would be more harmless than the treatment.”

If you’re skeptical about the rest, you still can’t deny that cinnamon smells like the season. Adding some cinnamon to your mop water infuses the home with delicious smells like you’re making Thanksgiving pies.

Ready to give it a try? After all, the holiday season is coming and we’ll take all the help we can get! TikTokers recommend adding a tablespoon or so of cinnamon to hot water along your usual floor cleaning solution. That’s really all there is to it. You won’t see any specks of cinnamon on your floor.

TikToker @melly_spinelly explains the complete process:

As noted in @melly_spinelly’s video, be cautious with cinnamon around pets. Keep them out of the cleaning area until the floors are dry.

Of course, there are many ways to add cinnamon to your mopping routine. Some people use cinnamon sticks in hot water, while others use ground cinnamon in water that’s boiled on the stove. Some add salt and vinegar or other herbs like rosemary for other spiritual benefits. A few TikTokers say a spin mop is better; others declare the old-fashioned type is the best.

However you decide to do it, this could at the very least be a fun hack that gets you into the spirit of the season!

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