Antimicrobial essential oils are incorporated into mussel-inspired and natural plant polyphenol coatings as part of a single-step fabrication process. Polydopamine-cinnamaldehyde, polyethyleneimine-cinnamaldehyde, and tannic acid-cinnamaldehyde coatings exhibit strong antibacterial activities against both Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (with the polydopamine- and tannic acid-based systems displaying log10 Reduction = 8). Cinnamaldehyde impregnation into porous non-woven polypropylene cloth, polytetrafluoroethylene membrane, and knitted cotton cloth also gives rise to high levels of antibacterial activity (log10 Reduction = 8). No loss in antibacterial efficacy is observed for non-woven polypropylene cloth impregnated with cinnamaldehyde over 17 recycle tests.