16 Unconventional Uses for Vodka
Vodka
is commonly known as an alcohol that does wonders for mixing cocktails
and other drinks. Most people don’t think to look beyond the liquor
cabinets for its magnitude of uses. This spirit can be used in many
inventive ways to help with common household challenges.
1. Keep flowers vital
Add vodka and a teaspoon of sugar to a vase of flowers.
2. Deodorize clothing
Remove
unpleasant odors and kill bacteria with a spritz of vodka. Hang the
smelly clothing in a well-ventilated area and spray the garment with a
1/1 water/vodka solution. Let the garment dry, and the smell should be
gone within a day.
3. Shiny hair
Add 1.5 fl. oz (44ml) of vodka to your 12 fl. oz (354ml) shampoo for extra shiny hair.
4. Keep fabrics dark
Mix water and vodka, spray on dark clothes and linens, then machine wash.
5. Remove mold or mildew
Spray
a bottle filled with vodka onto the mold or mildew caused by caulking.
Let this sit for 15 minutes. Scrub away the mold with an old
toothbrush.
6. Disinfectant for a cleaner mattress
Disinfect your mattress and pillows by spraying with a solution of water and vodka.
7. Sparkling clean glasses
Use vodka in a water solution to keep the lenses of glasses and sunglasses sparkling clean.
8. Clean windows and other kitchen surfaces.
This works for glass, chrome, and porcelain: wet a soft cloth with vodka and then rub. Your surface will be shining like new.
9. Make homemade mouthwash
Combine
a few drops of cinnamon, spearmint or tea tree oil with vodka and let
the solution sit for two weeks, for a high-octane homemade mouthwash.
10. Vanish foul odors from shoes
The
smells that reek from your shoes are from bacteria, which like to live
in moist dark areas. Spray your shoes with vodka to kill both smells and
bacteria. Soaking your feet in vodka also cures odorous feet.
11. Create homemade hand sanitizer
Because
vodka kills bacteria, it makes for the perfect sanitizer. Fill a small
spray bottle with vodka and mist your hands whenever necessary.
12. Protect against bugs
The
high alcohol content in vodka is a killer to insects. Mix with water in
a spray bottle and either squirt on yourself or the bugs, for a
bite-free outdoor experience.
13. Treat poison ivy
Wash
the infected area with vodka, then rinse with warm water. Dry and
repeat, rubbing the area with a vodka dipped cotton ball several times
and letting it air dry. This also works for treating jellyfish stings.
14. Remove Band-Aids painlessly
Dab the area around the Band-Aid with a cotton ball dipped in vodka to ease the removal without any ripping pain.
15. Polish silver jewelry
Pour
some vodka in a dish and swish the piece of jewelry around. Dry and
shine with a cloth. If the item is really dirty let it soak and then
scrub the dirt away with a toothbrush. Swish it in the vodka again and
let it dry.
16. Use as an ice pack
Place
a mixture of water and vodka in a sealable plastic bag and freeze. The
vodka keeps the contents from freezing completely for a semi-solid
texture which applies perfectly to bumps and bruises.