While you might think that wasting good vodka on household cleaning jobs is sacrilege, you don’t need all that much to get great results. In fact, just a few teaspoons mixed with water can work wonders around the home.
Whether you’ve got some Christmas leftovers in the cupboard or you’re giving up alcohol for good, that vodka that’s been in your liquor cabinet for years can be put to excellent use — in 10 exciting ways.
1. Fabric freshener
Don’t spend a small fortune on dedicated fabric and upholstery fresheners when some old, unwanted vodka can do an equally good job. To 500ml of water add 50ml of vodka, followed by a few drops of your favourite essential oil. Put the solution in a spray bottle, and use it to freshen upholstery, fabrics and carpeting. Just a slight mist should be enough to neutralise bad odours.
2. Remove soap scum and water stains
Create a solution of one part water and one part vodka. Wherever you notice soap scum and water stains, spray the area with the solution and leave it for around 20 minutes.
3. Remove glue residues
Do you have stubborn glue residues on walls and other surfaces in your home? Perhaps you have children who like to place their stickers and posters on every inch of spare wall space. Glue attracts dirt and dust, and can end up looking pretty horrible. Rather than trying to scrape it off, spray it with a solution of one part vodka and one part water. After 20 minutes or so, you should be able to wipe off the glue with a cloth.
4. Weed the garden
If you’re not a fan of weeding, the job can be so tedious it’s easier just to put up with the weeds. However, by spraying weeds with vodka and then coming back to them a week later, all you’ll need to do is rake the dead, unwanted vegetation and throw it straight into a bag.
5. Cleaning glass
If you’re ever stuck for window cleaning options, raid your cocktail cabinet for some vodka. Create a solution of two parts water, one part vodka and one part vinegar. Then simply spray the glass and wipe it dry with paper towels or a clean microfibre cloth.
6. Clean jewellery
All you need to buff and shine your best jewellery is a microfibre cloth and some vodka. Spray the vodka liberally over silver, gold, chrome, platinum, brass or copper — dirty acculations and corrosion will begin to disappear before you start rubbing with your cloth.
7. Carpet stain removal
This is exactly why you should always have a spray bottle of vodka and water at the ready — it’s great for removing stains from carpet. If you’re dealing with tough stains such as those caused by grease and blood, use neat vodka. Give it a couple hours of contact time, and then blot it up with a microfibre cloth.
8. Degreasing
Whether you need to remove grease from pans or an oven, the alcohol in vodka is great at cutting through stubborn accumulations. Again, try to give the vodka at least 20 minutes of contact time before cleaning the surface with a scourer, iron wool or the most appropriate tool.
9. Air freshener
This is basically the same mixture as the one you make for fabrics. Water and vodka in equal parts with your favourite essential oil makes a great natural air freshener that won’t exacerbate respiratory problems.
10. A mattress cleaner
Mattresses can get very mucky and smelly very quickly. Once a week, vacuum your mattresses, then spray them liberally with neat vodka. Leave them to completely dry for a few hours before making the bed again. The alcohol kills bacteria, mites and bad odours.
Vodka is one of the most versatile cleaning agents you can have in your home. Not only does it neutralise bad odours, it kills bacteria and cuts through grease.
