Neat 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 clothes 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 dark 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 new.

9. Make homemade mouthwash

Combine a few drops of cinnamon, spearmint or tea tree oil with vodka and let this mixture 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 to live in the 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 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 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 area with vodka dipped cottonball several times and let it air dry. This also works for treating Jellyfish stings.

14. Remove Band-Aids painlessly

Dab the area around the Band-Aid with a cottonball 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 keep the contents from freezing completely for a semi-solid texture which applies perfectly to bumps and bruises.