Got some leftover vodka after a party? Don’t toss it back inside the cupboard, use it to clean your home instead!
Nope, I’ve not completely lost the plot. Vodka, the same stuff you add to Cosmopolitans, Vodka Martinis, Screwdrivers, and Woo woos, is actually great at cleaning various surfaces and objects in a home!
Vodka’s high alcohol content and lack of smell make it the ideal companion to have around when you’re treating stains, cutting through grease, and neutralising odours. Plus, it’s easy to get hold of as a bonus!
So, how do you use vodka for cleaning? Find out below!
Tip: Before you start cleaning with vodka, you need to test the liquid out on a discreet patch of surface first. This quick patch test will tell you if the spirit will damage the surface. And if this is the case, you can stop using the liquor immediately.
1. Deodorise Shoes and Clothes
Have you got some pongy clothes but don’t feel like washing them just yet?
No problem. Just squirt a vodka mist over the items to refresh your outfits in between cleans.
Mix one part vodka with one part water in a spray bottle, and spray the whole garment from a distance!
You can also spray the inside of your shoes in the same way! Just try not to oversaturate the items because they’ll take longer to dry.
If you go a little overboard with the mist, just hang your items up near an open window or by a fan and allow them to air dry.
For extra whiffy clothes, find the smelliest points on the outfits – usually around the underarm area – and squirt them with a little more vodka. And as above, when you’re done, just hang your items up to dry naturally.
2. Deodorise Upholstery
Sofas, cushions, and rugs can succumb to unpleasant odours over time, and washing these oversized bulky items isn’t always an option.
So, instead of worrying about how to clean these things in the traditional sense, squirt them with a vodka mixture to spruce them up a little.
All you need to do is mix equal parts of water and vodka in a clean spray bottle and spray the items from a distance. You’ll notice the stench disappearing in a few minutes.
Tip: Some people add a few drops of essential oil to the spray bottle to make the vodka mist even more aromatically pleasing. Before you try this out, make sure that the essential oil you plan on using isn’t going to mark any upholstery! The last thing you want is stained furniture.
3. Remove Odours from Mattresses
Mattresses are known for getting stained and becoming smelly with time. But if you’ve got some vodka at hand, you can use it to neutralise the bad aromas!
Just put two shots of vodka in a spray bottle and spray a vodka mist over the whole mattress and wait for it to dry.
You must wait for the mattress to dry before you use it!
4. Degrease Kitchen Surfaces
Alcohol is known for cutting through grease, so if your kitchen surfaces are caked in greasy smears (splashbacks, oven tops, and hoods, for example), grab some vodka, make a homemade alcohol cleaning spray, and get washing!
Just mix the following items in a spray bottle:
- One cup of water
- One cup of vodka
- One cup of white vinegar (optional)
- Half a teaspoon of washing-up liquid
- Some essential oil (optional)
Clean each surface with a little solution and a microfibre cloth. And remember to buff every surface with a second microfibre cloth, so you can make them shine.
5. Shine Glass and Mirrored Surfaces
To clean window panes and mirrors, mix equal parts of vodka and water in a spray bottle, add a quarter of a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to the liquid, and spray the surface you want to clean!
Don’t squirt too much solution onto the surface in one go, and use a microfibre cloth to work the liquid into the area (wipe in circular motions).
You can use a second cloth to buff the surface when you’re done cleaning it to get a streak-free finish. (Try not to spray the cleaning solution onto the mirror’s frame!)
6. Remove Sticky Residue
It’s not uncommon for price stickers on shoes to hold on for dear life when you try to peel them off. Likewise, kids tend to put cartoon stickers on various surfaces around the house, which can be a right pain to pull off.
If you find yourself in one of these sticky situations, grab your bottle of vodka!
Simply soak a cotton wool ball in vodka, press it onto the sticky zone, and wait ten minutes for the alcohol to get to work breaking the adhesive mess down. Then wipe the surface with a microfibre cloth, and the gluey residue should come straight off.
Then you can relax with a Bloody Mary, knowing there are no tags on your shoes and stickers on your walls!
7. Clean Taps
A relaxing soak in the tub with a Sea Breeze at hand sounds like the perfect way to end a busy day.
That is until you look at the bath’s taps and realise they’re covered in residue and watermarks. And the soap dish isn’t much better as it’s full of scum. Yuck!
The sight before you may look grotty, but it’s not a big deal. Just grab some vodka and use it to clean the taps and soap dish before you go for a soak in the tub!
Just pour some neat vodka into a spray bottle, spray the taps with the solution, then wipe them down using a microfibre cloth. And then, pour some vodka onto the scummy areas and leave it there to break down the soapy residue you see.
When you’re done, remember to rinse the vodka off the surfaces you’ve treated. And buff your taps with a dry cloth to make them shiny.
8. Shine Jewellery
Jewellery tends to look more grotty than sparkly the more you wear it. It’s quite a common occurrence considering jewellery is exposed to body oils, foods, and everyday grime. But lucky for you, the situation can be put right with a shot or two of vodka.
First, make sure that the item of jewellery you want to clean can be cleaned with a liquid solution, in this case, vodka.
Then, fill a shallow bowl with a little vodka and water (enough to cover the item you want to clean). And soak one item at a time in the liquid.
After a few minutes, remove the piece and brush it with a soft toothbrush to dislodge any dirt from the surface. Then you can dry the item with a soft cloth.
9. Stain Removal
If you’ve got a stain that just won’t budge, try treating it with a bit of vodka – you can use it on clothes and carpets.
Vodka is great at removing red wine (vodka with a high proof can dissolve the colour pigments), stains on a mattress, grass-related marks, oil-based blemishes, dog poop, and vomit.
10. Refresh Stale-Smelling Towels
If left in a damp environment, towels start to smell stale quickly. And let’s face it, the unpleasant aroma isn’t exactly what you want to wrap yourself in after a shower.
To banish the smells from your towels, drop half a cup of vodka into the washing machine and run a cleaning session. By the end, the towels’ unpleasant odour will be neutralised!
Bethan has a passion for exploring, reading, cooking and gardening! When she’s not creating culinary delights for her family, she’s concocting potions to keep her house clean!
