Cleaning up your act: Introducing vodka to the DIY-cleaning cocktail mixers! January 23, 2018 09:42

For those of you who have been following this DIY-cleaning series of ours (carrying on from here and here), you might have noticed that vinegar is our best friend.  Well... move over, vinegar - meet vodka instead!   

Turns out vodka, with its high alcohol content, is a powerful disinfectant, much like vinegar - and, being almost pH-neutral, suitable for surfaces susceptible to acid damage (including natural stone like marble, and metals).  Alcohol also dries rapidly, making it a great choice for cleaning surfaces that are sensitive to moisture damage.  And, for those amongst us more sensitive to smells, vodka is probably less of an assault to the olfactory - especially to your canine friends who hate the odour of vinegar.  And, like vinegar, the alcohol smell dissipates quickly.  One other big plus for us is that the non-acidic nature of vodka means it doesn't react with plastic containers you might be using for your home-made cleaners!

So, how can you use vodka too in your home cleaning?  Grab a bottle of cheap vodka, and get some inspiration below -

1.  All-purpose cleaner

Vodka is a good solvent to help dissolve oil and grime.  Also dries streak-free, so good for glass or other streak-prone surfaces (in which case, I suggest wiping off with newspaper for best effect!)!

Use on its own, or diluted with water (1:1 is a popular ratio).

2. All-purpose disinfectant spray

Fill a spray bottle with vodka straight, and spritz wherever you need some disinfecting.  Leave it on for a few minutes to let the alcohol do its job.

Perfect in the kitchen for cutting boards and kitchen countertops, or for doorknobs and switches after someone falls sick!

3.  Mould & mildew remover

Spray and leave on for 15 minutes for the vodka to deal with the mould and mildew stains and spores, before cleaning all that gunk off!

You can also spray this on your bathroom tiles or kitchen grout as prevention against  mould and mildew growth in the first place!

4.  Stain remover

For tough stains, apply vodka directly, as you would any other stain remover.  Being a good solvent, the alcohol helps to lift stains from clothing (a great tip if you’re out on the town!).  Even tough stains from makeup, ink and wine can be effortlessly removed using vodka - but dab, don't rub!

5.  Fabric deodoriser

For a DIY Febreeze without harmful chemicals, mist diluted vodka onto the fabric with a spray bottle.  Works on stinky clothes, sneakers, upholstery, curtains, rugs, Fido's bed etc. by killing the bacteria behind the funky odours.  Because it evaporates so quickly, fabric doesn't get damaged - but, if it's something precious, please do a spot test first!  

6.  Air freshener

With the same principles at work, it doesn't fail as a natural room deodorizer - just spray some into the air!

7.  Grease remover

Need a bit more help with the greasier dishes?  Vodka to the rescue.  

8.  Polish for mirrors, faucets and fixtures

Buff them all to a brilliant shine with a soft cloth dampened with vodka.  Great on glass, stainless steel, chrome, and porcelain!

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9.  Jewellery cleaner

Clean your silver and gold jewellery by applying a small amount of vodka to a soft-bristled toothbrush and scrubbing lightly.  You can even leave a piece of jewelry in vodka for a few minutes before scrubbing.

10.  Sticky residue remover

We've all had that - that price sticker that wouldn't peel off cleanly (ugh!), the glue left behind by the label when you're repurposing a glass jar...  I used to use oil, which gets the gum off but leaves you with more grease to clean; but now, I use vodka instead!  Just drench the gummy residue with vodka, let sit for a few minutes, then scrub it all away!  

We hear it works well to remove super glue residue too, but we haven't tried that ourselves!

If you're also looking to clean up your pest-fighting repertoire and get rid of that Shieldtox for good, why not check out our list of natural pest repellents here?