[1]Unlike many other types of alcohol, over the years vodka has gained a reputation for being more than just devastatingly effective beverage (if you know what I mean). Vodka is also quite useful for a number of tasks. It’s kind of like the duct tape of spirits. It’s a cheap, ubiquitous, all purpose liquor that has more applications than you can shake a stick at. Coincidentally, if you’re haphazardly swinging a stick for any reason, you should probably quit drinking vodka, and start using it on any one of the following applications:
Toothache Relief
Alcoholic beverages are notorious for damaging your teeth [2], but if you have a tooth that has already passed the point of no return, and you have to wait a few days before your next visit with the dentist, you can use vodka to ease the pain. And no, I’m not suggesting that you should drink the pain away. Simple soak a cotton ball in vodka and place it on your aching tooth, which should help numb the pain. Whiskey apparently works too if that’s your poison.
Cleaning and Deodorizing
Alcohol has long been used for cleaning, but the pure nature of vodka makes it an ideal choice for this application. Vodka’s ingredients are almost entirely limited to water and ethanol, so you don’t have to worry about staining your belongings with this substance. You can use vodka for shining chrome, cleaning glass, and given the antibacterial properties of alcohol, you can use use it to naturally disinfect and deodorize most materials. It’s also nice to know that both the alcohol and the water content of the vodka will evaporate with time, so you won’t be leaving any harsh chemicals behind. Personally, I use it to clean my toothbrush; which is probably one of the most bacteria laden objects [3] in any household.
As a Solvent
Vodka happens to be a pretty good solvent. You can soak just about any metal in vodka to remove rust (though it can tarnish jewelery, so save this one for screws and nuts). It’s also a pretty effective degreaser, so keep a cheap bottle handy in your kitchen. And finally, alcohol in general is very useful for breaking down adhesives. If you’ve ever removed tape from any surface, you know that gunk it leaves behind is fairly hard to remove. Vodka will definitely break it down, and make it much easier to wipe away. This also makes it a good choice for band-aid removal. Instead of squirming while tearing off your band-aid, soak it in vodka for a few minutes first, for a pain-free removal.
Weed Killer
Again, the lack of impurities in vodka, along with the fast evaporation rate, make it an ideal substance for any task that needs an all natural touch. Killing weeds is a perfect example. In general, plants hate alcohol and weeds are no exception. Pour your vodka into a spray bottle and apply it to every part of the weed. Doing this in hot sunny weather tends quickly dry the plant up, but it should have an effect in any condition. Even in small doses, the ethanol in vodka will stunt the growth of the weed.
Insect Repellent
While it may not be ideal, you can use vodka to repel insects. Like the aforementioned weeds, insects really don’t like alcohol, so feel free to to use that spray bottle on yourself. However, if you don’t want to smell like an alcoholic, you can add some of your favorite herbs and essential oils to the vodka.
So, will you be using vodka for any of these applications in the future? If so, let us know in the comments, and if any of your favorite alcohol uses weren’t listed above, feel free to share them with our readers as well.