Vodka: More Than Just a Drink

I’m definitely not a vodka connoisseur. I love it’s nearly tasteless quality in a well-made cocktail, but when I’m mixing at home I usually end up with stragglers of the cheapest brands in plastic bottles that sit on my bar cart for weeks on end and remind me all too much of nail polish remover. So I began to look past vodka’s powers to make you think you can dance and onto some new uses… 

To make you prettier:

1. Vodka can be used as an astringent to shrink and clean pores. Mix equal amounts vodka and water and apply it to the skin with a cotton ball as you would a toner.

2. My favorite of the tips! Vodka is a huge portion of perfume. Just add 5 drops of essential oil (or fragrance oil for a cheaper option) to a 1/4 cup of vodka and let the mixture sit anywhere from 48 hours to a month, depending on how strong you want the smell. After, add at least two tablespoons of diluted distilled or bottled spring water, or more if the scent turned out too strong. Try to keep the overall mixture at 5% water, 25% essential oil, and 70% vodka. Additionally, a tablespoon of glycerin (found wherever soap-making supplies are sold) will make the perfume last longer. 

3. Putting a splash vodka in your shampoo will remove excess product build-up and leave your hair shinier and growing faster.

To save you money:

1. You know when all of your admirers deliver flowers on the same day and you struggle to keep them all from dying too quickly? A pinch of sugar and a few drops of vodka added to water that is changed daily will keep all of those lovely bouquets fresh for much longer.

2. Vodka can also be used to remove odor from clothes that you do not want to wash too often (we’re looking at you, jeans). Lightly mist the clothes with straight vodka in a spray bottle and once the garment is fully dry, it will not smell stinky.

3. Finally, vodka is great for the shiny things. It can polish door handles, sinks, etc to restore their shine, and a few drops can be added to pots and pans to cut through grease quickly.  On a more glamorous note, vodka is great for cleaning jewelry. Simply swish the piece around in vodka, or let it soak for up to five minutes, and rub it with a soft cloth. You can gently scrub with a toothbrush before you dry, if necessary.  However, vodka is only recommended to clean crystal stones, like diamonds and emeralds.