Don't Throw the Vodka Away!

We are often left with part bottles of alcohol that sit around in our kitchen or lounge endlessly then all of a sudden we realise that maybe they are past their sell by date and certainly with beer that is important if you do not want to end up ill.  However with a clear alcohol like Vodka there is always a use for it.  Vodka has virtually no smell and is a distilled liquor with a minimum alcoholic proof of 37.5%.  It is composed solely of water and ethyl alcohol (Ethanol).  Vodka is a great alternative to a sanitizer and disinfectant but has a host of other uses:

1. To remove a bandage painlessly, saturate the bandage with vodka. It helps to dissolve the adhesive.  Also good to help remove the sticky residue of glue from most surfaces.
2. Clean and shine chrome, glass and porcelain with a clean cloth moistened with vodka.
3. To clean the caulking around bathtubs and showers and keep mildew and germs at bay, fill a trigger-spray bottle with vodka, spray the caulking, leave for five minutes then rinse and wipe. Use on your eyeglasses!
4. If you are lucky enough to have diamonds or gold then they can be kept clean using vodka.  Put jewellery in the vodka and agitate.  Rinse and dry.  When I lived in a pub as a child my elder Sister had her jewellery in vodka so often that Dad had to warn her!
5. Prolong the life of razors by filling a cup with vodka and letting the blade soak in the alcohol after shaving. The vodka disinfects the blade and prevents rusting.
6. Spray vodka on vomit stains, scrub with a brush then blot dry.
7. Add tea tree essential oil to a mix of water (10%) and vodka (90%) in a hand bag size spray for an effective hand sanitizer.
8. Add vodka to your shampoo to cleanse scalp, remove toxins from hair, and stimulate growth.
9. Fill a trigger-spray bottle and spray wasps to kill them.  Add an essential oil to focus on a specific pest:  lavender, lemongrass for mosquitoes or flies, peppermint for ants, citronella for moths and wasps, cedarwood for bed bugs, lemon or pine for fleas.
10. Pour one-half cup vodka and one-half cup water in a resealable freezer bag, and freeze for a slushy, ice pack for aches, pain, or black eyes..
11. Make your own mouthwash by mixing with a few drops of cinnamon essential oil with one cup vodka. Seal in an airtight container. Mix with warm water and rinse your mouth. Don't swallow.
12. Using a q-tip, apply vodka to a cold sore to help it dry out.
13. To treat dandruff, mix one cup vodka with three drops of rosemary essential oil.  Massage into your scalp and let dry.
14. To treat an earache put a few drops of vodka in your ear. Let set for a few minutes. Then drain. The vodka will kill the bacteria that is causing pain in your ear.
15. To relieve a fever, use a washcloth to rub vodka on your chest and back as a liniment.
16. To cure foot odour, wash your feet with vodka. Add lemongrass or peppermint essential oils for added antifungal properties.
17. Vodka will disinfect and alleviate a jellyfish sting.(More acceptable than the traditional cure of urine!)

I am sure that you will think of many more uses so don't throw the vodka away.  As a minimum you can use it to wipe down yoru working surfaces!