In the past, dangling or stirring vodka was used as an antiseptic and pain reliever. Back in the 1400s when it was created, antiseptics were hard to come by and pain relievers were no easier. Although we now have more refined ways of using Vodka, in a pinch it will work as well or even better than it did in the late Middle Ages (vodka is cleaner now). So here are some great uses for vodka that you might not have thought of. They are a good argument for taking a bottle with you on holiday for “useful purposes”.
Clean glass
A few drops of vodka make an excellent glass cleaner, especially good for glasses. Dip a napkin in a glass of vodka and wipe the glasses with it. Your glasses will be cleaned and disinfected. You can also use vodka to clean jewelry, as long as it’s gemstones – crystals. This means that diamonds and emeralds can be cleaned with vodka, but pearls definitely cannot.
Kill the weeds
The alcohol in the vodka is a good solvent, which means it can be helpful in breaking down the wax and has drying properties. Because of this, if you spray Vodka on weeds that are in direct sunlight, you will remove the wax that covers their leaves. They will not be able to hold water and die. This may take a day or so and the weed should be in full sun – partial shade may not work. But if you don’t want to use pesticides around children and animals, vodka is a great substitute.
Keep flowers fresh
Cut flowers fade because their stems become clogged with bacteria so they can’t draw water and nutrients to the rest of the stem above the blockage. Since vodka kills germs, if you mix a teaspoon or so of vodka into your flower water, cut flowers will last longer. Also add a teaspoon of sugar to give the flowers an extra pop.
Remove stickers and patches
If you don’t have a hoo-hoo bottle, use vodka to get the stickers and their glue. It also works well for patches that are on tender areas. Pour Vodka over the patch until it is saturated, wait 5 minutes, then gently pull the patch off. There will be no pain from the glue sticking to the skin, and since vodka kills germs, you’ve killed quite a few germs too.