Vodka might be an alcoholic beverage but according to Expert Home Tips, it can also be used to help clean your home. Photo / Getty Images
Vodka might be an alcoholic beverage but according to Expert Home Tips, it can also be used to help clean your home. Photo / Getty Images
It's the common ingredient in cocktails like the martini, the Bloody Mary and the Cosmopolitan.
But vodka doesn't just come in handy behind a bar.
Expert Home Tips has compiled a list of surprising ways the spirit can help with a whole range of household tasks from keepingflowers fresher for longer to giving glass a sparkling finish, according to Daily Mail.
Keep flowers fresh
Tipping a little vodka into your flower vase instead of your glass can help blooms last longer.
Simply add a couple of drops of the spirit mixed with a teaspoon of sugar to the vase before you pour the water in. The liquid should still be changed daily.
Eliminate odours
If you want to eliminate odours from around your home then try spraying a little vodka onto musty upholstery, curtains or rugs.
Not only does it freshen up fabrics, it doesn't leave an odour once it's dry like you might expect.
Clean glass
Not only is vinegar good at cleaning windows, vodka gets the job done, too.
If you want to see your windows shine, fill up a spray bottle with vodka to spritz on the glass, then scrunch up some newspaper to rub it on the affected area.
Freshen up clothes
If your clothes are beginning to smell and you don't have time put a load in the washing machine, try spraying a little vodka onto them.
It works the same way as it does on your upholstery to banish pesky odours.
Give jewellery back its shine
If your jewellery is beginning to lose its shine, try soaking dull necklaces and rings in vodka for a few minutes.
Expert Home Tips says the vodka will get rid of any grease and dust. Simply give the pieces a rinse under water afterwards and carefully dry them off before wearing again.
If your jewellery is beginning to lose its shine, try soaking dull necklaces and rings in vodka for a few minutes. Photo / 123RF
Clear up a cold sore
If you're suffering with a cold sore then mix a few drops of peppermint with 1/8 oz of vodka, then dab it onto the affected area.
Do this five times a day for four days and the mint will help soothe your discomfort while the alcohol dries out the cold sore.
Clean taps and handles
Splashing some vodka onto a cloth to polish up metal attachments will ensure they're gleaming.
Help smelly feet
If you've been walking all day and realise your shoes aren't as fresh-smelling as they were that morning, crack open the vodka bottle.
Expert Home Tips says ''the high alcohol content will kill odour-causing bacteria. Grab a flannel, pour a little vodka on it and then wipe your feet,'' the site says.
If you don't have any mouthwash, whip up a home-made version using vodka.
Mix one cup of vodka with 9 tablespoons of cinnamon and keep it in a sealed, air-tight container for two weeks.
The cinnamon will fuse with the vodka to create a mouthwash that freshens your breath.
If you don't have any mouthwash, whip up a home-made version using vodka. Photo / Getty Images
Remove sticker residue
When you buy new Tupperware or crockery and try to remove price stickers, they can sometimes be a nuisance to peel off.
To help, pour some vodka over the sticky leftovers. After a couple of minutes the residue will wipe away easily.
Get rid of weeds
If your garden is becoming overgrown with weeds, Expert Home Tips recommends mixing together one cup of vodka and six cups of water with a dash of washing up liquid in a spray bottle.
