How To Clean Your Home Naturally With Vodka
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Cleaning your home with vodka might sound a little offbeat, but it’s actually an incredibly effective, versatile, and eco-friendly way to tackle household dirt, grime and bad odours. Here’s all you need to know to get your home sparkling clean the non-toxic way.
For a long time, I thought vodka was just for drinking. Indeed, a long vodka was one of my drinks of choice on a night out back in the late 1990s!
Whilst I stopped drinking vodka many many years ago, it still has a place in my home. This is because I discovered that vodka is one of the key green cleaning ingredients for a naturally clean home, without any of the harsh chemicals that many conventional cleaning products rely upon.
If you’re looking to harness the sustainable cleaning powers of vodka, then I’ve got all you need to know. From how to use it, and what to clean, to what vodka to buy and more, consider this your ultimate guide to cleaning with vodka.
Why Vodka Works as a Cleaner
Vodka makes for a great natural and sustainable cleaning product due to its alcohol content – usually around 40% for standard bottles. The alcohol acts as a natural solvent, cutting through grease and grime with ease, without the use of any potentially toxic ingredients.
Vodka also evaporates quickly, leaving no streaks or residue behind. Plus it’s odourless once dry, meaning your home won’t smell like a pub after happy hour.
How To Naturally Clean Your Home With Vodka
Now that we know how vodka works, you might be wondering just how to use it around your home. Don’t worry, here are all my favourite uses:
Tackling Bad Odours
Hands down my favourite use for vodka is to tackle bad odours. I tend to use it as a fabric refresher spray to get bad smells out of my clothing without having to wash them.
Vodka works really well because the alcohol temporarily kills the odour-causing bacteria responsible for causing those bad smells. The best bit is you aren’t left smelling like you’ve been drinking all day – vodka dries without an odour, taking with it the stink.
Not convinced? It’s long been a technique used by costume departments in theatre and ballet shows – including the Nationale Opera Ballet in The Netherlands, as seen in the video below. Delicate fabrics and multiple shows in a day mean it’s not always possible to launder clothing, so vodka is used to keep them smelling fresh.
All you need to do is fill a spray bottle with vodka. Next, turn your garment inside out and test the spray in a hidden spot to make sure the vodka doesn’t damage the fibres. Once you are satisfied that it won’t cause any damage, give your item a good mist, before leaving it to dry.
If it needs a scent boost, you can add a couple of drops of your favourite essential oil to the vodka. However, make sure you test it in an inconspicuous area first to ensure the oils won’t cause any damage to your fabric.
You can also use vodka to deodorise carpets, upholstered furniture, or even your gym bag. Just ensure the material you’re spraying can handle getting moisture on it, and always test a small area first to be safe.
Cleaning Windows & Mirrors
Streaky windows and smudged mirrors can be a pain to clean, but vodka makes the job surprisingly easy, without having to resort to cleaning products with dubious ingredients.
I use a mix of vodka, vinegar, water, cornflour and lemon essential oil to make my window cleaning solution. The vodka eliminates streaks and removes any residue, the vinegar and lemon cut through dirt and grease, whilst the cornflour gently buffs away any stubborn marks, like dried-on toothpaste on your bathroom mirror.
To Make:
- Boil 500 ml of water, and leave it to cool a little.
- Pour the cooled water into a measuring jug, and add 1 tablespoon of cornflour. Stir until fully dissolved.
- Add 2 tablespoons of vodka, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, and 10 drops of lemon essential oil.
- Mix well and decant into a spray bottle.
To Use:
- Shake well before every use.
- Spray on to your mirror or glass, and rub with a clean, dry cloth in circular motions.
- Once you’ve cleaned the surface, take a crumpled piece of newspaper and buff it dry for a spotless finish.
- The solution has a shelf-life of up to 8 weeks.
Top Tip
Do not use this solution on car windows, as the acidic nature of the vinegar could damage your car’s paintwork.
Banishing Bathroom Grime
Bathrooms can get grubby pretty quickly, thanks to soap scum and water deposits, but vodka can help keep your glass shower screen sparkling.
I’ve tried a few iterations of a natural shower spray, before recently settling on my favourite method. I’ve found that a simple solution of vodka, water and mint essential oil helps keep your shower screen looking clean in between big cleans.
Simply combine 150 ml cooled boiled water, with 75 ml vodka and about 8 drops of mint essential oil, and pop it in a spray bottle. After every shower, shake the bottle and spray your glass screen to keep it soap-scum-free.
Removing Sticky Labels
If you’re struggling to remove a label from a glass jar or a sticker from a window or mirror, then I’ve found that vodka can be a surprising helper. This is because the alcohol breaks down the adhesive, making it easy to wipe away.
All you need to do is soak a cloth in a little vodka and then hold it against the sticky area for a minute or two, before wiping it.
I’ve also got heaps of other techniques to remove labels from jars here.
What Not To Clean With Vodka
While vodka is a fantastic all-purpose cleaner, there are a few surfaces and situations where it’s not the best choice. This is because its alcohol content can make it unsuitable for certain materials, finishes, and cleaning needs. Here’s what you should avoid cleaning with vodka:
Unsealed Wood Surfaces
Vodka can damage unsealed wood, causing discolouration, drying, or warping. It can also strip away natural oils, leaving the wood brittle.
Furniture With Painted Or Lacquered Finishes
Painted or lacquered surfaces can be vulnerable to alcohol, as it may strip or dull the finish over time. If you use vodka on these materials, you risk ruining the appearance, especially if the paint isn’t alcohol-resistant.
Electronics with Coated Screens
Vodka shouldn’t be used for cleaning electronics with coated screens like TVs, laptops, or tablets with anti-glare or oleophobic layers. This is because the alcohol can break down these coatings, affecting their functionality.
Delicate Fabrics
Although vodka is excellent for deodorising many textiles, it may not be suitable for some delicate materials. It could potentially dry out leather or suede textiles and cause cracking, or it may damage the fibres of more delicate fabrics such as silk.
Other Key Safety Considerations & Usage Tips
While vodka is great to use to clean in most situations, there are a few other key pointers to keep in mind:
- Always stick to unflavoured vodka, to avoid staining or damaging surfaces.
- If you make up any cleaning solutions, make sure you store them in a clearly labelled bottle away from children and pets.
- Always spot-test surfaces before using vodka to ensure it won’t cause damage. While it’s generally safe for most materials, it’s always better to be cautious.
What Vodka To Use
When it comes to what vodka to use, don’t reach for anything fancy. I buy the cheapest own-brand straight vodka I can get my hands on. We have minimum alcohol pricing in Scotland, so it’s impossible to pick up vodka super cheap. However, because you only use a little at a time, I find that one bottle lasts a long time.
Why You Shouldn’t Use Other Spirits For Cleaning With
Now that we’ve established that it’s the alcohol in vodka that does the heavy lifting, you might be wondering if you can substitute vodka for another type of spirit. Especially if you don’t have any vodka at home.
However, it’s important not to reach for any old spirit. It has to be unflavoured vodka that you use for cleaning. This is because whilst other distilled spirits – like gin, whisky or rum – contain alcohol, which is the active cleaning ingredient, they’re no good for cleaning with.
It all comes down to their makeup. Vodka is essentially water and ethanol, with little to no additional compounds. Meanwhile, other spirits contain additional flavours, sugars, botanicals and/or congeners (the by-products of fermentation and ageing) which make them poor choices for cleaning purposes. These could leave behind sticky residues, attract dirt, or stain surfaces. Stick to the vodka!
More Green Cleaning Guides
Looking for more green cleaning help? I’ve got you covered. Try my big guides to cleaning with some of the most common sustainable cleaning ingredients:
- Everything You Need To Know About Cleaning With Vinegar
- Your Big Guide To Cleaning With Bicarbonate of Soda
- Your Ultimate Guide To Cleaning With Citric Acid
- How To Clean Your Home With Lemon
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