Contrary to popular belief, cheap vodka is not only for boozehounds and college freshmen. There are many legitimate ways to use vodka that go beyond mere consumption: cleaning, baking, deodorizing, and even drinking (with a few tweaks for flavor.)
Inexpensive vodka makes an excellent replacement for pricier products that do the same thing. Sure, a cabinet full of McCormick's vodka is more difficult to explain than some Windex. But the savings should make up for the worried looks and shaking heads you'll get for buying the cheap stuff by the case. At your intervention, you can teach them all these unusual uses for cheap vodka. Read on to learn more...
Inexpensive vodka makes an excellent replacement for pricier products that do the same thing. Sure, a cabinet full of McCormick's vodka is more difficult to explain than some Windex. But the savings should make up for the worried looks and shaking heads you'll get for buying the cheap stuff by the case. At your intervention, you can teach them all these unusual uses for cheap vodka. Read on to learn more...
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Spritz down your garments with a vodka dilution between dry cleaning to remove odors!
Unfortunately, this does nothing for stains, so once you've spilled red wine on your favorite white coat, you've really got no other option but take it to the professionals. Or, you know, just soak the whole thing in red wine and make it new again!
Unfortunately, this does nothing for stains, so once you've spilled red wine on your favorite white coat, you've really got no other option but take it to the professionals. Or, you know, just soak the whole thing in red wine and make it new again!
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I use vodka with ordinary kitchen herbs and/or spices added as an aftershave.
One of my most successful recipes is with a combination of parsley nutmeg cloves and lemon. I add a bit of alum to take care of little shaving cuts and just a pinch borax to prevent spoilage (both of which I purchased at a local pharmacy, and dissolved in some hot water).
I even use vodka with nettle tops (Urtica dioica), as a lotion for my scalp and hair.
Boil young tops (Urtica dioica), picked just before flowering (use gloves or just plastic shopping bags over the hands when picking), with a little water, then pour through a cloth, add borax (see above) and vodka to the liquid, ready.
Very refreshing!
"Pour a shot of rum. Dip your finger in it, and rub it on the baby's gums... then drink the remainder of the shot. Repeat as needed..."
:-)
The other point being: It's pretty easy to pick up a handle of vodka for $6 or so in many states, which comes out to 42 cents a pint.
Generally, a bleeding cut is already cleaning itself out.
If I forget to run my cut under-water or my bandaid wasn't adhering correctly, The wound will start to grow hot itch, this is the sign of an impending infection. At this point, It will heal faster if you put a drop of alcohol or detol on it.
I don't know what the medical literature is to support that. But that's what we do at my hospital.
Secondly the alcohol will not clean your hands if they are in any way visibly dirty or wet. Also the ethanol only kills bacteria and will not protect you from virus such as influenza. Actually, regular use might completely wipe out the natural bacterial flora on your skin making it more receptive to infections in the long run.
In other words: use water and soap.
As far as the fierce comment battle going on regarding colloidal silver - I worked for years at a holistic wellness center, and have no ties to any product (the center had no brand loyalty either). I've found that for short term use, it can be beneficial. Quantity and quality of the product matter - I would not feel comfortable with a patient making thier own, taking it daily for life, but using a commerical product where PPM is known - for fighting microorganisms when you are sick (internal use) or externally for skin infections or wounds, colliodal has worked well. Alternatively, for those of your uncomfortable with silver, GSE (grapefruit seed extract) may be preferable - just make sure it is well diluted.
I saw AB of "Good Eats" fame talking about making vanilla extract, so I went to fBoy and bought some vanilla beans C-H-E-A-P!
Next I hit the liquor store. Here...I had a quandary. Cheap vodka or good vodka. I decided to go whole hog because the beans were cheap...Stolichnaya!
I let it steep about a month, shaking the bottles every day or so, and VIOLA!
I now have vanilla that smells and tastes like vanilla did when I was younger. (trust me, young was a long WHILE ago)
For roughly $20, I made almost a quart of top notch vanilla that truly improves the flavor of anything it touches. Especially home made ice cream. Yummers.
Mouthwash vodka is probably not a great idea. After Ke$ha told us to brush our teeth with a bottle of jack, I tried it. It was great feeling! very tingly. BUT. I asked my dentist about it later on (We chat about many things). She explained that the residual alcohol in your mouth is just sugar nasties waiting to eat your enamel away.
Now, I hope that isnt true.... But it doesnt make sense. So maybe this use is not as useful as we hoped.
Jack Daniels is bourbon, and Vodka is (well...vodka). Both typically are 80 proof (aka: 40% alcohol by volume). That other 60% doesn't include sugar, or the drinks would be liqueurs. Now, if you tried to brush your teeth with say, Gran Marnier, then yes, there would be some residual sugars in the liquid.
My only issue with this idea is that your breath WILL smell of vodka afterward if you've used the cheap stuff. Run your vodka through a Britta water filter first to remove that cheap Stoli flavor, and you could do this.
Heck, do it anyway. It makes your cheap hooch taste and smell better.
Bring on the Jack :)
I googled it some more. Yup. I will have to let her know next checkup that I have been brushing exclusively with booze. Thanks for the comment :)