Saturday, January 20, 2007

Cleaning with vodka


Although I am more of a gin girl myself, I think I am about to stock up on cheap vodka.

In my quest for a less toxic home, I am always on the lookout for new strategies.

For Christmas, my boss gave me a gift certificate to Tome on the Range, my local independent bookstore, and I picked up Organic Housekeeping: In Which the Non-Toxic Avenger Shows You How to Improve Your Health and That of Your Family, While You Save Time, Money, and, Perhaps, Your Sanity.

This is the kind of book I read for fun.

While browsing through it over lunch, I found several references to vodka as a cleaning agent.

Vodka can replace rubbing alcohol, which is extremely toxic, in home cleaner recipes such as glass cleaner. While vodka is technically drinkable and therefore non-toxic, it is also colorless and, once the alcohol evaporates, odorless. Apparently, it shines chrome and glass and is a good spot-remover for oily stains.

Now is the time to admit that my wise mom had already suggested vodka as a cleaning agent, but I had reacted skeptically. She puts a concoction of vodka, lavender essential oil (and water?) into her iron's water-for-steam reservoir, and it makes ironed clothes smell great.

Secrets of the Spas: Pamper and Vitalize Yourself at Home (Life's Little Luxuries) has a great recipe for a spray room deodorizer, but it calls for rubbing alcohol. I am about to mix some up with the vodka that has been in my cabinet for three years.

And if it doesn't work? I guess I'll just have to make a Chocolate Martini.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The recipe for the lavender water is as follows: 4 cups water, 1/4 cup cheap vodka, 18 drops of lavender essential oil. You can either spray it on freshly laundered clothes before ironing, or put it in the steam reservoir. The vodka disburses the oil so it does not stain the fabric or gum up the iron.

Mom

Elizabeth said...

Thanks, Mom. :)

Anonymous said...

Good tips thank you!