It turns out vodka isn't just useful for adding to cocktails. It also makes a great deodorizer to get unpleasant smells out of your house, believe it or not.
TikToker Katie Pullman (@katie_pullman) shared the $7 vodka cleaning hack to show her audience how the unlikely ingredient can eliminate nasty odors from the air.
The scoop
"I am not kidding – I literally use vodka to clean parts of my house," Katie said while holding up the bottle for viewers.
To make the cleaner, you just need a spray bottle filled about halfway with vodka. Then, you fill the rest of the bottle with water to dilute the mixture, and it's ready to go. Katie mentioned that you may want to add more vodka, depending on the intensity of the smells in your home.
"For me, I use it to deodorize my couch because that's where my dog likes to sit and chew all of her toys all day long," Katie explained, adding that it takes around 30 minutes to an hour to dry.
@katie_pullman This consistently gets views so I'm reposting the $7 vodka #cleaning hack! #lifehack ♬ original sound
She says the vodka cleaning hack also works well on carpets and doesn't leave stains on any surfaces, unlike some fabric cleaners that leave unsightly water stains behind.
Vodka is such an effective deodorizer because its main ingredient, ethyl alcohol, is a natural disinfectant that kills germs and bacteria, helping to eliminate unwanted odors. You can even add a few drops of your favorite essential oil into the bottle for some extra freshness.
How it's helping
Commercial cleaning products can be expensive — especially if you need your furniture professionally cleaned, which can cost anywhere from $120-$230. While everyday store-bought cleaners don't cost nearly that much, many have harmful ingredients that can disrupt hormones, worsen allergies, and even increase cancer risk.
A cheap bottle of vodka can cost as little as $5 and can actually improve your health (when used as a deodorizer) because of the antibacterial effect of alcohol, making it a much better option.
If you love chemical-free cleaning products, you can create other cheap, equally effective cleaners with ingredients you probably already have at home.
For example, you can make a simple oven cleaner using only lemon slices, water, and baking soda, or create a fragrant multipurpose cleaner with Castile soap, water, and your favorite essential oils. Not to mention vinegar, which has so many cleaning uses.
Along with the health and money-saving benefits of using homemade cleaning products, they have the added environmental bonus of helping reduce plastic waste since you can store them in reusable bottles or mason jars between cleanings.
What everyone's saying
Most people were stunned by the vodka cleaning trick, and others offered another great alternative.
"This is awesome!!!!" one viewer commented.
Another asked, "Isn't isopropyl alcohol cheaper? Is there an advantage to using vodka?" Katie answered that she wasn't sure and was just sharing what worked for her, but that they should try it out.
"I'd use iso alcohol instead of vodka, but I like the train of thought," a TikToker added to the discussion.
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