Here's How Martha Stewart Uses Vodka To Eliminate Unwanted Home Odors

Are you looking for a way to eliminate unwanted odors in your home? Cleaning items like smelly upholstered furniture, dry-clean-only clothing, and shoes can be difficult. Luckily, Martha Stewart has a solution. All you need is a spray bottle and some vodka. She shared all the ways to clean with the clear alcohol in an Instagram post, one of which was deodorizing well-worn shoes. "Say goodbye to musty smells," she says while spraying a pair of boots in her entryway. The high alcohol content is perfect for removing odors without having to place your items in a washing machine. It's strong enough to eliminate all kinds of scents, from body odors to food smells to even cigarette smoke.

While Stewart specifically mentions shoes in her video, vodka is a simple way to prolong the lifespan of items you don't want to put in your machine. Some clothing is fragile and dry-clean only, so you can spray it with vodka to remove smells without submerging them in soapy water. Washing some items, like couches and mattresses, can also seem almost impossible since they are so large. They also benefit from routine sprays to eliminate any unwanted smells.

Before using vodka to clean, you must ensure you have the right kind. It needs to be unflavored and colorless. The quality doesn't matter, so use the cheapest vodka you have since you're just using it to clean. If you want to purchase the best possible option, look at the alcohol content and buy the bottle with the highest. Then you'll need a spray bottle for this cleaning hack. Simply fill the container with vodka. Make sure not to dilute it with water or any other ingredients because it will only make it harder for the alcohol to absorb the odors.

If you use it on clothes, hang them up before grabbing your bottle. Then, all you have to do is give each item a light misting of alcohol, as Martha Stewart demonstrates in her Instagram post. You want to cover the fabric without making it soaking wet. Once it's dry, the alcohol will have done its magic, and the unwanted odors in your home will be gone.

Odors develop in your home for many reasons. They're made of organic compounds from the environment and the bodies of the people who use your house's furniture, linens, clothing, and shoes. These items become covered in dead skin, sweat, oil, perfume, and food. When the things in your home are left dirty, the compounds begin to ferment. As this happens, they start smelling. That's where the vodka comes in.

Vodka is best for removing odors because it has a high alcohol content that kills germs and is available without flavorings that can leave your fabrics sticky and stained. As you spray it over your clothing and furniture, the alcohol surrounds the smelly molecules. As it begins to dry, the vodka evaporates while holding onto the smelly molecules. After the area is completely dry, the unwanted smells will be gone, leaving behind clean surfaces.