15 Unconventional Uses For Vodka That Make It Perfect For Emergency Preparedness

by Brandon Hunt

What I like about emergency preparation is finding new uses for items, or repurposing them to work in other roles. Kind of like life hacks, I guess. 

I’m not great at discovering hacks or multiple uses for something, but I enjoy finding them because there are quite clever people out there. I’m all for doing something easier.

While searching for clever hacks to include in preparation efforts, I came across some unconventional uses for vodka. They were totally new and awesome to me, and I never would have thought to use vodka in such ways. Why?

Well, I admit that I don’t drink alcohol, and my knowledge and experience with it is quite limited. Though I may not drink vodka, I certainly appreciate its other uses, especially in regards to emergency situations when regular supplies might be limited.

So, what other awesome uses does vodka have?

(I need to put in my little disclaimer here. The majority of alternative uses for vodka, I found in a handy book titled Prepare for Anything Survival Manual by Tim Macwelch. I also found additional tips by browsing the internet. I just want to give credit to those who listed the tips first.)

Unconventional Uses for Vodka

Clean and Deodorize Clothing

Place vodka in a spray bottle and spritz your clothing to kill the pesky bacteria that cause funky smells. Since vodka is odorless and colorless it’s perfect for freshening your clothes.

Cures Poison Ivy

Vodka can soothe the itch and pain from poison ivy and jellyfish stings. In the case of poison ivy it is the plant’s urushiol oil that causes the skin irritation. Pouring vodka on the affected area washes off the oil.

Repels Insects

Want to forgo the chemical laden insect repellants? Try vodka in a spray bottle to repel mosquitos and other pests. 

Clean Off The Rust

Yep. Apparently it’s quite effective at removing rust. Soak rusted items in vodka for a spell and then rub off the rust. Or spray hard to reach nuts and bolts, let the vodka soak in, to loosen the rust.

Kills Weeds

I’m quite certain vodka is Monsanto (Round Up) free, already making it much safer to use. Eliminate those pesky weeds by mixing vodka with water and a few drops of dishwashing liquid. Spray over the weeds.

Kills and Cleans Mold

Aside from being ugly, mold has unpleasant effects on your health. To remove mold spritz full strength vodka over the area, and then apply little elbow grease and scrub the mold away.

Eliminate Foot Odor

Noxious odors from Stinky Pete (or feet) knocking you out? If it works on clothes, it’ll work on you. Wipe your feet with vodka and spritz your shoes to kill the bad odor.

Use As A Mouthwash

Vodka has great antibacterial properties and can help freshen your mouth, teeth and all. If you desire a little more to your mouthwash, infuse vodka with mint or other extracts.

Soothe A Toothache

When you have a toothache, soak a cotton ball with vodka and place it on the gum above the sore tooth. Alternatively swish the vodka around your mouth like a wash to help ease the pain. 

Muscle Rub

For sore, tight muscles try this method. Fill a glass jar with lavender and top it off with vodka. Place the jar in the sunlight and let it steep for three days. Use a coffee filter to strain the vodka and you’ve got yourself a muscle rub liniment.

Make A Flexible Ice Pack

Mix half a mug each of water and vodka and pour into a freezer bag. This will make an ice pack that is flexible enough to mold around body parts. Plus, it’s reusable.

Clean Your Hands

In a situation or setting where you have limited access to water, you can clean and disinfect your hands with vodka due to its high alcohol content.

Use As An Aftershave

The prime ingredient in aftershaves is alcohol, which soothes skin irritation and disinfects. It makes sense that vodka, with its good alcohol balance, makes a good aftershave as well.

Keep Your Razor Clean And Sharp

Along the lines of shaving, soak your razor blade (if you cool and use a safety razor) in vodka to help clean and disinfect the blade. Cleaning the blade of small hairs, water and shaving cream extends the life of the blade by removing that which makes it dull.

One Bottle, Many Uses

As I mentioned earlier, I had no idea that vodka could be so useful. If you enjoy imbibing in a few spirits, then you're doubly lucky, as you can drink vodka and use it for so much else. 

The list I provided is by no means complete. Further searching on your own will result in more results if you’re so inclined.

Given the versatility of vodka, it might not be a bad idea to keep some around as part of your emergency preparation (just be sure to keep out of reach of children).

So, if you want a little of the unconventional as part of your emergency preparedness, then add something like vodka, which has multiple uses. 

Hope this article is useful. Let us know what you’re seeing or hearing out there in the world, and maybe we can all prep together.