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There’s a holiday weekend coming up and if you’re hosting a little soiree in the backyard,chances are there might (we emphasize the “might” – it is the fourth of July) be a cheap bottle of vodka left over if skip-and-go-nakeds aren’t your drink of choice. That bottom-shelf bottle doesn’t have to languish at the back of the cupboard anymore, though, since vodka has plenty of environmentally-friendly uses around the home, notes Melissa Breyer at Care2.

1. An alternative to Febreeze

If you douse your clothes and home with Febreze to remove odor, you can do the same with vodka…but without the cyclodextrin, and without supporting a company that tests on animals. (I’m talking to you, Proctor & Gamble.) The alcohol in vodka kills bacteria which cause odor, and vodka is basically odorless, as far as booze goes. Spritz your clothes and hang them in a well-ventilated room. (As with any natural remedy, spot-test first.)

2. Keeping cut flowers fresh

If you’re going to have fresh-cut flowers working hard to brighten up your decor, show some hospitality and give them a little drink. Several drops of vodka and a large pinch of sugar added to the water in your flower vase, changed daily, stunts ethylene production and will extend the vitality of bouquet.

3. Shoo flies, and other pests

I couldn’t harm a fly, or any other living thing. Except…if something is biting and sucking the blood from my children, mamma bear swoops in and goes medieval. DEET is persona non grata in my neck of the woods, and I wouldn’t own a can of Raid if you paid me. But a spray bottle of vodka? Sure. Use it to spray directly at the offenders, it can also be used on your skin as a repellant.

Full story at Care2.

It’s easier to DIY with vodka.

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