A long time ago, Myth Busters did a few episodes on vodka myths (Vodka Myths 1, Vodka Myths 2, Vodka Myths 3). It turns out, there are a lot of uncommon uses for vodka. I definitely didn’t fact check all these before posting, but I tried to only list real things.

Vodka Sauce

It turns out that certain parts of tomatoes are alcohol soluble. By cooking with vodka, you can extract those flavors, cooking away the vodka in the process, creating a more flavorful dish. I’ve never tried this on my own, but there are a ton of recipes if you search Google for “vodka sauce”. Ok, ok, this isn’t an “uncommon” use for vodka in the strictest sense of the word, but the vast majority of vodka isn’t used for cooking.

While not related to the vodka sauce, I’ve also seen frosting made from flavored vodkas. There wasn’t a recipe, but it sure looked good.

Cleaning House

I’ve seen quite a few cleaning tips. For example, it has been said that vodka will kill mildew and mold, which makes it great for cleaning shower grout. You simply spray on and wait ten minutes. It’s also been suggested that using it to polish chrome, porcelain, and glass. You may be interested in taking a look around this (odd) little site called Cleaning with Vodka that asserts cleaning with vodka is better because it has fewer toxins.

Cleaning Clothes

Vodka can apparently be used as an alternative to Febreze for taking the odor out of clothes. It also seems to be good at getting rid of grass, vomit, and lipstick stains.

Personal Uses

MythBusters’ tests show that vodka can be used to get rid of foot odor and act as a mouthwash. They also found that it could be helpful for removing adhesive bandages and be used in a do-it-yourself ice pack that you’d normally buy at the store. One that worries me is using vodka as a dandruff cure. According to a few sources, putting rosemary in a cup of vodka, letting it sit for a week, then washing your hair with the concoction will eliminate dandruff. Try that at your own risk.

Any Other Ideas?

If you have any other ideas that I didn’t mention here or you can confirm that any of the stuff above is true, leave a comment!