Stinky stuff? DIY Vodka Deodorizer

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Last winter I packed up all of our hats and mittens put them in plastic bags and put them in the cellar.

Mistake number one, I put them in the cellar.
Mistake number two, the bags did not have a tight seal.

Unfortunate circumstance number one, we have a fieldstone basement.
Unfortunate circumstance number two, we got some pretty serious rain over the summer.

This brings me to October and the very weird New England weather. It was hot then cold then hot then cold, you get it. So off I went to the basement to get the hats and mittens.

And here’s the problem. The mistakes combined with the circumstances made them as stinky as all get out. Basement mildew moldy STANK.

I washed them and washed them and washed them. Hypoallergenic detergent, full on perfume detergent, special cloth diaper detergent, oxyclean, white vinegar. Everything.

So I took the internet, as you do. I find a couple of posts about vodka. Really? Vodka? Apparently the vodka kills the bacteria, but is basically odorless. Sure, why not.

Let’s do this!

So there you have it!

1 1/2 cup water
1 cup vodka

Saturate the stinky item
Let it dry
Sniff
Wash as usual

I read it’s also really great for dry clean only clothes or stinky armpits on an otherwise clean shirt. Meaning if your clothes are actually dirty the vodka won’t help. Unless you drink it then they won’t look so dirty after a while.