Put down the cocktail, pick up…the dishrag?

December 20, 2025 by
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Just when you think you have seen all the hot takes possible when it comes to cleaning your kitchen, up pops a new one. This one involves a DIY hack, but it does not instruct you to use vinegar, baking soda, or any of the usual items that get pulled into service as a cleaning product. Instead, says Rolland Judd at The Takeout, head to your liquor cabinet for a strong, effective cleaner.

A hand in a yellow cleaning glove wipes across the face of an oven

Judd makes the case that vodka can do everything that vinegar can, but without the unpleasant odor. If you opt for the 100-proof version, it will even disinfect your surfaces. Just pop some vodka into a spray bottle, squeeze the trigger, and wipe away dirt and grime. The only caveats, says Judd, is that you shouldn’t use vodka on marble or on wooden cutting boards. Everything else is fair game.

I have not tried this DIY cleaning agent, but I have used bourbon to get tough odors out of cloth and wood items. I suspect that the high percentage of corn helps in its odor removing ability – after all, odor neutralizers like Febreze use a corn-derived chemical. Unlike vodka, bourbon does impart its own smell, but it is a pleasant one. Even though household cleaners are not cheap, I am not sure that using vodka (or bourbon) is a cost effective option. I will stick to drinking the liquor and cleaning with something less expensive.

Category: Antipasto

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3 Comments

  • FuzzyChef  on  December 21, 2025

    I don’t buy it. I do clean my 3D printer with 100% alcohol, but that’s more about not getting it wet than it being a good cleaning chemical.

  • London_Mummy  on  December 21, 2025

    This got me thinking. My stainless steel custom-made kitchen is still just what I want & hygienic, but, after 15 years, I’m arranging to get a broken cupboard hinge mended. This made me inspect the whole kitchen instead of taking it for granted. After being kept clean with eco-friendly mild cleaners for 15 years, it does not sparkle like new! I might invest in some industrial alcohol-based cleaner or specialist stainless steel cleaning agent & give it a deep clean.

  • London_Mummy  on  December 21, 2025

    I have heard people say that the longer you use your kitchen, the better your bread, because it develops a healthy microbiome including natural environmental yeasts. If I deep cleaned my kitchen with strong chemicals just to make it shiny, would I ruin my baking?

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