Easily Eliminate Odors From Your Curtains With This Liquor Cabinet Staple

Whether it's a set you scored at the thrift store or your old curtains that have a bit of a "funk," window treatments sometimes need a refresh. If you find yourself holding your nose when you pass by your curtains, it's time to hit the liquor cabinet. No, not for liquid courage to tackle the stinky mess, but for a natural deodorizing substance: vodka spray. A bit of vodka spray can help kill the bacterial source of the odor — and quickly. This is an old trick used by everyone from grandmothers to theatre stage crews to kill the odor in musty fabrics. Affordable and easy to do, it's perfect to take your curtains from funky to fresh.

Curtains collect all kinds of odor-causing particles that linger in your home. Most dry cleaners liken them to large air filters as they trap pollutants, dust, and allergens. The smell of your dog after a rainstorm or that plate of salmon you cooked a bit too long can also settle into your curtain fabric, lingering until it is washed or deodorized. In a way similar to how vinegar can revive the smell of an old house, vodka works to remove odors from curtains. Many vodkas consist of 40 percent ethanol alcohol (80 proof). Ethanol effectively kills most odor-causing bacteria by drawing water from their cell membranes, dehydrating them. This dehydration eventually causes the membrane layers to leak, so the cells dissolve, fall apart, and die. It's so effective that even Martha Stewart uses vodka to eliminate unwanted home odors. Here's how to apply it to deodorize your own curtains without washing them.

Before using this clever deodorizing hack to make your living room curtains smell fresh, double-check the fabric type. Although vodka is safe for use on most fabrics, you can't be too careful. You should test in a small, inconspicuous spot before treating the entire surface. Choose an unflavored vodka to avoid coating your curtains with residue. To make the spray solution, mix equal parts vodka and water in a spray bottle. You can purchase the cheapest (plain) vodka brand, and it should work fine, provided you buy a bottle that's at least 80 proof. Lightly spray your vodka solution across the curtains, making sure to hit the spots with the strongest odor. After it evaporates, you should notice the smell is gone.

After you've finished treating your curtains, put the spray to work removing odors from stinky shoes or refreshing your linens. As an alternative, add 30 drops of essential oil to your vodka spray before application, if you'd like a pleasant smell left behind. Some good options are lavender, eucalyptus, or mint, but you can pick whatever you like best.