Clear vodka & crisp shirts
“Now where can I get some water for my shirt?” – Mixing vodka with distilled water creates a simple, do-it-yourself spray starch that’s cheaper and performs better than many store-bought options, claims VinePair.
In an online article in its Old Skills, New Tricks section on the VinePair website vodka is advocated as a useful substitute for starch.
“As the best-selling spirit in the US, you may not be surprised to find a bottle of vodka in most household liquor cabinets across the country,” states the article, “Perhaps more surprisingly though is the clear alcohol’s place in the laundry room.”
Mixing vodka with distilled water creates a simple, do-it-yourself spray starch that’s cheaper and performs better than many store-bought options, it claims.
“Traditional spray starches contain unpronounceable chemicals that allergy sufferers and conscious consumers might prefer to avoid. Not to mention the fact that many leave clothes feeling scratchy and uncomfortable and cause fabrics to break down over time.”
Instead, it exhorts readers to adopt a vodka and water mixture by filling a spray bottle about a third or half of the way with vodka (“the cheapest stuff you can find”) and to top this off with distilled water (“tap works too, in a pinch”). The more vodka used in the recipe, the heavier the starch.
“Some say it’s the starchiness of the potatoes used in the distillation process that contributes to vodka’s unique laundering abilities. As all of the carbohydrates are converted into ethanol during distillation, this is seemingly questionable,” it answers itself.
“As the vodka is cooked-off by the hot iron, there’s no need to fear that a colleague might be suspicious of lingering aromas as only a crisp clean scent remains. And a drop or two of a favorite essential oil can be added to the mixture for those who might prefer a fragrance.”
Worth a try?
