Martha Stewart's Boozy Fix For Eliminating Unwanted Kitchen Odors

As a boozy fix for stubborn kitchen odors, Martha Stewart says vodka reigns supreme. You can clean a lot of your kitchen with just vodka, provided it has a high enough alcohol content. 

When it comes to what type of vodka to use, the cheaper and higher ABV the bottle, the better. You don't need to waste your pricey Ketel One, and flavored vodkas may leave excess residue and odd smells that sabotage your cleaning process.

Once you have your vodka, mix in a couple drops of scented essential oil, add it to a mister, and use it as a mildly antiseptic air freshener. Unlike other fresheners, though, that may only cover up smells, a vodka mix actually works to eliminate odor-causing bacteria, replacing their scent with that of your chosen oil.

Since vodka evaporates so quickly, it's ideal for freshening up fabrics that have absorbed years of cooking smells, like the curtains above your kitchen sink, pot holders, and decorative dish towels. It is also great for kitchen fabrics that may not hold up well in the washing machine, as vodka doesn't harm most fabrics and helps loosen up stubborn stains. Still, vodka isn't limited to just fabrics or the air itself.

From cleaning that annoying space between your oven and countertop to giving your wooden cutting boards a deep sanitizing, vodka is great at clearing out the bacteria, leftover food, and stains that stink up your kitchen. The key is picking the right delivery system, whether it's a vodka-soaked rag, an aerosolized sprayer, or just pouring a splash directly on the problem area and letting it sit for a spell.

While wooden cutting boards are durable and attractive when left out, they tend to accumulate mold and smell worse than plastic varieties. Luckily, the same thing that makes vodka so effective at freshening up fabrics makes it ideal for revitalizing wood. After washing your board with soap and water, give it a heavy spritz with vodka so it soaks in deep, then rinse it off. The antiseptic properties of your booze kills bacteria and mold, but any lingering amounts will still evaporate off overnight. This also works great for everything from sealed wooden countertops to pantry shelves.

If you need to clean stains, grease puddles, and other residues that may be smelling up your kitchen, vodka is a great choice since it evaporates without leaving much smell. As a substitute for stronger cleaning agents, you'll want it to have at least 40% ABV, but the higher the better. By letting your booze soak into the problem area, it loosens up the gunk more effectively than water but with less aroma than traditional cleaners.