When I talk to folks about my make-‘em-yourself tonics, one of my favorite topics is vodka. People can’t believe what you can do with it (besides drinking it); here’s a few of my favorite alternate uses:

Looking for a new brand of mouthwash? Don’t buy it! Make your own instead with this simple formula: Put 3/4 cup of vodka and 20 drops of lemon juice in a bottle with a tight cap, shake well, and let it sit for one week at room temperature. To use it, mix 1 part solution with 2 parts distilled water, and gargle.

Here’s a simple alternative to aerosol hair sprays: Just peel and chop two lemons, and put them into 2 cups of boiling water. Let the mix simmer until the fruit is tender, cool it, and strain it into a spray bottle. Add 1 tablespoon of vodka, and shake well. If the potion is too sticky, dilute it with a little water.

For an environmentally friendly deodorant, fill a clean canning jar with grass clippings from a lawn that has not been treated with chemicals. Cover the clippings with vodka, close the jar tight, put it in a cool, dark place for 7 to 10 days, and shake it now and then. Strain out the clippings, and pour the liquid into a bottle. (An old, clean roll-on deodorant bottle is perfect.) If you don’t have a roll-on bottle, apply with your fingertips.