More than meets the eye.

Aside from the one way we all know vodka can be put to good use, it’s not a completely pointless liquid otherwise. In fact, the alcoholic beverage spreads itself quite thin on the usefulness scale. Vodka’s anti-bacterial properties are what give it such potency in combatting a lot of common ailments and household issues – from earaches to carpet stains. Grab yourself a bottle, or two, and redefine what it means to booze.

Poison Ivy Reliever

Apply vodka to an area affected by poison ivy and it will dry up surrounding skin, getting rid of any oils that are causing the poison ivy to inflame and itch.

Laundry Freshener

Fill a small spray bottle with vodka and lightly spray clothes. The vodka smell goes away when the clothes dry completely. The vodka helps to remove any unwanted odors.

Flower Preserver

Plants produce the ripening gas ethylene, which promotes maturation. Vodka stunts ethylene production and allows for flowers to stay fresher, longer. Spray flower stems with a 2:1 ratio mix of vodka and sugar. Repeat every few days.

Insect Repellent

Keep the insects at bay by squirting some vodka on your skin before going outdoors. Add essential lavender oil. Insects hate the smell of lavender, and you will prefer it to the smell of vodka lingering on your skin. You could also mix vodka into your scented moisturizer.

Jelly Fish Bite Soother

Much like vodka helps to treat poison ivy on the skin, the liquid also helps to alleviate the pain and itch that come post nasty jelly fish bite. Bring along a 1:1 mixture of vodka and water in a spray bottle to the beach just in case of an attack.

Hair Shiner

Add 1-2 ounces of vodka to your shampoo and watch as your hair emerges from a shower feeling cleaner, silky, and shiny.

Band-Aid Remover

Vodka will help to dissolve the sticky edges of a band-aid and allow for a painless removal. Not that you would, but a few swigs before peeling the adhesive off won’t hurt either.

Computer Screen Cleaner

Using water to clean a computer screen often leaves behind distracting smears. Apply vodka to the screen and wipe away for a seamless and clear complexion.

Eye Glasses Cleaner

It may not be the best idea to carry around a bottle of vodka, but a small spray bottle may be less conspicuous and prove to be very useful. Your glasses will get star treatment on the go.

Air Freshener

Mix equal parts water and vodka in a spray bottle and spray around the house. The vodka dissolves odors and the solution is completely odorless.

Razor Blade Cleanser

Soak razor blades in vodka and dissolve away build-up and buff the razor all in one. This trick will keep your razor blades clean and disinfected whilst extending the lifespan of your razor collection.

Jewelry Cleaner

Let your jewelry sparkle and shine. Soak and lightly scrub them in some vodka to remove any impurities.

Pore Reduction

Lightly soak one side of a cotton ball in vodka and dab your face. The vodkas acts as an astringent, tightening the pores and removing excess oils.

Homemade Mouthwash

Because of vodka’s capacity to fight bacteria and prevent infection, you can gargle it in the A.M. (without swallowing) to clean your mouth. Vodka may not be the first thing you want to taste on a sensitive morning stomach, so dilute it with equal parts water add a few drops of mint oil.

Cold Sore Treatment

Vodka can help to reduce cold sore inflammation and redness by drying the affected area. Dip one end of a Q-tip into vodka and use it to dab sores.

Shower Cleaner

Attack those moldy, dark crevices with a toothbrush and some vodka. Spray vodka onto moldy areas, let sit for 15 minutes, and then scrub away. The vodka kills the mold.

Antiseptic

Vodka is a great disinfectant and antiseptic. Apply to minor cuts and burns to kill bacteria.

Stickiness Remover

Vodka works wonders on removing all that is gooey! From stickers on car surfaces to gum on the bottom of a shoe, a little vodka goes a long way.

Treat Ear Aches

Put a few drops of vodka into your ear. Let the alcohol sit in the ears for a few minutes each and then drain. The vodka kills bacteria that causes pain.

Stain Remover

Vodka effectively gets rid of ink, grass and lipstick stains. Dab stain with vodka and rub the stain away. Add the stained garment to the laundry afterwards for a more thorough clean.

Tooth-Ache Reliever

Gargle vodka without swallowing, unless you want a buzz. The vodka will prevent infection and reduce inflammation and soreness in the mouth.

Foot Odor Cure

For those of you who suffer from foot odor, consider vodka your new best friend. Soak your feet in a shallow bucket of vodka, which will kill bacteria-causing odor. Let your feet dry to get rid of the vodka smell or wash your feet with fragrant soap directly after the treatment.

Fever Alleviation 

Vodka works well as a liniment to reduce a fever, because it evaporates very quickly and can provide a cooling relief. Apply vodka to a soft cloth and place on your chest.

Images: Karola Riegler, Bark, Tasumi1968, Marcus Vegas, Seishin17

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

The post 20 Unusual Ways to Use Vodka appeared first on EcoSalon.

Sometimes my daughter Syd’s drawers smell a bit gamey, like her soccer uniform after a match of  living up to her title as “the finisher”. She’s a darling girl, don’t get me wrong. But she has a frightful habit of  tossing items into her drawers to avoid that exhausting chore of putting them in the hamper. Enter drawer sachets. They give off that happy floral odor that can even compete with dirty socks.

Here are a few nicely packed bundles gathered from from the natural garden.

Show at top, and pretty enough to give as a hostess gift, this lime green natural linen drawer pillow was crafted by graphic designer Lotta Hellberg using safe dyes and aromatic potpourri. $22 for a set of two at Eco Artware.

Lavender is always a draw. Just ask the bees. These Sonoma Lavender sachets from Body and Home are $18 and are wonderful for lingerie drawers.

These Eco Seashell bags from Little Things Favors are not just for the bridal party. They’re Florida Coast fresh and add a delicate scent to the closet. $350 each. And for bringing in the great outdoors (and deterring the moths at the same time) the Natural Wild Herbal sachets at Eco Day Spa are $7.99 and tres outdoorsy.

The post Top Drawer Sachets for Scent and Shooing Moths appeared first on EcoSalon.

Curling up each night to sleep, I’ve found a simple ritual that makes bedtime just a little more cozy and sweet. I mist the air with jasmine, neroli, lavender, and a blend of flower essences especially created to help me drift off in sensual, aromatic bliss. This scented mist is the fruit of Nectar Essences, a small, green company that specializes in essential oil and flower essence sprays to wake you up, calm you down, or help you sleep like a baby.

Putting love and intention into every bottle, Jenny Pao, a holistic healer specializing in Flower Essence Therapy, created these gentle formulas to bring balance to our bodies in a deliciously aromatic way. She creates her healing flower essences by soaking exotic blooms in water, and blends them with select essential oils, which are the delicately harvested aromatic soul of a plant. When you spritz with Nectar Essences, you envelop yourself in the embrace of the flowering realm. Consider Nectar Essences the perfect gift for the luxurious sensualist in your life.

Top image: geishaboy500

The post Nectar Essences: Embrace of the Flowering Realm appeared first on EcoSalon.

It’s no mystery to any of you that I love to brighten my home with as many flowers as possible, which, of course, means plenty of eco-friendly and vintage vases. I’ve featured stylish varieties made from sculpted ceramic, frosted recycled glass, bamboo shaped like a flask and more, but, I’ve never posted about one like this: the Square Tapered Water Hyacinth vase. Instead of adorning your tabletops with colorful buds, you can fill these extra tall pieces with branches or stems and group them together in a lonely corner. Not a fan of these? Check out the sleek stem vase, a collection of mango wood vases and the hanging vase that Mike, Susan and Kim discovered. (Available at Natural Territory for $220- $300.)

The post A Tall Pair in a Quiet Corner appeared first on EcoSalon.

Let’s just say a friend of a friend, who happens to be an Eco Goddess, is throwing a party and you’re invited. You want to impress her with your eco smarts and the best first impression is the gift you bring to show your appreciation. Here are some truly green gift ideas to suit all budgets.

Bouquet of Organic Flowers. It’s an old standby, but you can mention that they were grown chemical free, so they’re safe to smell to your heart’s content.
Aloe Vera Plant. A gift that truly keeps giving. Beautiful, exotic and medicinal. Who wouldn’t appreciate one of these?
Bottle of Organic Wine. We’ve already compiled a list of our favorites.
Organic Olive Oil and Aged Balsamic Vinegar. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to taste them with fresh bread at the party.
Organic, Fair-Trade Artisan Chocolates. I love Theo Chocolate’s delectable confection boxes.
Palm Wax Candles. This set of chakra candles is very cool gift for the hip hostess.
Fair-Trade, Organic Tea Sampler. Arbor Teas and VivaTerra both have beautiful gift sets.
Fair trade, Organic Soaps. Try this set in a hand woven basket from the Zambian Soap Company and support African families, or support local artisans and pick up something at the farmer’s market.
Artisanal Sea Salt. Pinch, don’t pour.
Organic Peppermint Bark. Have you tried this stuff? It’s amazing. Dark chocolate and peppermint, married in delicious delight.
Organic Olive Lover’s Gift Set. Who doesn’t love olives?
Angel Face Botanicals Lavender Lover’s Eco-Spa Deluxe Gift Set. I can personally vouch that Angel Face products are divine.

The post 12 Green Gifts Ideas for the Eco Hostess appeared first on EcoSalon.

There are two things I’ve got against displays of cut flowers.

First, I’m a guy: we’re not big on the flowers thing. We tend to associate flowers with grovelling apologies, or enforced gardening. It’s a matter of perspective. (But I’ll agree, a well-done display of flowers can lift even the lowest mood and brighten the most drab room.)

But there’s my second point: why not keep them growing? Have I mentioned my basil plant? I call him Basil. I’ve carefully tended Basil from a limp, shop-bought state into a riot of greenery spilling over the kitchen window sill. Same with flowers. Why miss the fun?

Then again, if the garden’s rioting and you just have to trim it back a little, it’s a waste to throw away cut flowers when they look so nice arranged in a sunny corner.

You’ve already seen the photo heading this post. It’s the brilliant work of Yee-Ling Wan and Steve Jones, and although I’ve seen a few single-flower vases before, this beats them by a long way. The flower rests in an inner teardrop of glass, drawing attention to the simple, effortless beauty of one flower – just one. I think I’m starting to like flowers again.

Stem Vase – $39
– via CribCandy

The post Stem Vase: Seeing the Flowers, not the Bouquet appeared first on EcoSalon.

The truth is that you’ve never been intrigued by the obvious, and things that aren’t quite what they appear to be are much more stimulating in your book. So, why not apply this philosophy to your décor collection?

Though it resembles a flask, the Small Beside Curve vase instead contains three embedded glass vials that are perfect for holding a single stem of your favorite flowers. Handcrafted by a group of artisans in Thailand who are dedicated to sustainability, this sleek piece is made from bamboo, a rapidly renewable resource that flourishes in their village. Perfect for an understated tabletop, the natural hue of this unique vase will make vibrant buds pop. (Available at Hip and Zen for $34.50.)

The post Fill Your Flask With”¦ Flowers? appeared first on EcoSalon.

The oh-so-sophisticated you might say “vaaaaaz”, but however you pronounce it, a vase is really just a vase.

Not so with the ada hanging vase from cb2. It says “I’m not your ordinary vase, I’m so much more than a vase because I hang here growing out of the wall  looking like something other than a vase.”

The creation of U.K. designer James Burgess, the ada hanging vase is made of porcelain in a bright white that would look perfectly poised hung on any colored wall. Sweeten it up with a solitary flower.

I’d buy six and hang them all in a row – a perfect piece of “art” for the kitchen or breakfast nook. And very inexpensive, too.

Measuring 5″ W x 8″ H and 2″ D, find it at cb2 for $6.95.

The post Hanging with Ada appeared first on EcoSalon.

My thumb is more blue than green when it comes to plant care and that is why I love the idea of those ethereal air plants that hang from lovely vessels and only require a weekly dunking (just like my kids), and to be fertilized at least once a month.

The plants need to be bedded in a container that holds water and placed in a spot where there is ample  light, such as near a window. They usually flower once and look quite beautiful. There are a myriad of retail sites that sell air plants (Tillandsia) on line, like Deltona Seashells and also good sources for keeping the delicate growers alive, such as Airplant City.

As far as pretty containers, I love the ceramic egg planters at Doe in San Francisco ($89), which come in blue, white, olive and tidepool and are just light enough not to overpower the Bromeliads, orchids (yes, they are air plants, too) and other choices. And at VivaTerra you can find naturally-weathered textured antique stone planters  ($89) along with air plants for propping on a ledge or etegere.
 
In addition to looking cool, I find air plants provide relaxing and calming effects. I think it stems from watching them grow in a bathroom or office and knowing how hard it is to fail them since they only require a minimal amount of love.

The post Air Jardin appeared first on EcoSalon.

Sometimes it’s easy to choose the greenest way forward. This is one of those other times. Artificial grass: once a novelty affordable only by the wealthiest sports-grounds, it’s now set to conquer the domestic markets as a green product. But which grass is greener – the real thing or the Brady Bunch stuff?

Near-Zero Maintenance. Save reservoirs of water (can’t get greener than that), doesn’t get churned up into ugly bald patches, and has a longer “life” than grass. It doesn’t matter how eco-friendly your mower is – ditch it.
Gets rid of unwanted plastics. You’re standing on recycled tires. (And no, if it catches fire it won’t burn for a decade).
Hygiene-Friendly. SynLawn recently released a version that’s porous and anti-bacteriological – music to the ears of pet-owners. Extra chemicals? An estimated 70 million pounds of pesticides and fertilizer dousing U.S. lawns every year? Not on this.
Is that a gasoline-powered mower I see in your garage? Oh dear – and you call yourself green.

Lawns just don’t help the environment – they are the environment (pdf). Cleaning the air, sustaining microbial life, providing worms for birds, and so on. Take lawns away, and our suburban ecology falls apart.
It’s your garden – it’s meant to be tended. That’s how you develop a relationship with it, one where you both grow. It’s a living thing, not an inanimate appliance. (You work in I.T., right?).
When the sun’s out, plastic turf heats up something rotten – up to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, some say. Even if that insufficient to actually melt a plastic tire, surely the fumes will be toxic enough.
Lawns are carbon sinks: admittedly this is offset by their maintenance, but even so, the 40 million acres of American lawns filter in the region of 13 million pounds of carbon dioxide annually (estimates Brendan Koerner for Slate).

Difficult to know where to stand, isn’t it?

Image: kevindooley

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The post Faking It: Is Faux Grass the Greener Choice? appeared first on EcoSalon.