Q. I use milk of magnesia as a deodorant but first I apply a spray of vodka under my arms. Using vodka to fight body odor is no recent discovery.
Theatrical wardrobe professionals going back to vaudeville days have used vodka spritz on elaborate costumes that can’t be cleaned easily.
Applying vodka and letting them air dry gets rid of the odor. The only problem is explaining to strangers why you have industrial-sized jugs of vodka in the house.
A. Thanks for reminding us that it can do double duty as an underarm deodorant. We have heard from others that vodka can remove odors from theatrical costumes. Here is the first report we received:
“I used to work backstage for the wardrobe department in a theatre. Actors sweat, and clothes that are not machine-washable are dry cleaned only once a week. Clothes get sweaty and smell.
The solution that I was taught is to spray undiluted white vinegar or vodka (the cheaper and higher proof the better) on the armpits and other sweaty areas of the clothing. Once the vinegar or vodka dried, the clothes didn’t smell. This worked for the 15 years that I did it.”
