We’ve all been there where we have a great night with some wine and end up not using that last little bit. It taunts you and tortures you as you look at it just sitting there wishing you could finish it. Days go by and now you don’t think it’s good anymore; don’t lie, we’ve all thought this. And I don’t know about you guys, but it pains me to waste alcohol. Luckily, I found these 10 uses for your leftover Valentine’s Day wine that doesn’t include drinking it.
1. Clean your fruits and veggies
Add wine to a spray bottle, white or red, and use it to clean your fruits and veggies. The alcohol in the wine will remove any chemicals better than just plain water ever could. It could even kill bacteria like E. coli and salmonella!
2. Dye your clothing
Instead of fighting the staining power, use it to your benefit and dye your clothes! You could dye shirts, fabric, curtains or even Easter eggs. Other dyes have nasty chemicals that you can avoid by using your red wine!
3. Make wine syrup
Mix leftover wine with sugar and reduce it down to a rich syrup that can be poured over fruit, ice cream and pancakes. You could even mix it into marinades and salad dressings. Warning — you’ll need a lot of sugar.
4. Spike your soups
Adding a little wine to your quickly-made soup can make the soup taste like it has been simmering for hours. For beef broth, throw in a splash of red wine; for chicken broth, add a splash of white wine. Make sure to let the soup simmer for a little bit when adding in the wine.
5. Disinfect your counters
Leftover white wine works great for disinfecting your kitchen. The alcohol and acidity in the wine can remove stains and kill germs. The best part? You don’t have to smell nasty cleaners while you clean! You could even use it to clean glass.
6. Spill control
We all hate when we spill red wine on our brand new clothing, but you’re in luck! Pour some white wine on the stain and blot with a clean towel. Let it dry, then throw it in the wash and VOILA! Stain no more!
7. Make ice cubes
Pour leftover wine into an ice tray and freeze it. Whenever you want a bit of wine to make a sauce, marinade or dressing you have it perfectly available. It’s also the perfect way to keep cocktails and sangria cool without watering it down with regular ice cubes. Cooling a cocktail with more alcohol sounds good to me.
8. Marinate your steak
We all know marinating your meat in wine can give it an extra kick of a taste. But what you didn’t know is that marinating your steak in wine for 6 hours can actually cut the cancer-causing compounds formed during frying or grilling by up to 90 percent. Now who wouldn’t want to fight diseases while enjoying their steak?
9. Make your own vinegar
Instead of buying a bottle of red vinegar, just use your leftover wine. Any wine that is on its way to going bad will turn into vinegar anyways. You could also just keep adding you leftover wine from all occasions to have a never ending supply of fresh vinegar. All you need to get started is a jar, a live starter (mother) and to leave it sitting for about six months.
10. Soften you skin
By adding your leftover red wine to your bathwater, you’ll end up with some baby soft skin. The antioxidants that give red wine its spotlight in health circles are equally beneficial for your skin. You could also use the leftover wine as a toner. You may not be getting buzzed from it, but you sure will feel good.