We can all agree that wine is pretty magical. It can spice up any meal, improve heart health, and help you get a little more in touch with your feelings (hopefully without encouraging you to text your ex). What happens when you have a little leftover from your most recent girl’s night? Pouring it down the drain feels like such a waste, but pouring it down your throat would taste like drinking a glass of salad dressing. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to put that extra pinot to good use.
1. DIY Face Mask
The antioxidants in red wine can be surprisingly great for your skin. Whip up a few of these masks with ingredients in your fridge the next time you want to treat yo self.
2. Cleaning
A night with a few too many glasses of wine can lead to some messy results. Use whatever white you have leftover (if any) to clean up some of your mistakes. Dry, white wine is great for disinfecting and removing stains from countertops. Just pour a little into a spray bottle and voila! Free Windex.
3. Watercolors
Feeling artsy? Have some wine left over from one of those painting/drinking parties that’s about to go bad? Turn a dark red into your very own set of watercolors. This tutorial will show you how.
4. Trap Fruit Flies
No one’s perfect. We all get a visit from a swarm of little flying friends once in awhile. Send them on their way with a little vino. Simply cover a glass with plastic wrap, poke a few holes in the top, and leave it out overnight. Dump the wine (and the trapped fruit flies) down the drain in the morning. That should solve things for…at least 24 hours.
5. Take a Wine Bath
Stepping into a bathtub full of red liquid may seem kind of gross at first, but a little vino can lead to super soft skin. Pair this with the a red wine face mask for the ultimate night of pampering. You don’t need to fill the tub with the wine though; just a adding a glass of wine to warm bath water will do the trick.
6. Clean Your Veggies
Want to make sure your haul from the farmer’s market is extra clean? Rinse them with a little white wine and water. The alcohol will kill any unwanted bacteria, saving your homemade salads from a Chipotle situation.
7. Bake a Cake
Who needs red velvet when you have red wine? Try this recipe for a rich, sweet, and slightly fruity dessert. It’s sure to impress your friends/co-workers/Tinder date.
8. Cook Dinner
Resist the urge to sacrifice another $15 to Seamless while finishing up that leftover bottle in the fridge. So many delicious (and easy) recipes call for a little vino. Channel your inner Giada De Laurentiis with any of these awesome dishes.
With all these options, you’ll never have to sacrifice half a bottle to the sink again. YAS!
