This is exactly why some cleaners rely on an unexpected spray instead of a perfumed fabric product. Their goal is not to make upholstery smell stronger—it is to make it smell like nothing at all.
The reason inexpensive vodka appears in cleaning kits has little to do with the drink itself and everything to do with its contents. Vodka is mostly water and ethanol, making it a surprisingly effective odor-neutralizing spray when used lightly on certain fabrics. Unlike many store-bought fabric sprays, it does not need to leave behind a strong fragrance to feel effective. In fact, one of the biggest reasons people use it is because it tends to dry without much smell at all. Instead of your couch smelling like “fresh linen” for twenty minutes before reverting to its original scent, the goal is simply to leave the fabric smelling neutral.
