Known for treating symptoms of heartburn and upset stomach, Alka-Seltzer has been helping people with minor ailments since its development in 1931. Over the years people have found many alternative uses for it. The medicine can even act as the key ingredient to a smoother cheese sauce. It has also been used to treat another issue that many of us face: removing the most stubborn of food stains.
As you can guess, the process is quite simple. For example, let’s say we’re cleaning our beloved Mr. Coffee machine. All you’ll need is three to four Alka-Seltzer tablets and about 10 ounces of water in the reservoir. With your tablets in the dirty glass coffee pot, run your coffee maker and watch as the tablets fizzle and lift up that gross residue. After you run through the initial cycle with the tablets, pour out the grime, and run the appliance through the brewing cycle a couple more times with just water to remove any lingering residue.
The number of tablets you use will vary depending on the surface and level of grime and dirt. As a general rule, start with one or two tablets and continue to add more as needed. Also, be sure that the bubbling stops before rinsing off your item; otherwise, this handy cleaning hack won’t work. The fizzling bubbles created from the chemical reaction are what makes Alka-Seltzer such an effective cleaning agent, and it only takes two ingredients to make this work.
The fizzy reaction that cleans your kitchen
Along with relieving internal discomfort, these little tablets can also clean plenty of surfaces in your home. Alka-Seltzer is made from only three ingredients: aspirin, sodium bicarbonate, and citric acid. When water is introduced to the tablets, a chemical reaction begins, causing the bubbles we see. As the tablets dissolve, the interaction between the bicarbonate and the citric acid forms sodium citrate along with carbon dioxide gas that’s released in the bubbles. It’s the same science behind why Mentos starts to fizz when placed in soda.
The bubbles you see during the reaction will interact with a stain and physically lift the residue up from the surface where it’s stuck. With the residue lifted, it can be wiped away, making the item clean again, whether it’s your coffee pot or your kitchen sink. And like its non-acidic counterpart baking soda — also good for cleaning — Alka-Seltzer has proven to be a useful agent on stains caused by coffee, tea, wine, turmeric, or berries. It can even tackle dishes with caked-on food. It will make your kitchen shine.
