Genius Alka-Seltzer Home Hacks You'll Wish You Knew About Sooner

Some people love cleaning their home and the satisfaction of an important job well done ... while for others, it's just a necessary fact of life that we all must muddle through. But a genius home hack that makes cleaning faster and easier is something that everyone can get behind. In this case, cleaning hacks take advantage of the chemical composition of Alka-Seltzer, the common household cure for indigestion, heartburn, and upset stomachs.

Alka-Seltzer is made from sodium bicarbonate, citric acid, and aspirin formed into a tablet. Drop that tablet into water and the sodium bicarbonate (a base chemical) and the small amount of citric acid (an acidic chemical) will react to each other making carbon dioxide — Alka-Seltzer's famous "fizz." After this chemical reaction, the remaining water solution is still a base, chemically, and useful for breaking down grease and other acidic compounds. (And your tummy feeling better.)

You likely already know that sodium bicarbonate is the same thing as baking soda. Hence, all the ways that you've heard of using baking soda as a cleaning agent may also work with Alka-Seltzer. Consider using it for cleaning your floors, coffee maker, or laundry. Instead of making a cleaning solution with baking soda and vinegar, these Alka-Seltzer cleaning hacks could make your life even easier.

Alka-Seltzer in water is an all-purpose cleaning solution, so mopping your floor with an Alka-Seltzer solution is a great cleaning hack. The water will dissolve dirt while the Alka-Seltzer breaks down oils and other acidic compounds, which will have your dirty floors looking like new. A great mop to use with this hack is a spin mop, as the microfiber heads are gentle on the floor and pick up dirt efficiently. The spinning action effectively removes the dirt from the head, preparing it for the next wipe across the floor.

Removing that pesky limescale from a tea kettle or coffee maker is another task made easier with Alka-Seltzer's sodium bicarbonate chemical composition. Fill the kettle with water and add a few tablets — two or three should do. After the fizz has subsided, boil the water. Cool it down and scrub the inside gently. For the coffee maker, fill the reservoir with water add four tablets and let the solution sit for 15 minutes or so. Run two more clear water cycles through the machine before making coffee in it.

The most common reason that sinks get clogged, especially in the kitchen, is the buildup of grease, oils, and other fats. Regular treatment with an Alka-Seltzer solution could logically fix this problem or even prevent it. Drop a tablet or two of Alka-Seltzer down your drain, followed by a cup of vinegar. Follow up with hot water. This is a quick, cheap, and easy way to attempt to clear the clog. Best of all, if it works, you won't have to deal with harsh chemicals down your drain pipe.

With its power over grease, using Alka-Seltzer and water is a logical way to start the process of cleaning a super-greasy pan — a universally annoying kitchen task. It even works to dissolve burnt grease from frying pans. Put three to five Alka-Seltzer tablets into the offending cookware and then add hot water. The hot water will "melt" the grease allowing the Alka-Seltzer solution to break it down. After an hour or so, empty the pan and start scrubbing away the residue. This hack will make this distasteful task much easier and faster.

Another surprising hack for Alka-Seltzer? Brightening your whites. White T-shirts and the like have a discouraging tendency to get discolored and yellow over time. (Especially true where your water quality is less than optimal.) If your cotton fabrics are looking less bright than you'd like, try this Alka-Seltzer pre-wash hack. Soak the item in about 4 quarts of water, add two Alka-Seltzer tablets, and soak overnight. By the morning, you should see the improvement. The sodium bicarbonate solution will work its way into the fibers, breaking down many kinds of stains.

When your favorite coffee or teacup gets stained from your constant use, where is a person to turn? You guessed it: Alka-Seltzer. The solution created by the fast-fizzing tablets effectively attacks those coffee and tea stains. Soak your cup or cups in a sink full of warm water, dropping in four to six Alka-Seltzer tablets. Leave them to soak for an hour or so. At that point you should be able to simply wipe the stains away with a sponge or soft cloth. (No need to use a harsh abrasive pad.)

While the perfect vase can be at the core of a beautiful flower arrangement, the insides of those vases can get disgusting from use. And reaching inside of those tall glass or ceramic containers can be a real challenge. That's why using Alka-Seltzer to bubble that crud and corruption away is such a sweet hack. Fill the vase a little over halfway with water and drop in two or three tablets. Let the solution do its magic for about an hour and then rinse it clean. It's ready for its next bouquet.