By Jim Salmon
Alka-Seltzer has been around for 75 years, and was once hailed as a cure-all for indigestion, headaches and John Carr’s occasional bouts with destiny. Who ever would have thought that this over-the-counter health remedy could also be used to clean items around the home?
Here are some unique tips for using Alka-Seltzer to clean up items in your home environment:
1) Clean your toilet by dropping 2 Alka-Seltzers into the bowl. Let them sit for 20 minutes, brush and flush! The citric acid and effervescent action do wonders for cleaning porcelain bowls!;
2) To clean a vase with dirt stains on the bottom, drop 2 Alka-Seltzer tablets in the vase, fill with water and let sit for several minutes. Rinse and you will have a sparkling clean vase!;
3) Polish jewelry by dropping it into a glass full of water and 2 Alka-Seltzer tablets and let it sit for 2 minutes. Your jewelry will look shiny and new!;
4) To remove burned-on grease from a pot or pan, drop 6 tablets into the pan and fill with water. Let it sit for one hour and scrub as usual. Your mother never had it this easy!;
5) To unclog a drain, drop 3 tablets down the drain followed by a cup of white vinegar. Wait a few minutes, then run the hot water.
6) To clean thermos bottles, drop four Alka-Seltzer tablets into a thermos bottle filled with water. Let it soak for an hour before emptying. The thermos will be fresh the next time you need it.
7) To cleanse dentures, drop your dentures into a glass of Alka-Seltzer for about ten minutes. The citric acid and carbonation will remove even the toughest stains from your dentures and other prosthetic dental work. This is an excellent substitute for more expensive denture cleanser products.
To cleaning Pots and Pans, drop six Alka-Seltzer tablets into pans with baked on-caked on grease. Dissolve the tablets. Let the solution fizz for one hour and then pour down the drain. Cook with clear, shiny pots and pans every time.