Alka Seltzer has many uses besides settling your upset stomach. Although the makers of this over the counter medication do not endorse any use except the intended one, you may find that a couple of boxes in your house make life a little easier.
- Soothe mosquito bites by dissolving two tablets in water, dipping a cloth in, and holding on the bite for about a half hour.
- Unclog the sink by dropping three or four tablets in the drain and then adding 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Let it fizz for several minutes and then pour boiling water down the drain followed by letting hot water run for a few minutes to totally clear the drain.
- Clean and sanitize your flower vases by dropping two tablets in the vase and then filling with warm water.
- Soak your jewelry (except pearls or opals) for 20 minutes in a solution of one cup of water and two Alka Seltzer tablets.
- Use a tablet in a tube jig to catch fish. The bubbles released by the Alka Seltzer draw fish to the bait.
- Have a clean, fresh smelling refrigerator by dropping one Alka Seltzer tablet in a cup of water and leaving in the refrigerator for thirty minutes or so. Pour that out and then wash the refrigerator with another tablet dissolved in two cups of warm water.
- Allow two tablets to dissolve in the toilet bowl, swish with a toilet bowl brush, and flush to deodorize and clean.
- Clean your coffee maker by dissolving two tablets in water in the reservoir and then running it through a full brew cycle. Afterwards run two brew cycles with plain water.
- Add two or three tablets to a glass casserole dish that has burned on food. Fill with hot water and let stand overnight. You’ll have a sparkling clean pan in the morning.
- Whiten your laundry by soaking the whites in a mixture of two tablets and a gallon of warm water. Launder as you normally would. This works best if you line dry the laundry on a sunny day.
- Use Alka Seltzer just like denture cleaner for your dentures. It is less expensive and cleans perfectly.
- Clean a teapot gently by filling it half full with warm water and then dropping in an Alka Seltzer tablet. It will fizz up the spout and clean in hard to reach places.
- Fill an empty spray bottle with warm water and drop in three tablets. Allow the fizzing to stop, put on the spray cap and use as a gentle, all-purpose cleaner.
- Make a rocket by half filling an empty film canister with warm water and dropping in half of a tablet. Quickly snap the lid on the canister and place on the ground. It will launch high into the air. Be careful, though. It will have a lot of force and can hurt someone if it happens to hit them.
- Clean and deodorize a stinky, stale ice chest or cooler by adding about 3 inches of warm water and dropping in four Alka Seltzer tablets. Close it and leave it alone for an hour or two. Pour the water out, rinse and your ice chest will be just like new.
photo credit: Rogue Sun Media
