Skip The Scrubbing — This Fizzy Cleaner Tackles Coffee Stains And Dirty Coffee Makers

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Among the worst kitchen items to clean, anything your precious morning cup of joe touches tops the list, including said cup. That's because, in addition to its energizing caffeine and delicious, complex flavors, coffee also contains components that make it an especially stubborn stain contributor. It has chromogens, compounds that shape its flavor profile and also provide its brown color. It's basically in coffee's DNA to stain everything from your mugs to your coffee maker. But does that mean we're suggesting you give up coffee if you want a cleaner kitchen? Of course, not.

The secret to enjoying your coffee without stressing over cleaning lies in finding an easy but effective solution. And we've got just the thing, a perhaps unexpected way to rid your mugs and more of coffee stains for good: Alka-Seltzer. That's right, the same product you use to reduce heartburn also tackles tough java stains. This is because it contains sodium bicarbonate and citric acid. The former is baking soda and the latter is acid that works like lemon juice or vinegar — all of which are proven cleaning heroes. Sodium bicarbonate is gentle but abrasive, able to break down stains without damaging surfaces. Citric acid can break down the chemical composition of stains, making it all the easier for sodium bicarbonate to scrub up. You can make your own cleaning solution with these ingredients, or just pop in Alka-Seltzer tablets. It's affordable, chemical-free, incredibly quick and effortless — and it works.

To clean your coffee maker, fill the water reservoir and pop in three Alka-Seltzer effervescent tablets. Let them work their fizzing magic for 15 minutes or so, and then let the maker run as if you were making coffee, so the bubbly water, rich in sodium bicarbonate and citric acid, can filter through and clean the coffee pot. Afterward, do this brewing cycle two more times with plain, clean water.

For mugs, simply pour in hot water and add an Alka-Seltzer tablet. Again, about 15 minutes should do the trick. Once that time is up, scrub and rinse your mug. You'll likely be surprised just how clean both your coffee maker and cups look — it's easy to forget that mug was actually that bright of a shade, or that the coffee pot's glass was ever so sparkling. Importantly, your coffee will taste better than it has in a long time, completely free of any pesky residue or build-up.

When it comes to overall tips for cleaning your coffee maker and mugs, make sure you are, in fact, giving them a good wash with every use in order to slow the build-up of stains to begin with. But when those stains do appear, it's Alka-Seltzer to the rescue. In fact, because it's simply sodium bicarbonate and citric acid, you can use Alka-Seltzer dissolved in water anywhere you'd use baking soda and vinegar or lemon juice, from your tiles to your toilet bowl.