Housecleaning can certainly give you a bit of indigestion from time to time, and taking a few antacid tablets may cure what ails you. However, those same fizzy antacid tablets can actually take the pain out of housework. Keep a few packages on hand to use around the house, and you may not have to take them pharmaceutically anymore.
Make your toilet shine. Save some money on costly toilet-bowl cleaners. All you need to do is drop a couple of antacid tablets into the bowl and let them dissolve for about 20 minutes. Use your toilet brush to clean the bowl and flush.
Get rid of those stubborn stains on your favorite vase. Using antacid tablets to clean vases is very easy. Fill a vase that needs to be cleaned with water and drop one tablet into it, waiting a few minutes before simply wiping the sides and bottom and rinsing the vase.
Give your jewelry a new shine. Fill a container with water and dissolve two antacid tablets. Drop the dirty jewelry into the container and let it soak for up to two minutes. Rinse and wipe it clean.
Free up a clogged drain. Drop three antacid tablets into the drain that's clogged, and pour one cup of white vinegar into the drain. After about three minutes, follow the solution with hot water and watch your drain clear.
Cure the pain caused by bug bites and stings. It's hard to watch your child cry after being stung by a hornet, so keep a package of antacid tablets in the kitchen. After a sting, fill a glass with water, drop in two tablets and wait for them to dissolve. Using a paper towel, apply the solution to the sting to stop the pain.
Clean forgotten thermoses. Sometimes you might fill a thermos with coffee, hot chocolate or tea and forget to clean it when you're done using it. Thermoses are hard to clean because of the narrow space, but it's possible. Fill one with water, dissolve four tablets and let it sit for about an hour; you'll have a clean thermos for the next time you need it.
Do something fun with your kids. Departing from the housework, teach your kids a little bit of science when they're home with you. Using an empty film canister, fill it about one-third full of water and add a tablet. Put the lid back on before placing it upside-down on the ground quickly and watch the lid shoot into the air. Make sure you're with your children when attempting this experiment; the time it takes to pop is only 5 to 10 seconds.