Growing up in Boise, Idaho (shoutout to all my Gem State readers), my parents had a percolator. I can still hear that coffee pot perking away in the mornings. My mom used something called Dip-It powder to keep the thing clean. That’s a memory that sent me into research mode, prompted by today’s first reader inquiry.
But not to worry. I have a process that reasonably duplicates the venerable Dip-It results for keeping your coffee percolator beautifully clean, provided you do this in steps rather than combining cleaning ingredients:
Step 1: Pour 1 tablespoon citric acid (the active ingredient in descaling products) into the pot. Add water to the maximum fill line. Citric acid is available with canning supplies in most grocery and discount department stores, and is readily available online as well. Check Amazon and Walmart.com.
Step 2: Position the vertical tube, basket, and lid just as if you were making a pot of coffee. Plug it in and let it perk away for a complete cycle. Unplug the machine, pour the water out, and scrub away any coffee stains that remain. You'll be surprised by how dirty that water appears. Scrub the inside of the pot and the apparatus as necessary to remove all traces of coffee stains.
But first an explanation: Vinegar is acidic. When used on flooring that has a finish, as both hardwood and laminate flooring do, it will dull that finish over time and, in some cases, even make it sticky. Tap water contains minerals that, when allowed to dry on these types of flooring, can cause streaks and eventually a haze-like buildup. That means no vinegar and no tap water in your cleaner.
DIY Floor Cleaner
- 1 part alcohol (rubbing alcohol, vodka, or gin)
- 4 parts distilled water
- Few drops Blue Dawn dishwashing liquid
To use, simply spray a small area of the floor. Scrub well with a mop or sponge. Immediately wipe the area dry with a microfiber cloth.
Procter & Gamble, which owns and manufactures the Dawn products, does not have any version of Dawn in any color that states clearly “unscented.” P&G does, however, manufacture Dawn Free & Gentle Dishwashing Liquid, which is hypoallergenic and dye-free. This version of Dawn seems to enjoy good reviews. However, I don’t find it to be as surfactant-rich as Blue Dawn.
I have researched to discover why Blue Dawn is different than any other color of liquid Dawn product, and the answer is surfactants. Blue Dawn has more powerful heavy-duty surfactants (that’s what makes any cleaner remove grease, soil, and dirt) than any of its competitors. And Blue Dawn has more than the other colors and fragranced Dawn products. Blue Dawn cuts grease like none other—Original Blue Dawn, Ultra, Platinum, and any other version of Blue Dawn.
Notice that some Blue Dawn versions are also highly concentrated, like 4X or even 5X. That means you can dilute it to get the same job done. I go for the highest concentration and then, for daily use, I dilute Blue Dawn Ultra Platinum 5 parts water to 1 part Blue Dawn.