Coca-Cola, a beverage enjoyed globally, has also garnered attention for its purported uses beyond consumption. From cleaning to cooking, the internet is rife with claims about Coke's versatility, particularly Diet Coke. This article aims to explore these claims, focusing on the alleged ability of Diet Coke to clean battery corrosion, while also examining other unusual applications of the soda.
The Claim: Diet Coke as a Corrosion Cleaner
One popular claim suggests that Coca-Cola, including Diet Coke, can effectively clean corrosion from car battery terminals. The logic behind this stems from the presence of phosphoric acid in Coke, which is believed to dissolve rust and other forms of corrosion.
The Science: Phosphoric Acid and Its Effects
The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid, with a pH of 2.8. Phosphoric acid is a known rust converter, reacting with iron oxide (rust) to form iron phosphate, which can then be easily washed away. This chemical property is the basis for Coke's alleged cleaning abilities.
Testing the Claim: Does It Really Work?
While phosphoric acid can dissolve rust, the concentration in Coca-Cola is relatively low. Whether it is effective depends on the degree of corrosion. For light corrosion, Coke may offer some benefit. However, for heavy corrosion, dedicated battery terminal cleaners are likely to be more effective.
How to Use Coke for Cleaning (If You Choose To)
If you decide to try using Coke to clean battery terminals, proceed with caution:
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- Disconnect the battery cables.
- Pour a small amount of Coke onto the corroded terminals.
- Let it fizz for a few minutes.
- Scrub the terminals with a brush (an old toothbrush works well).
- Rinse with water and dry thoroughly.
- Reconnect the battery cables.
Caution: Always wear safety glasses and gloves when working with car batteries. Avoid getting Coke on other car parts, as the sugar content (in regular Coke) can be sticky and attract dirt.
Beyond Battery Corrosion: Other Alleged Uses of Coca-Cola
The internet abounds with other claims about Coke's cleaning and utility powers. Some of the most common include:
Cleaning and Stain Removal
- Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl, let it sit for an hour, then brush and flush. Diet Coke is claimed to be better than most chemical cleaners for this purpose.
- Rust Removal: Coke can eat away at rust stains or tools covered in rust.
- Descaling a Teapot: Filling a kettle with Coke and letting it sit overnight will dissolve any scale hiding inside.
- Tile Grout Cleaner: Wetting the grout with Coke and letting it sit for a few minutes before wiping with a clean cloth can lessen tile grout stains and build-up.
- Removing Stains from Clothes: Pouring a can of Coke into a load of greasy work clothes, along with detergent, and running a regular wash cycle can help remove grease. Coke can also break up grease stains.
- Removing Marker Stains from Carpet: Soaking the area in Coke for a few minutes before blotting up the excess liquid and diluting the area with water may remove a marker stain.
- Removing Paint from Metal Furniture: Soaking a bath towel in Coca-Cola and covering the metal furniture for a week, while keeping the towel saturated with Coke, may remove paint.
Automotive Uses
- Removing Rust Spots from Chrome Car Bumpers: Coke can be used to polish chrome.
- Loosening a Rusted Bolt: Soaking a hand towel in Coke and applying it to the rusted bolt for a few minutes can help loosen it.
- Defrosting Windshield: Pouring a can of Coke onto your car’s windshield if you’re out of windshield-wiper fluid or don’t have a scraper can defrost it.
- Cleaning Bugs from Car Windshield: Pouring a can of Coke over a windshield covered in dead bugs and grime, letting it sit, and then wiping down with a damp cloth can easily remove any residue.
- Eliminating Oil Stains: Coke will help get rid of any oil stains on your driveway or in the garage.
Household and Garden Applications
- Cleaning Coins: Dropping dull coins into a glass of Coke and waiting for a full day or overnight can spruce them up.
- Cleaning Burned Pots: Pouring Coke into burnt pots and pans and bringing it to a boil can “unstick” them.
- Unclogging Garbage Disposal: Pour Coke down your garbage disposal, wait for the fizzing to stop, and then rinse with hot or boiling water.
- Lawn Tonic: Combining a can of regular Coke with a can of beer, dishwashing soap, household ammonia, and a cup of mouthwash and putting it in a 10-gallon hose-end sprayer to dilute the mixture can be used as a lawn tonic.
- Keeping Bugs Away Outdoors: Filling a bowl with Coca-Cola and placing it far away from you can keep bugs away from a picnic or food.
- Killing Slugs: Luring slugs or snails away with a small bowl of Coca-Cola can protect your garden and plants.
- Kickstarting Compost Pile: A can of Coke will infinitely help your compost pile.
- Pesticide: Coke and Pepsi were rumored to have been used by farmers in India where the sodas are cheaper than traditional pesticides. Soda attracts and kills bugs.
Culinary Uses
- Baking a Moist Ham: Emptying a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrapping the ham in aluminum foil, and baking.
- Chicken Drumsticks: Combining Coke, soy sauce, and chicken wings in a slow cooker and setting it on low for six hours.
- Barbecue Sauce: Combining Coca-Cola with ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and a few other seasonings of your choice and simmering the mixture.
- Cupcakes: Combining Diet Coke with a box of chocolate cake mix, pouring the batter into a cupcake pan, and cooking for about 20 minutes.
- Pot Roast: Combining a can of Coke with au jus, McCormick's slow cooker Savory Pot Roast season packet, and the rib roast itself.
- Basting a Ham: Combining Coca-Cola with a little brown sugar and crushed pineapple.
- Jell-O: Substituting any type of Coca-Cola with the water in a Jell-O recipe.
Miscellaneous Uses
- Relieving Nausea: Drinking flat Coca-Cola will help relieve a queasy stomach.
- Soothing Jellyfish Stings: A little bit of Coke could help soothe jellyfish stings.
- Fighting Stomach Blockages: A new study suggests that soda could help fight stomach blockages.
- Texturizing Hair: Rinsing hair with Coca-Cola to give it more texture.
- Skunk Odor Killer: Rubbing Coke into your hair and skin and letting sit for a few minutes, then rinsing off with soap and water.
- Making Antique-y Pictures or Letters: Coke can give paper an aged or antique look in lieu of coffee or tea.
- Pool Cleaner: Pouring two two-liter bottles of Coca-Cola into your pool, you’ll notice a significant change in your pool’s appearance for the better once the pool has cleaned out the soda.
- Diet Coke float popsicles: Combining Coke, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to create a Diet Coke popsicle spin on the classic root beer float for the summer time.
- “Dirty Diet Coke”: Combine Diet Coke with half and half milk, coconut syrup, and a squeeze of lime.
- Cocktails: Mix your alcohol of choice with any Coke product and then add any accoutrements you’d like.
- Exploding Mentos: Drop a few Mentos mints into a two-liter bottle of Diet Coke to create a Coke geyser.
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