Of all the soft drinks out there Coca-Cola is my favorite name brand (birch beer is my favorite overall but cannot get it in the South without having it shipped). While it is a super tasty treat, what you may not know is the there are tons of uses for Coca-Cola.
Coca-Cola is super sweet, but also has small amounts of carbonic, citric, and phosphoric acid. While these small amounts do not make it bad for you, the extreme amount of sugar takes care of that, they do make coke useful for all sorts of crazy stuff.
The great thing about Coke is that it is relatively inexpensive so you can probably save some money over other products.
I have used it for a bunch and did research to find even more and come up with this Master List of Uses for Coca-Cola. By the time your done reading this whenever anyone has a problem you will start saying, “Spray some Coke on it.”
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Household Coca-Cola Uses
Removing grease stains – This works on clothing and fabric.
Clean the Toilet – Pour a fizzy can in the toilet, let it sit an hour, scrub with toilet brush. Nasty stains all gone.
Power Boost Your Laundry – Pour a little Coke in the wash with your regular detergent. It even has a deodorizing agent.
Window Cleaner – Because of the citric acid it works just as well as other citrus cleaners
Fade Hair Color – Coke will actually lighten your hair several shade so if your hairdresser goes crazy on the hair dye you can just pop a can instead of paying for an expensive fix.
Get Rid of Gum – Got gum in your hair? Pour some coke on it and let it sit a few minutes. It will get a lot easier to pick that gum out.
Clean Your Pots – Got some nasty grime on your pots or have they blackened over time. Pour some fizzy goodness in an let sit for a few minutes. The grime will wipe away much easier.
Get Rid of Rust – You can use a cloth but I have seen several people explain that aluminum foil works the best. It even works on taking that nasty stuff off of chrome.
Defroster – Pour some coke on your windshield and it will melt the ice in the mornings.
Bug Cleaner – In the spring get the bugs and gunk off your windshield.
Clean Pennies – Copper Oxide does not like Coke. Put your gunky looking pennies in a cup and the gunk will come off.
Remove Paint – Old paint on metal furniture can be removed by leaving a coke soaked towel on the furniture for several days (add coke to keep wet). OK paint stripper is probably easier with this one.
Pool Clarifier – A 2 liter bottle will get the rust out of the system and help clarify your water.
Marker Stains – Got a toddler that likes to color? Coke will get marker stains out of the carpet.
Battery Corrosion – I have used this on a bunch of old batteries. If your battery is corroded and not letting your car start, pour a little Coca-Cola and it will get rid of that corrosion.
Loosen Old Bolts – Loosen old rusted bolts by pouring by pouring coke on it, letting it sit for a few minute, and then rinsing with water.
Remove Blood Stains – Just like the removal of grease, blood stains are greatly helped by sharing a Coke
Grout Cleaner – A lot of that stuff that gets in your grout is grease so drop a little coke on it and give it a scrub and a rinse
Stains on Concrete – Soak in Coke, scrub with brush, rinse with water. No more oil stains on your driveway.
Floor Cleaner – Can of Coke and a bucket of water will swab any deck
De-Scale your Kettle – Boiling Coke in your electric kettle will take those nasty scales right off.
Lime Stains – Get that nasty lime stain off your bath tub. Going to need a brush for a little help.
Clean Your Engine – Coca-Cola distributors have been using this trick on their trucks for years.
Clean Your Glasses – Just like getting the gunk of your windshield you can remove gunk from your glasses.
Gardening/Yard Uses for Coke
Boost Your Compost – Pour a can into your compost pile once a week and you can build those good microorganisms and help all your plants grow bigger stronger faster.
Bug Killer – The sugar attacks all kinds of bugs. The solution will kill them when they try to drink it.
Brighten Your Bushes – Azaleas and Gardenias are both acid loving plants
Pesticide – Apparently farmers in India are using Coke to spray their fields and having good luck with it.
Slugs and Snails – I get slugs around my house and have decided to share a coke with them, to their own demise.
Get Rid of the Itch – Got a mosquito bite? Yep, good for that too!
Cooking Uses for Coca-Cola
Sweeten Sloppy Joes – Some people don’t like the tangy flavor of sloppy joes. Add a little Coke and it adds sweetness and blocks the tang.
Soften a Tough Steak – Mix Coke and Italian seasoning and cook that not so soft meat in it.
Pot Roast – It tenderizes pot roast and adds some nice flavor
Ham – Use Coke to baste your ham while it is cooking. The sugar will caramelize and hold in the moisture. Yum!
BBQ Sauce – Coke and Ketchup, who knew?
Cake! – Add Coke to your cake batter to increase how moist and sweet your cake is.
Funnel Cake – Fun looking recipe HERE
Banana Bread – YES PLEASE
Other Coke recipes – This site has a huge list
Other Interesting Uses for Coke
Odor Killer – Been out in the woods at got sprayed by a skunk?
Cannon – Open a 2-Liter of the diet stuff toss in some mentos and quickly put on the cap. RUN!
Curl Your Hair – Leave your Coke out until it is flat, apply to hair for a few minutes and then rinse. Voila!
Skin Tanning – Apply to skin and let it sit till sticky. The caramel color will soak in a little.
That Vintage Look – photographs or pieces of paper can get that old vintage look by soaking it in coke and letting it dry.
Skin Smoothing – Add some flat coke to your regular moisturizer and it will help smooth your skin and help your skin glow.
Hiccups – Make it ice cold and gargle to get rid of the annoying hiccups.
Congestion – Drink a can of coke while hot to get rid of the gunk in your head.
Nasea and Upset Stomach – Let the Coca-Cola go flat and then take a teaspoon every hour.
Reduce Stinging – Whether it is a bee or jelly fish Coke can help reduce the pain from the sting.
Asthma Attacks – Apparently 24oz of Coke has enough caffeine to prevent the attack
Stomach Blockages – I don’t know why but it works. Somehow it works with your gastric acid and helps with fiber absorption.
Helps with Kidney Stones – Coke prevents calcium and oxalate from binding together which is what causes kidney stones. It also increases the alkalinity of your urine.
Reduce Wheat Allergies – Somehow it breaks down the allergens for people with wheat allergy. So i guess my love of Coke with a pizza has a real reason.
Helps with Headaches – Caffeine has shown to be good at helping with headaches.
Dissolves Teeth – I find this one disturbing and a reason why your dentist tells you not to drink too much.
I know a lot of these seem crazy, but Coke is a universal product available across the globe. So in a pinch you have a resource not just a beverage.
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