The main reason for the cleaning properties of Coke are the acids found in it. Phosphoric acid and citric acid make the pH lower. A lower pH makes coke acidic helping it to cut through things like hard water, soap scum, grim and rust.
So instead of purchasing those expensive fizzies or abrasive toilet bowl cleaners, head to the fridge and let the carbonation of Coke work its magic on filthy rings, lime buildup, and water stains. Because Coca-Cola contains carbonic, citric, and phosphoric acids, it's great for tough stains and dissolving rust.
Remove blood stains: While the rumor that police use soda to get blood stains off highways is a myth, Coca-Cola is really effective at busting through blood stains — the show "MythBusters" even confirmed that this was possible.
Little did you know that cola is great for cleaning tile grout! If you have dirty, dingy grout, pour a bit of cola onto the area, let it sit for a few minutes, and wipe clean. For tough stains, use a cleaning toothbrush to scrub the grout before wiping the area clean. Cola Cola can also be used on carpet stains.
What Makes Coca-Cola Such an Effective Cleaner? Coca-Cola is carbonated, which allows it to dissolve with metal oxides and break up rust on a variety of metals and alloys. Phosphoric acid also gives it rust-busting power, while citric acid makes it an effective stain remover.
Coke is so acidic that it can dissolve a nail in four days, and it is slightly more acidic than vinegar.
This cleaning 'hack' involves putting coke on the grout by putting a coke-soaked handtowel across the grime, leaving it for a few minutes, scrubbing with an old toothbrush and wiping clean.
Clean the toilet bowl
The fizzy drink can actually remove hard-to-clean stains on the inside of a toilet bowl. You can either pour cola directly onto the stains themselves or cover the entire inside of the bowl by putting cola into a spray bottle and spraying on a light coating.
Clean Mold and Mildew from Clothes
Putting Coca-Cola in your washing machine doesn't seem like a great idea but a can of Coca-Cola with the usual laundry detergent can remove mold and mildew from clothing. It's also pretty good with stains and grease.
All you need to do is pour Coke, Pepsi, Lemonade, Irn-Bru, you name it – onto the rust stain. Soak it for up to 15 minutes, work it with a scrub brush, and rinse with water. It's the white vinegar method. Again, fizzy pop works well at removing rust stains from concrete to an extent.
REMOVING STAINS
According to Good Housekeeping, Coke will remove blood stains, grease and gross odours from clothing. Just pour a can of the stuff in the wash and run the cycle as per usual - the Coke will lift out the stain and stink and wash away with it.
Simply pour a kettle of almost boiling water into the bowl, follow up with 250ml of citric acid, and leave it for some hours – preferably overnight. The next day, scrub and flush. What's good for those caked-on pots and pans after cooking dinner is also good for removing a brown stain on the bottom of the toilet bowl.
While it can be put to a number of helpful uses around the home, WD 40 is particularly good at softening rust and limescale deposits in the toilet (and bathroom). All you have to do is spray it on the desired section of the toilet, wait a few minutes, then scrub it away with a toilet brush.
Pour Coca-Cola along the edges of the toilet bowl — the carbonation will take care of the heavy lifting for you! Leave the soda in the toilet overnight. The next morning, flush the fizz away and your toilet will look good as new.
Odor Toilet Tank FAQ
White vinegar and baking soda in equal parts is a cost-efficient and effective means of getting rid odors in a toilet. Add them to the tank, mix them in and then use the toilet brush to gently scrub the tank. Let it sit for a few hours, scrub the tank again and flush.
All you need to do is remove the racks from your oven then soak them in tooth-rotting caffeinated beverage. 15 minutes should be enough. To finish, gently scrub the racks with a Brillo pad, rinse off the sickly sweet brown stuff and you're done.
If you're wondering, “does cola stain?”, the answer is yes. But, thanks to Vanish, it's easy to get cola and soft drink stains out of clothes. For the best results, we suggest using Vanish Oxi Action Powder or gel for coloured clothes and Vanish Oxi Action Crystal White Powder or Gel on whites.
It is most likely the carbonic acid that has a moderate cleaning effect, but that also means any other carbonated drink should do the trick. So, the next time you can't finish your large cup of soft drink that came with your meal at McDonald's, splash it onto your car where it needs some light cleaning.
Simply pour the coke into a bowl and submerge your silver into it. The acid in the coke will quickly remove the tarnish. Keep an eye on it – just a few minutes should be enough. Rinse with warm water and dry carefully with a soft cloth.
With the steps above, you can remove rust with vinegar and baking soda... but did you know you can do the same with Coke? The steps for using Coke to remove rust are similar to removing rust with vinegar: leave to soak, scrub and rinse. Instead of soaking for 3 days, Coke only needs 24 hours.
CLR or Lime Away? An acid-based cleaner is the best way to remove water deposits. Vinegar and lemon juice are two natural alternatives, but they just don't work as quickly and effectively. CLR uses similar ingredients to Lime Away.
Silver is a common metal used in jewelry or dinnerware. If you don't have any chemical cleaner, you can use Coca-Cola, or Coke, as a simple cleaning substitute for sterling or plated silver. The acid in Coke works to cut through any grime or rust on the silver's surface.