Typically when you think of what Coca Cola is good for, the obvious reason would be to drink it..duh! But the sugary soft drink is good for so many other things that are actually pretty helpful.
Here are 7 unusual and surprising uses for Coca Cola. Try them out!
Make An Explosion
Okay, this one is not really useful, unless you need to make a volcano for a science project or something. It is more for fun or if you find yourself extremely bored on a Sunday afternoon. If you drop a Mentos inside a bottle of Coke, it will shoot out and explode. Just be sure your dog isn’t walking by when you try this (I almost gave mine a heart attack while testing this out).
Kill Garden Bugs
If you have a green thumb and cannot stand little critters ruining all of your hard work, try this: Fill a shallow dish with some Coke and place it in the flower bed. When the critters go in for a drink, they will not be able to survive. Of course, you shouldn’t do this just for the sake of killing bugs, you should only do it if really necessary.
Cure Ailments
Sipping a glass of flat Coke will help get rid of nausea and soothe and upset stomach. It can also be used for a sore throat and diarrhea.
Clean Blackened Pots
One of my biggest complaints about cooking is the amount of work it takes to clean the gunk off of the pots and pans that have been used. Pour Coca Cola over the entire blackened area, place over low heat for about an hour and the dreaded black film will be gone when you rinse.
Get Stains Out
Stain removers can be really expensive so the next time you have a grease or blood stain to remove from your clothing, pour a can of Coke into the washing machine with your detergent and it is quite effective.
Cook With It
Coca Cola can be used as an ingredient just like anything else. Mix it with BBQ sauce for a marinade, put it over a ham as a glaze, or soak chicken in it for a nice flavor.
De-Rust
Soaking rusted items in Coke overnight and scrubbing the next day will get rid of rust easily. It can also be used for chrome items. The ingredients in the Coke break down the particles of rust so it is much easier to get off after soaking for a few hours.
What are some unusual uses of Coke or other products that you have discovered?
orchid / 213 posts
All of these things are really great tips.. but kinda makes me never want to drink coke again imagining what it’s doing to my insides..
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I am totally going to try sticking it in the laundry tomorrow.
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I’ve also heard of pouring some into the toilet and leaving it overnight so it’ll clean the inside of it. I’ve done it a couple of times (not a lot of Coke) to test it. And it seems to work. I’ve never put in a lot because I always end up drinking it.
daisy / 597 posts
never never never drinking it
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I drink it for stomachaches a lot. My parents taught me this a while ago
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Not sure about the laundry thing… how does the laundry not get coke-infused and stuff? XDD
I looooooove using cola for making chicken wings though. SO GOOD. *mouth waters*
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@vicdaily@xanga - weird, as coca cola gives me the worst tummy aches imaginable! Yet I can still drink pepsi fine…
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cleaing corrosion off of battery prongs
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Always, ALWAYS helps my stomach when I don’t feel well. My parents always gave me cola syrup as a kid, but when we didn’t have that, they gave me coke instead.
I’ve also heard of washing your car with it…but I’ve never tried…I feel like that would take a lot of coke…unless you mix it with the water? IDK.
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Interesting! I didn’t know flat coke could be used as a cure ailment. Mostly you hear people say drink plenty of fluids, get rest, blah blah blah.
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And here I thought soft drinks were only good for making people fat.
Who knew?
orchid / 248 posts
@vicdaily@xanga - Coca-cola and salted pretzels is the best when you are feeling unwell, my doctor actually prescribes it to patients in hospitals before she will give them gravol!
@youarethepretender@xanga - pepsi and salted pretzels work just as well for stomach issues
@X_2WayVampAngel69_X@xanga - you definitely want to mix the coke with water to wash the car
it’s pretty sticky otherwise
@Evil_Laughter_Child@xanga - the citric(?) acid in the coke neutralizes the bacteria that is making you feel ill, water can actually aggravate the problem if you drink too much.
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Drinking club soda or ginger tea is much better for nausea- who needs HFCS and other nasties when you’re already sick?
You can get black stuff out of a pot by boiling water in it, cheaper and just as effective.
Killing garden bugs and getting rid of rust is interesting though.
cherry blossom / 29 posts
You can also soak coins in coke for about a week and it’ll clean off any gunk and make them shiny and new. Perfect for those collectible coins you find in your change that have been in circulation for a while.
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does this work with sprite as well?
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On the cooking part, boil some hot dogs in Coca-Cola. It makes them super-sweet!
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I tried putting a can of coke in with my laundry, but it did not work. It just made a shit ton of noise while it banged around in the washer.
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@yan_ni@xanga - Nope. Coke/dark colas have phosphoric acid in them, which is what helps it do all the things listed here. Sprite/clear sodas don’t contain it.