Coca Cola Hacks That Save You Time And Money
- Coca Cola Hacks That Save You Time And Money
- The World's Most Popular Soft Drink Isn't Just For Drinking But Can Be Used For Lots Of Other Helps Little Tips And Tricks
Who Knew Coca Cola Could Be So Versatile?
Coca Cola is one of the most recognisable brands in the world.
Not only is it sold in over 200 countries but they sell as astonishing approximately 30 billion cases per year worldwide.
But it's not just a great tasting soft drink.
As you are about to find out there are so many things you can do with Coke including cleaning, marinating and more.
So let's take a look.
1Get Rid Of Rust
What Happens: Removes rust within 24 hours
What You'll Need: Enough Coke to submerge the rusty tools
Coca-Cola is in fact a powerful cleaner.
One of primary reasons for Coke's cleaning abilities is because it's carbonated. When the carbonation is combined with the drink's citric and phosphoric acid, Coke can remove metal oxides quite easily.
Get your rusty tools and items and soak them in Coke for a long period of time, preferably 24 hours.
Once removed you will notice the rust has either been removed or will wipe off easily.
You will be amazed at the power of this trick when your items are returned as good as new.
2Helps To De-grease Pans And Cookware
What Happens: Loosens up dirt and grime on cookware
What You'll Need: Can of coke, greasy pan, burner, scourer
When it comes to greasy pans a bit more elbow grease and scrubbing usually solves the problem.
But in some cases that grease just won't budge no matter how hard you try.
Coca Cola can save the day again, thanks to the phosphoric acid and citric acid.
Rather than wasting money on a degreaser, take your dirty pots and pans and pour a can of Coke in them.
Place the pans with Coke inside on a low heat and let them sit for about 30 minutes whilst the Coke works its magic.
After half an hour use a scouring pad to get rid of the loose grease.
3Marinading Meat
What Happens: Gives a sweet tasting marinade to meat
What You'll Need: Cooking oil, can of Coca-Cola, meat, onions
That's right it's not just cleaning hacks that Coke can be used for but it can also be used to bring your cooking to life.
If you are having guests round for a barbecue surprise them by adding Coca-Cola to the meat as a marinade and watch as they try to guess your secret ingredient.
The sugar in the Coke and the acidity not only will help make the meat more sweet but it will help with the caramelising process on the grill making it more tender.
To prepare, put your meat and chopped onion into a resealable large plastic bag.
Add Coke, steak seasoning, oil and marinate for 30 minutes minimum.
Check out this recipe by Nigella Lawson who uses Coke with ham.
4Cleaning Your Toilet
What Happens: Cleans away dirt and grime from a toilet
What You'll Need: Can of Coca Cola
Coca Cola is a powerful cleaner and has many uses around the home.
One of the most common hacks about Coke is that is also makes a powerful toilet cleaner thanks to its acidity and carbonation.
Whilst it may not be as potent as other toilet cleaners it certainly does the job and acts as a good substitute if you are out of the expensive stuff.
Pour the coke along the toilet bowl's edge so it runs down the sides of the bowl.
Leave the Coke in the toilet overnight and in the morning flush away to see the bright white, shiny toilet.
5Coke Makes Cake Mix More Moist
What Happens: Makes cake moist and fluffy in cake mix
What You'll Need: 1.5 cups of Coke and pre-boxed cake mix
Dry cake is bad cake.
It doesn't matter how much icing you put on top people will also know when you cake is too dry and crumbly.
Don't take the risk of producing dry cake but adding some Coke to your cake mix.
If you're making a chocolate cake from pre-made cake mix make sure the soft drink you use is dark like coke and if it is a vanilla cake use a light soda like Sprite or 7-Up.
Add approximately 1 and a half cups of the soda to the cake mix to ensure you get a moist and fluffy outcome.
6Makes Paper Look Old
What Happens: Makes paper look old and vintage
What You'll Need: Paper, milk and Coke
There are a number of reasons that you might want to turn a bright white piece of paper the old, darkened, vintage look.
Whether its a prop for a play or movie (like the parchment paper at Hogwarts) or just a decorative item, giving your paper the 18th century look always stands out from the norm.
In order to achieve this effect, take you sheets of paper and soak them in milk.
Once removed let them dry out completely before soaking them again but this time in Coca-Cola.
Let them dry again after removing it and you will have your own piece of parchment paper.
7Get Rid Of Bad Smells
What Happens: Gets rid of stains and odors from fabric
What You'll Need: One can of coke and old spray bottle
Another amazing use for Coca Cola is to freshen up your clothes.
Not only can Coca Cola be used to remove blood stains and grease from your clothing but it can also get rid of those B.O. smells.
Handy for those armpit areas.
Coke can neutralize and break down those nasty odors and greasy stains quite easily.
Just pop a can of cola and pour it in with your laundry along with the normal dose of detergent.
Run the wash cycle as usual and you will how effective Coke is at removing these stains.
If the stain is persistent try letting your clothing soak in coke for 30 minutes before putting it in the wash.
8Helps To Clean Your Floors
What Happens: Removes dirt and grime from tiles and grout
What You'll Need: Can of coke, scour pad or sponge
If you have ever spilt a can of Coca Cola on a tiled floor you may already know this cleaning hack as after cleaning it up you should have noticed how sparkling the floor looked.
Whether it's on the floors or the walls, dirty grouts and tiles become a big problem over time, especially in the kitchen and bathroom.
As a substitute for brands like Mr Clean, pour coke on the dirty areas and let it work its magic for ten minutes or so.
In this time the acid in the soda starts to break up the grime and by the time you get your sponge or scouring pad to it it will be as good as new.
9Mix With Milk For Cool Science Experiement
What Happens: Creates an amazing reaction between milk proteins and phosphoric acid in the Coke
What You'll Need: Glass of Coke and milk
Whether it's a neat science experiment to teach the kids or a cool party trick to impress your guests, all you need is a can of coke and some milk to get people talking about science.
Few would ever think about putting Coke and milk together to drink (please DON'T do this) but it does create a cool reaction which makes you wonder what's really going on.
The proteins in the milk react to the phosphoric acid in the soda. The molecules of acid attach to the milk causing lumps to form that sink to the bottom as the milk curdles.
Cool experiment but make sure to throw it away after and not to drink it.
10Clean Car Battery Ports, Cables And Terminals
What Happens: Cleans corrosion off car battery ports and cables
What You'll Need: Can of coke with wire brush
We only ever look at our car's engine when something has gone wrong.
Whether it is a loose connection or a faulty part, corrosion can play a big role in the health of your vehicle.
But with some care and attention and a can of Coke you can actually remove a lot of corrosion and even prevent a lot of it from occurring.
Pour the Coke on the corroded areas of your engine. If it starts to bubble you know its working as the corrosion itself is alkali whilst the Cola is acidic.
After the bubbling has stopped take a wire brush to it and wipe off the corrosion easily.
This has the potential to save you a lot of money in expensive car repairs.
11
What Happens: Grow beansprouts on a budget
What You'll Need: Coke bottle (or other soda bottle), water, bean sprout seeds
Bean sprouts are a great source of antioxidants and Vitamin C.
The highly nutritious food can be grown all year round and they are so resilient they can grow almost anywhere.
The can even grow in an empty bottle of Coke!
Take an empty bottle of Coca-Cola and fill it with some water.
Place your beansprout seeds in bottle and soak them for a few hours. The larger the seeds the longer they will need to soak in the water.
Once soaked, remove form the bottle and drain. Place the seeds back in the dry Coke bottle and leave in a cool, dark place for the beansprouts to grow.
Put some air holes in the bottle at this point and water the beansprouts once a day. Watch this clip here for further information.
12Cleaning Your Glasses
What Happens: Clean streaks, dirt and smudges on glasses
What You'll Need: Coke, water, cloth
For those smudges and stains that just won't budge no matter how hard you scrub you may need something a bit stronger.
It may be common knowledge to use white wine vinegar or baking soda but few realise that Coke can solve this problem also.
The mild acidity of Coke is gentle enough to use on your lenses.
Just pour Coke over the lenses then wipe off any imperfections. Remove any sugary residue with some water then give the glasses a buff with a clean, dry cloth.
It won't work on scratches but it will remove those streaks to get those glasses looking brand new.
13Remove Oil Stains
What Happens: Removes oil stains on concrete
What You'll Need: Bottle of Coke, scrub brush
Oil leaks in your car not only means that you probably have to take it to a garage for a checkup but it also means your vehicle has been spilling oil all over the place...including your driveway, making it a hazard.
A frustrating situation to say the least.
But in order to save some money (that may come in handy for that car repair bill) try using Coke to get rid of the oil stains on your driveway.
Take a bottle of Coke and pour it on the affected areas. Leave the Coke to sit in the oil stained areas for a few hours at least to give it time to do its thing.
After a few hours take a scrub brush and wipe away the oil residue. You will still need a lot of elbow grease to get rid of the oil but it will go.
That's one of your problems solved, now to call the mechanic for the other!
14Speed Up Composting
What Happens: Jump start the break down process involved in composting
What You'll Need: Can of flat Coke
Composting is one of natures miracles that we perhaps take fore-granted.
It's the process of naturally recycling organic matter which over time is broken down by bacteria and bugs to produce a fertilizer that can used to help plants grow quickly and healthily.
Flat Coca Cola can help speed up this process. The Coke has high amounts of sugar and whilst your dentist is not happy about this, the sugar attracts a high amount of micro-organisms that are needed for breaking down the organic matter.
In addition to this the acids in the Coke assist with the break down of the matter too.
Don't use the Coke as a fertilizer itself and make sure the Coke is flat when you pour of your compost otherwise you could end up hurting the compost process.
15Defrost Your Windshield
What Happens: Breaks down and melts away ice and frost on car windscreen
What You'll Need: Coke, windshield wipers
We all know the scenario.
It's a cold, winter morning and you are in a rush to get out the door until you get to your car and realise that the windscreen is completely frozen over.
You can't drive but you don't have time for the car to warm up and let it defrost naturally.
Enter Coca-Cola.
Not only does the sugar soft drink help clean many items in your house but it is also your own DIY defroster.
If you have run out of wiper fluid or they are also frozen, put some Coke on the frosted windscreen and it will melt it very quickly. Once the ice has been melted away give the windscreen a quick wash with the windscreen wiper fluid.
16Soothe Wasp/Bee Stings
What Happens: Quick relief from painful wasp sting
What You'll Need: Coca-Cola
For those who have fallen victim to a bee or wasp sting you know that this is no joke.
The pain can be extreme considering it came from something so small and people have gone to the emergency room because of them.
To relieve yourself from this discomfort grab yourself a can of Coca-Cola.
Actually pour Coke on to the wasp venom and it will neautralize the sting. As mentioned, Coke contains phosphoric acid which will act as a neautralizer when added to the venom which is more alkaline in nature.
Once applied you should have an instant relief from the sting.
17Coke Removes Chewing Gum Stuck In Hair
What Happens: Breaks down the gum and loosens it from hair
What You'll Need: Glass bowl to fit your head, Coke to soak your hair in.
Gum is one of those messy, sticky substances that always manages to get into the least convenient of places, including your hair.
And whilst some will take the drastic action of cutting the sticky gum out of your hair this may not be an option for everyone.
Before reaching for those scissors try removing the gum by putting some Coca-Cola in to the mix.
Soak your hair in a large bowl of Coke for 5-10 minutes which gives it enough time to break down the gum.
After the time has elapsed you should ease out gently saving you having to cover a bald patch.
18Coke Helps Cure Nausea
What Happens: Phosphoric acid and sweetness can reduce/stop nausea
What You'll Need: Cold can of Coke
Feeling nauseous is the worst.
The typically short lived feeling is quite debilitating at the time and puts you in a state of anxiety as to whether you may vomit or even collapse.
Mint and ginger have been prescribed as two home remedies for this feeling and there are over the counter forms of medicine for those who suffer with it often.
Coca-Cola can also help during this troubling time too.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that the phosphoric acid in Coke is the same ingredient that you find in Emetrol, a common anti-nausea drug.The sweet, sugary sensation of Coke can also provide feelings of contentment which can battle the nauseous feeling which can be triggered psychologically.
Only take smalls sips at a time though.
19Wash Hair With Coke For Curls
What Happens: Shrinks the hair cuticles, giving curls more definition.
What You'll Need: Liters of Coca-Cola
The hair industry is worth billions.
Think about how much you spend on your hair every year, whether its going to the hairdressers or spending money on high-end shampoos and conditioners the costs add up quick.
But it doesn't have to be.
Coca-Cola offers the low budget hack that you can use as an alternative.
The phosphoric acid in Coke has a low pH, meaning that when you rinse your hair with it the hair cuticles tighten.
This makes your hair look smooth and curls appear more defined.
In addition to this hack, the sugar from the soft drink adds volume to your hair and whilst Coke won't replace your day to day shampoo you can use it once in a while.
20Coke Sprinkler
What Happens: Make a DIY sprinkler system
What You'll Need: Sharp object/scissors, empty Coke bottle
Sprinklers are great at dispersing water across your garden evenly and effectively so your grass and plants are kept in optimal conditions during those dry summer months.
But they aren't cheap.
This Coke hack is an ingenius way of getting the same effect of a sprinkler for your garden without the expense.
Get a 2 liter Coke bottle (the bigger the better) and poke holes with a sharp instrument on one side.
Attach a hose to the bottle (use some duct tape if to make it watertight) and then turn on the hose.
Those holes will then act has a homemade sprinkler.
21Make More Wardrobe Space
What Happens: Allows you to stack clothes
What You'll Need: Old Coke ring pulls
It's not just the tasty beverage itself that is so useful but the cans are just as handy.
This handy tip went viral online when one mom posted it on her TikTok.
By simply saving all the ring pulls from discarded Coke cans she saved a lot of room in her wardrobe.
Take the ring pulls and slide them over the top of the hanger.
Then use those ring pulls to hang another hanger. You can repeat this nifty trick three or four times and you will be amazed how much space it can save.
More To The World's Most Popular Soft Drink Than You Thought?
So there it is, some of the most clever day to day hacks that you never knew Coke could do.
What do you think of the hacks in the list - are there any we missed out that you know of.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.