Brilliant Coca-Cola Hacks You Need to Try

Coca-Cola can be awfully refreshing but so can some of the ingenious uses for the caramel-colored favorite. You won’t believe what it does for beans.

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Clean a Toilet Bowl

The picture has circulated around the internet for some time and it turns out Coca-Cola can clean rust spots on your toilet. The slight acidity of Coca-Cola can remove stains of all kinds. Find out how to clean a bathroom easily.
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Make a Barbecue Sauce

A little Coca-Cola can add just the right flavor to a barbecue sauce. It’s a popular ingredient to use for a barbecue sauce and make grilling a little more refreshing. Find a recipe at Instructables.
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Fertilize Plants

Some plants love the delicious taste of that caramel-colored soft drink Coca-Cola. Well, some plants like azaleas and bergenias like the light acidity of the drink in the soil. If you’re thinking of starting a garden, find out how to fertilize the lawn around it.
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Clean Eyeglasses

Clean Eyeglasses

Just pour some Coca-Cola over your lenses, wipe dry and repeat with water to get rid of any sticky residue. If you’re old glasses are piling up around the house, learn how you can get rid of eyeglasses. If you’re running through safety glasses in the shop at an alarming rate, find out how to protect them.
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Tenderize Meat

Coca-Cola can do wonders in the kitchen, especially with meat. It's acidity can tenderize meat and work as one heck of a marinade. Check out this braised pork recipe. Take a peak at how to get more kitchen storage at home.
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Loosen Rusty Bolts
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Loosen Rusty Bolts

The little amount of phosphoric acid a can of Coca-Cola contains can produce big results with rust. Let some Coca-Cola soak on a rusted bolt for a while and then try to remove it. If that can of cola doesn’t provide the answer then check out sure-fire ways to loosen bolts. And if that fails, too, just cut the sucker off.
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Neutralize Skunk Odor
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Neutralize Skunk Odor

According to some, Coca-Cola has the power to remove the oils from a skunk spray. It seems a bit dubious but you'd better exhaust all options if you're having trouble getting rid of the smell of a skunk. Make pests no trouble around the home with some tips and learn how to get rid of pests.
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Soothe a Jellyfish Sting
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Soothe a Jellyfish Sting

The exact healing capabilities of Coca-Cola on jellyfish stings remains a topic of debate but according to an Australian study from 1993, Coca-Cola reduced the pain and the reaction to a sting between 25 to 75 percent. Vinegar is the best option, but who’s running around with vinegar in their bag at the beach? Stay away from any kind of stings with tips on how to keep bees and wasps away. Plus, find out how to make a DIY beeswax candle.
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Hair Curler

Lady Gaga popularized the look of using Diet Coca-Cola cans as hair curlers in her “Telephone” video. The practicality remains debatable but if you’re short on Halloween costume ideas, it’s worth a shot. Learn some bathroom cleaning tips to keep yours clean during the intensive makeup process.
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Window Cleaner

The Coca-Cola formula even extends into cleaning windows. The citric acid works like other cleaning products with citrus fruit to remove smudges and streaks from windows.
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Bug Control

Coca-Cola is great at bug control it turns out but for different reasons than you might think. The sweet syrup of Coca-Cola and other soft drinks attract ants, which feed on the larva of pests that plague crops. A 2004 article by BBC News said farmers in India turned to using soft drinks as pesticides because they were cheaper than pesticides. If pests are a problem around your home, learn how to get rid of bugs with some DIY ideas. Photo: Courtesy of EPA/Corbis
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Gum Remover
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Gum Remover

Since Coca-Cola contains phosphoric acid, it neutralizes the stickiness of the gum. After soaking the affected hair in Coca-Cola for a few minutes, the gum should slide off. Just don’t flush that gum down the toilet or you’ll have to find some items around the house for a quick repair.
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Color Fader
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Color Fader

The citric acid of Coca-Cola is believed to have the ability to lighten hair. The veracity of such claims is disputed but it hasn’t stopped people from trying. If you’ve got a new color in mind, try checking out Pantone’s Color of the Year for your home instead of your head. Or try refinishing furniture around the house for a new look.
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Dish Washer

Much like removing rust, Coca-Cola can clean up cast-iron skillets in a jiffy. If your dishwasher is acting up, find a fix with some dishwasher repair tips, including what do with a broken dishwasher rack. Photo: Courtesy of Ebay
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Defroster
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Defroster

On those cold mornings when frost builds up on the windshield of your car, try jumpstarting the defrosting with can of Coca-Cola. The acid will help remove the frost and get you on your morning commute. Figure out how to prep a car for winter and easy ways to remove ice.
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Compost Invigorator

Compost Invigorator

A sluggish compost pile can be energized with a shot of Coca-Cola. The citric acid will spur decomposition of organic material and attract the micro-organisms that help compost piles.
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Coin Polisher

Coca-Cola can shine up any coin because of its slight acidity. After you’ve got your coins polished, check out polishing your headlights or removing stains around the house.
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Curly Hair

When Suki Waterhouse, a British supermodel who starred in “Insurgent,” revealed she washes her hair in Coca-Cola to US Weekly, it sent some scrambling for soda to get their hair to look fuller and tousled. If your experiment for fuller hair leaves a mess, learn how to clean a bathroom quicker, plus see how to unclog a drain if it fills up with hair.
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Paint Remover
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Paint Remover

The chemical makeup of Coca-Cola makes it a viable option to remove paint as well from metal objects. Or if that fails, try soaking the piece of metal in hot water. See how to get rid of oil stains in the garage as well.
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Oil Remover

Oil Remover

The phosphoric acid in Coca-Cola proves tough on oil stains around the garage. Pour some room-temperature Coca-Cola over a stain, let it soak overnight and soak it up the next day by blotting the area. Not a Coke drinker? Check out other ideas on how to remove oil stains from concrete or plaster.
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Blood Stain Cleaner
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Blood Stain Cleaner

Through the years people have claimed Coca-Cola can be used to clean up blood stains. Mythbusters tested cola on blood stains and concluded it helped remove the stain. Find out how to use natural products to clean leather furniture and how to make homemade cleaners.
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Sepia Photo Finishing
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Sepia Photo Finishing

Coca-Cola can give you a vintage look to a number of items, including black and white photos with its caramel color. Dip a photo into Coca-Cola for a sepia color. Find the perfect place to hang that photo on the wall.
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Coca-Cola Cake

Coca-Cola isn’t a just a delicious drink, it can transform into a delicious treat you can eat. Countless recipes incorporate Coca-Cola but one in particular sounds extra tasty: Coca-Cola cake.
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Lawn Care
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Lawn Care

Coca-Cola combined with other unusual ingredients can help a lawn, according to Wise Bread. A can of cola, a can of beer and a ½ cup of liquid dishwashing soap, along with a ½ cup of household ammonia and a ½ cup of mouthwash will keep a lawn green. The soap helps the mix penetrate the roots and the ammonia promotes growth to keep a lawn green. Check out other easy lawn care tips and the top 10 lawn maintenance tips.
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Prevent an Asthma Attack
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Prevent an Asthma Attack

Caffeine is similar to theophylline, a drug that is used to treat asthma symptoms. Caffeine can improve lung functions up to four hours. Keep the airways of your home clean with the right furnace filters and cleaning ducts.
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Help an Upset Stomach
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Help an Upset Stomach

There isn’t any scientific evidence to back up that Coca-Cola and other colas can help an upset stomach but people continue to swear by it as a remedy. Where Coca-Cola can help is with stomach blockage, according to researchers from the University of Athens. Colas have chemical ingredients similar to gastric acid, which helps digest fibers. Prevent any other kind of injuries by guarding against falls at home and keep cola cold by fixing a refrigerator.
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Get Rid of Hiccups
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Get Rid of Hiccups

Everyone has a cure for the hiccups and for every person there seems to be a special cure. Coca-Cola, when gargled, can cure the hiccups. Though the hiccups can be funny make sure you don’t end up a goof like some of the craziest DIY goofs.
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Clean Tile Grout
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Clean Tile Grout

Coca-Cola’s magical cleaning powers extend into tile grout as well. Let the grout soak with Coca-Cola for a few minutes and then wipe it up. Check out the best tips on cleaning grout and how to whiten grout.
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Body Lotion
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Body Lotion

A spoonful of Coca-Cola with regular lotion can give skin a silky look.
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Remove Stains from Vitreous China
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Remove Stains from Vitreous China

Like using Coca-Cola to clean a toilet bowl, the soft drink can be used on other vitreous china surfaces around the home like a sink. You can try fixing a chipped sink in the bathroom if you need to repair one or see how to replace a worn brass drain.
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Remove Marker Stains
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Remove Marker Stains

Coca-Cola will help remove permanent marker stains and pen marks. Soak the stain and scrub to remove it. Try out a stain marker if you have marks on your furniture and if you’ve got marks on the wall, find out how to prepare walls for painting.
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Apply for a Deep Tan
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Apply for a Deep Tan

People have used Coca-Cola and other soft drinks as a homemade tanning solution but it’s a seriously dangerous idea because it provides no protection from the sun. According to a 2017 Global News article, the trend started in 2006 when Peter Andre, an Australian entertainer, said he soaked himself in Coca-Cola before sunbathing. Ingredients like citric acid and lime juice can make skin more sensitive to sunlight. Keep your skin healthy and discover ways to fight dryness in winter. Also, see how dryer sheets can clean like Coca-Cola.
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Add to Sloppy Joe Mix

A cup of Coca-Cola can spice up a sloppy Joe recipe. This recipe from The Cake Chica sounds delicious. Find out how to cook with Coca-Cola.
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Glaze a Ham

Ham tastes sweeter with a couple of cups of Coca-Cola. This recipe from Lake Geneva Country Meats in Wisconsin calls for two cups of Coca-Cola. Make cleaning an oven easy before you cook a ham and find out how to adjust the temperature of an oven if yours isn’t performing. Photo: Courtesy of Lake Geneva Country Meats
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Make a Battery

It isn’t so much the ingredients of what goes into a can of Coca-Cola as it is what holds the cola that can transform a can of Coca-Cola into a battery. Grab a penny, perhaps that shiny one you just washed in Coca-Cola, some crocodile clips, wire wool and some tools to make a battery. Got battery issues? Find out how to get rid of batteries properly. Photo: Courtesy of Green Optimistic
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Polish Old Jewelry

Let the acid of Coca-Cola go to work on mother’s jewelry to give it a nice luster. Many claim Coca-Cola as a good source for cleaning jewelry as well. After you’re done cleaning it, find the best place to hide jewelry in the home.
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Chrome Cleaner
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Chrome Cleaner

Mythbusters tried using Coca-Cola as a chrome cleaner and found when used with aluminum foil it did a better job than the leading chrome cleaner. Try it out for yourself along with some motorcycle cleaning tips or once you’re done with the exterior of your car, see how to make a car’s interior spotless.
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Coca-Cola Fudge

Sweet 2 Eat Baking has an awesome Coca-Cola fudge recipe. It takes a total of 10 minutes to make from start to finish. Make sure your stove is in working order or how to fix an oven leak if you suspect one. Photo: Courtesy of Sweet 2 Eat
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Cherry Coke Cupcakes

Still sweet on Coca-Cola even though it can remove rust? Try making cherry coke cupcakes with another recipe from Sweet 2 Eat Baking. Make your kitchen an inviting place to cook with a new backsplash and vent hood. Or find out easy fixes for appliance breakdowns if you’re struggling to get baking.
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Sore Throat Healer
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Sore Throat Healer

Some people swear by a folksy remedy of Coca-Cola as a sore throat healer. Others combine it with lemon and ginger for a sore throat. Still many say drinking soda while sick isn’t a good idea because it can dehydrate at a time when more fluids are best. Discover cleaning products that cause more harm than good and how to clean a chimney for safe air flow.
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Relieve Constipation
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Relieve Constipation

Caffeine has a laxative effect but the effect varies from person-to-person based on their caffeine tolerance. In theory, Coca-Cola could work as a home remedy to constipation, though there are not reams of data on it. If Coca-Cola does relieve constipation for you, make sure that toilet is working by learning how to repair a leaking toilet. Just make sure you don’t clog it, but if you do, learn how to fix a clogged toilet.
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Remove Glue
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Remove Glue

Folk stories of using Coca-Cola to remove glue are out there. Whether it’s floor glue or super glue, the soda can break down the adhesive properties of glue and save you some money along the way. If you have glue around, find out how to repair earbuds and find a place to have Coca-Cola handy with kitchen storage tips.
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Prevent Clogs

Coca-Cola can serve as a quick fix for clogged drains because the acidity will clean grime but it may not be worth it because the soda will leave behind a syrupy residue. Find out the easy way to unclog drains without leaving any residue behind and how to unclog a sink with a plunger or a snake. Photo: Courtesy of YouTube
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Relieve a Headache
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Relieve a Headache

Coca-Cola was invented as a headache cure when it first hit the market. The caffeine in Coca-Cola can help relieve a headache by reducing inflammation and making aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen work faster. Save yourself some headaches by installing a faucet the easy way or finding a new refrigerator quickly.
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Heat Water

Another creative use for the actual Coca-Cola can is turning it into a solar water heater. The process is a little complicated but it’s a heck of a way to go green on a few levels. Find out how to repair a water heater on your own if yours is sluggish and how to keep a water heater running longer. Photo: Courtesy of YouTube
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Clean Mold and Mildew from Clothes

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.
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Make Beans not so Magical
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Make Beans not so Magical

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Plastic Bag Dispenser

Plastic Bag Dispenser

To make it easy to stow and reuse plastic bags, make a dispenser from a discarded 2-liter soda bottle. Cut off the top and bottom with a razor knife. Trim any jagged edges so you don't tear the bags when you pull them out, then screw the dispenser to a cabinet door or closet wall (or attach with hook-and-loop tape). Click here for more kitchen storage ideas.
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Instant Tool Holder

Instant Tool Holder

Store chisels, files, large drill bits, screwdrivers and other long tools so they're both visible and close at hand. Simply cut off the top from a clear 2-liter plastic soft drink bottle, leaving a flap for hanging. Use smaller bottles, which are extremely common household items for smaller tools.