Coca-Cola, or just simply Coke, is the all-American classic carbonated drink that is widely popular in the United States and around the world. It was invented in the late 1800s by an American pharmacist named John Pemberton. Unfortunately, Pemberton died before seeing any of the commercial success of Coca-Cola. That's when a man name Asa Griggs Candler took over the business and really started marketing the popular drink. Today, the Coca-Cola brand is one of the most recognizable and popular brands of soft drinks in history, but it's not just for drinking. Do you know the uses for Coca-Cola?

It might sound strange, but there are a bunch of ways that you can use Coca-Cola around the house in place of those chemical-filled cleaners. Here is a list of practical uses for Coca-Cola to use up any bottles or cans that you might have lying around the house.

Step 1: Clean a Toilet Bowl


  1. Pour Coke into the bowl. Pour it around the rim so it flows over the stains around the inside of the bowl.
  2. Let it sit for at least and hour. The acids in the Coke will break down the stains.
  3. (Optional) Use a brush to scrub the toilet bowl.
  4. Flush the toilet. Most of the stains should have been dissolved by the phosphoric acid in the Coke.

Step 2: Make BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup Coca-Cola

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/4 cup A-1 steak sauce

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

  1. Combine the ingredients in a heavy saucepan and gradually bring to a boil over medium heat.
  2. Reduce the heat slightly to obtain a gentle simmer.
  3. Simmer the sauce until reduced by 1/4, 6 to 8 minutes.
  4. Transfer the sauce to clean jars and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until serving. The sauce will keep for several months, refrigerated. Use as you would any sauce, noting the strong affinity this sauce has for chicken, ribs, and pork.

Step 3: Fertilize Azaleas or Gardenias

Watering azaleas or gardenias with Coca-Cola increases the the acidity in the soil, which azaleas love, and boosts plant performance. The sugar in the Coke feeds microorganisms in the soil, increasing the organic matter in the soil.

Step 4: Clean Milk Stains From Clothes
  1. Saturate the milk stains with a can of Coca-Cola.
  2. Let the garment sit for about five minutes.
  3. Launder in your regular wash.
  4. If you have any clothing with difficult stains, like blood stains or oil stains, try pouring in a can of Coca-Cola along with your laundry detergent into the washing machine. The phosphoric acid will help remove grease stains or any tough offender, while also acting as a deodorizer. You can even remove marker stains!

    You can also apply Coca-Cola directly to a stain. For example, to remove blood, apply to affected area, let it soak in for about 30 minutes, and throw into the wash. You can even stain soak for up to 2 hours. Cheaper than those expensive bottles of stain remover, talk about practical uses and actual life hacks.

Step 5: Clean Eyeglasses

  1. Pour Coca-Cola over the eyeglasses.
  2. Rinse clean with water.
  3. Dry well.

Step 6: Tenderize Beef
  1. Place the meat in a freezer bag.
  2. Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the bag.
  3. Seal the bag securely.
  4. Let it marinate for two to three hours.

Step 7: Loosen Rusty Nuts and Bolts

Apply a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

If you have any hardware items around the house that are rusty, try submerging them in a small bowl of Coke and leaving for 24 hours, or longer if needed. Once the items are done soaking, remove them and scrub with a nonmetal scrubbing pad. Rinse throughly and allow to dry. This can take a few days to work, but it is still effective! For full directions, check it out here

This also works if there is a rusty bolt or nail in the floor or on a door that you want to take out. Pour some Coke on a cloth or directly on the spot and rub in a circular motion. This helps to remove the rust so it loosens up easily. You can also apply it to metal furniture for the same effect.

Step 8: Neutralize Skunk Odor
  1. Pour four two-liter bottles of Coca-Cola into a bucket.
  2. Sponge yourself down in a shower.
  3. Rinse clean.

Step 9: Soothe a Jellyfish Sting

Pouring Coca-Cola over a jellyfish sting relieves the stinging pain.

Step 10: Kill Mice

Put Coca-Cola in a bowl and set it out where you have mice. The mice love Coke, drink it, and unable to expel the gas, die.

More unique uses of cola

Nothing better than perfectly clean pots and pans from some unusual uses of Coke.
  • Easily remove cooking grease. ...
  • Remove rust from tools. ...
  • Defrost an icy windshield. ...
  • Remove marker stains on carpet. ...
  • Acts as a slug pesticide. ...
  • Remove rust and mildew from the bathroom.

REMOVE CHARRED AND BURNT FOOD FROM YOUR PANS.

We all have those pots and pans that have those annoying burnt food particles stuck on that are impossible to remove. To help solve this problem, pour Coke into the pot or pan and let soak for several hours until the food releases.

You can use a plastic scraper, scrubber or sponge to get rid of every last bit. After scrubbing away, was with dish soap and warm water. Nothing better than perfectly clean pots and pans from some unusual uses of Coke.

 EASILY REMOVE COOKING GREASE.

Pots and pans are also known to stay greasy, even though you've probably tried cleaning it over a hundred times with soap and really hot water, it still doesn't seem to work! It's a frustrating problem, and I think we all have that one pot or pan.

Try adding Coca-Cola to the greasy pan and let it sit on a burner over low heat for about 30 minutes. Wash afterwards with dish soap and warm water. The end of that liter bottle hanging around has a good use, after all. 

CLEAN YOUR WINDOWS.

Has it been a while since you've cleaned your windows? I usually forget to do this, mainly because it's hard to find a really good window cleaner that leaves windows clear and streak free!

Since Coca-Cola contains citric acid, it's a great alternative to those lemon cleaning products. You can pour the soda into a spray bottle and wipe with a clean rag or cloth. Finish off by wiping down with warm water so your windows aren't left sticky. You can also use this method when cleaning mirrors!