Coca-Cola - Not Just a Beverage

Coca-Cola was originally invented by Dr. John Styth Pemberton in 1886 in an attempt to create a headache remedy by mixing sugar, extracts of the coca leaf and the kola nut, and caffeine. Pemberton took the syrup and meant to mix it with water. By accident the syrup was mixed with soda water and the result was not only capable of relieving indigestion and exhaustion, but also was a refreshing and exhilarating beverage. Pemberton's bookkeeper came up with the name Coca-Cola and created Coca-Cola's famous Spenserian script. This script in white on a red background is one of today's most well-known brand symbols on earth. (Derdak, Thomas & Kepos, International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 10, 1995, p. 225, St. James Press, Detroit, MI)

Besides serving as a refreshing beverage, Coca-Cola is also used by many consumers for other purposes. Some might be useful and some might be quite wacky. You may give them a try ... at your own risk! Maybe you can even come up with some uses for Coca-Cola.

Coca-Cola contains a form of citric acid, which has stain removing capabilities, if used on vitreous china. Therefore, Coca-Cola can be used to clean among other things, a toilet bowl. Just pour a can of the beverage into the bowl and let it sit for an hour. Next, use the toilet brush to quickly brush the entire bowl, flush, and your bowl should be clean.

Coca-Cola is also a good laundry aid. It helps in loosening grease stains. Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the washer with the load of dirty clothes. Then add your regular detergent and run your washer through a regular wash cycle.

The beverage is also very useful for rust. A rusted bolt can be loosened, if a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola is applied to it for several minutes. A rusty chrome car bumper can get new shine by crumpling up a piece of aluminum foil to a ball, dipping it in Coca-Cola, and gently rubbing the rust spots with the ball. Corrosion from car battery terminals can be removed by pouring a can of Coca-Cola over them.

There are even more possibilities to use Coca-Cola as a cleaning aid. If you have to clean tile grout, you can simply pour a can of Coca-Cola on the tile. After you wiped it up, the grout will be white again. Your dirty windshield can be freed from bug haze by spraying it with warm Coca-Cola (simply shake the can, open it, and spray away.) Then simply wipe and rinse. If you have a burned saucepan, simply pour Coca-Cola into it and bring it to a boil. It will take care of the staining and the saucepan can be easily cleaned. Coca-Cola poured into a kettle and left over night will remove lime scale and clean the inside of the kettle. Old coins will shine like new, if soaked in Coca-Cola. And Jewelry can be cleaned in a glass of Coca-Cola. Just scrub with a toothbrush and rinse the item afterwards. However, it is not recommended to use this method on items with gemstones or precious jewelry.

There is a wide variety of recipes available, which use Coke as an ingredient. For example, one can bake a moist ham by pouring Coca-Cola into the baking dish with the ham, covering it with aluminum foil, and baking it. A tender uniquely flavored pot roast can be achieved by using Coca-Cola instead of water, when preparing the roast. And a mixture of half Coca-Cola and half ketchup will make a great barbecue sauce.

Coca-Cola can even be used in the garden. Pour the beverage into flat wide dishes and distribute them in your yard. Slugs are attracted by this and away from your plants. Once in the dish, the slugs cannot get out. Some people even us Coca-Cola on their lawn, claiming that the grass is greener, even in the fall and winter. To add a bug repellent, spray a mixture of a can of Coca-Cola, a cup of ammonia, and a ¼ cup of dish soap, once a month on the lawn. (http://www.angelfire.com/mi2/CokeRoom/uses/)

New photographs can be made to look like an 'antique' one. Brush them with the beverage and dry them with a hairdryer. You should probably keep an extra copy of the photograph on hand, in case it does not work out right the first time around.

Flat Coca-Cola will cause great results when used on hair. It can be used as a conditioner or lighten the result of a too extreme hair dye job. Some people claim the beverage also gives their hair more bounce by intensifying curls.

Coca-Cola can also be used for medical purposes. Pour Coca-Cola over the sting of a Jelly Fish to relieve pain. The beverage can also used to relieve cold symptoms. Bring Ginger to a boil in a pot with Coca-Cola and then simmer the mixture for a couple of minutes, pour it in a cup and drink it. Flat Coca-Cola can settle an upset stomach.