I never knew coca-cola had really good uses like the ones I will document below. I always frowned upon the soft drink as one that’s grossly unhealthy and could lead to a whole truckload of ailment… I”m actually now falling in live with it. See the reasons below:
1. Culinary Flavouring
Many chefs and foodies alike will say that if it tastes good, why not use it in cooking? Plenty of innovative chefs have used plain old Coca-Cola in their kitchens and in a variety of recipes, from Coke chicken wings to Coke chocolate cake. It seems to go best with pork though, particularly as a glaze for baked or braised ham.
2. Jellyfish Sting Treatment
We’ve all heard the classic impromptu ‘cure’ for a painful jellyfish sting (involving a distinctive-smelling liquid), but you can avoid potential embarrassment if you have a can of Coke nearby. Turns out, the acidic nature of Coca-Cola is quite effective at neutralising the alkali venom of the sting – white vinegar will do the trick in a similar way if you have a cleaning cupboard nearby,
3. Clean Up Your Cookpots
If you have some old, well worn-in pots and pans that you don’t want to throw away, you can give them some more life by using Coke to remove those unsightly burnt-on black bits at the bottom. Just pour a can into the offending pan so that it is about an inch deep, then put it on the stove for about an hour on a low heat. You can then wash the pan as normal and watch it shed some of its dark crust.
4. Keep Your Garden Green
First and foremost, the highly acidic Coke acts as a great pesticide, particularly for snails and slugs that like to nibble on mum’s prize petunias – just leave a bowl out to see them off. If you have any left over, you can give acid soil-loving plants like azaleas a boost by watering them with the sticky brown stuff.
5. Skunk Deodorant
If you’ve ever had the misfortune to get sprayed by a skunk, you’ll know how terrible and persistent the smell can be. Well, if one of Pepe Le Pew’s cousins does take a dislike to you and you are heading to the shower to get rid of the smell, take a can of Coke with and apply it to the affected area. Obviously, don’t go throwing the stuff on skunks as revenge.
6. Chewing Gum Remover
If your kid comes home from school having had some brat put chewing gum in their hair, you need not worry about having to cut out some of their locks as you remove the offending chewy, minty stuff. Put their head over the sink, pour some Coke onto the gum and leave it to work for a few minutes; it should break down the gum enough to remove it without needing to fetch the scissors!
7. Ease Sickness
Apparently, drinking around a teaspoon of flat Coke (leave it out and open overnight to achieve this if you don’t have a half-drunk bottle nearby) roughly once an hour will help to relieve acute nausea. Of course, if you’re feeling nauseous for any significant period of time you should at least get some rest, if not consider seeing a doctor.
8. De-Icer
Don’t spend your hard-earned cash on fancy windscreen de-icing fluids in the winter, just keep a bottle of Coke in the garage and pour it across that offending layer of hoarfrost instead. You may want to keep a bottle of water handy too to rinse off any sugary, sticky remnants afterwards.
9. Hair Dye Fader
Trying to go natural, or unhappy with the strength or depth of the colour you got at the salon last week? Take a can of Coke into the shower and wash your hair with it – the dye in your hair will lose some of its colour without reverting completely to your natural tones, saving you the hassle of removing and re-dying your locks!
10. Rust Remover
Perhaps one of the best-known alternative uses for Coke is for removing unsightly rust from old or neglected metal items. By soaking the offending rusty item in Coca-Cola overnight, the rust will loosen enough for you to clean it off the following morning with nothing more than a good scrub.
