Metal corrosion not only spoils the appearance of things, but also reduces their service life. In some cases, you can even deal with rust at home using improvised means.
One easy way is to use Coca-Cola. But this cleaning option has some features that are best known in advance.
We will tell you in the article whether this drink removes rust marks and how to use Coca-Cola in the fight against rust.
Coca Cola
There are a lot of ways to remove rust using Coca Cola on the Internet, let’s check it out. We took the most ordinary bottle, which is sold in any supermarket.
For example, in this video, we can see how Coca Cola perfectly removes rust from an old car bumper.
We'll just soak a cloth in Coca-Cola and leave it for a while. In our case, unfortunately, Coca-Cola did not help significantly remove the rust, despite the fact that the overall yellowness of the area decreased, the areas of corrosion did not change at all. The area after treatment with Coca-Cola looks just as terrible as before.
Nevertheless, Coca Cola can be used to clean surface rust well, since it contains phosphoric acid. But it’s better to use a rust converter directly with this acid.
The ideal way to remove rust with Coca-Cola is to put the rusty items in it and leave it for at least 24 hours. Look how we used this method to remove rust from old wheel bolts.
The components of the “classic” version of Coca-Cola are:
purified carbonated water; sugar; natural caramel coloring; acidity regulator orthophosphoric acid; natural flavors; caffeine.
Features of the effect of the drink
If the metal is not protected by a coating, rust may form on it as a result of interaction with the external environment (oxygen and moisture). Over time, corrosion eats away at the material more and more, and it becomes brittle.
The effectiveness of Coca-Cola against rust marks is explained by the inclusion of orthophosphoric acid in its composition . This is a food additive approved for use in the food industry. According to the international classification, it is coded “E338”.
In addition to food products, phosphoric acid is also used in special products - rust converters.
Due to its chemical properties, this substance, interacting with damaged metal, converts iron hydroxide into iron phosphate. As a result, corrosion stops completely.
In what cases will the cleaning method be effective?
The method of using drinks containing orthophosphoric acid gives good results with minor rust lesions.
It is convenient to clean small consumable parts with cola, for example:
- screws;
- nuts;
- screws, etc.
When won't it help?
Despite the inclusion of orthophosphoric acid in the composition, the use of cola may not always be highly effective .
Situations where it is recommended to use a commercial rust converter and a stiff brush are when there is significant corrosion.
It can also be difficult to treat large areas affected by rust.
Coca-Cola will not help in cases where it should be removed:
- greasy and oily contaminants;
- paints;
- ink, etc.
Acetic acid (70%)
There are many options for acetic acid, 10 - 15 - 20%, but it is better to take the most powerful, more than 70%, this acid is called glacial.
We fill the bumper with rust and leave it for the same 45 minutes. Vinegar undoubtedly eats away rust; you can see from the yellow coating on top that the rust is decomposing, but apparently this time is simply not enough.
To remove rust with vinegar, it is recommended to completely immerse the rusty part in vinegar for 24 hours. Unfortunately, this method is not very suitable for us to remove rust from a car.
Advantages and disadvantages of the technique
The Coca-Cola cleaning method has many advantages:
- The product is always on sale.
- Cleaning small items is very easy.
The disadvantages include the following:
- Weak effectiveness with extensive metal damage and a thick layer of rust.
- If you need to clean a large number of items, you will need a lot of cola.
- Cleaning bulky items with cola is inconvenient and time-consuming, or you will need a large volume of the drink, which may not be financially viable.
- Not suitable for processing complex mechanisms.
- Coca-Cola is not an all-purpose cleaner, so it won't work on many types of stains.
What can replace this soda?
In the recipe for cleaning products from rust, Coca-Cola most often appears as one of the popular drinks that everyone hears thanks to a wide advertising campaign.
But this does not mean that using other sweet carbonated drinks will not give results in cleaning things from rust.
You can replace Coca-Cola with any soda that contains citric acid, even regular lemonade. The effect of such processing of things will also be, but a little weaker, since cola contains phosphoric acid.
Inflating the wheel
This is a fairly specific method, but it can help in an unexpected situation:
- The wheel is removed from the car and placed on the ground.
- Next, you need to find a hose of a diameter that would fit the camera nipple.
- A hole is made in the bottle cap and then connected to the camera.
- Carbonated liquid fills the chamber.
- Then the tire needs to be shaken well and put back in place.
Of course, such inflation will not give good pressure, imbalance will appear, but it will help you get to the nearest tire repair shop or go to a crowded place where you can find a regular pump.
Cleaning rust
Motorists have long been using Cola to remove rust not only from small parts, but also from the engine. It has also found its application in summer cottages. Thus, vigilant owners lubricate not only rusted nails and nuts with the drink, but also gate latches, garage hinges and other threaded connections. The application scheme is quite simple. To remove rust on non-removable metal parts, they are wrapped in a cloth or towel soaked in Cola. The removable ones are detached and soaked overnight in a magical drink.
How effective and profitable is cleaning with soda?
Unlike chemicals, the drink is not expensive. When using it at home, one liter is enough. In addition, when you use chemical detergents, you have to clean, spray, monitor the accuracy of the dosage, buy auxiliary things in the form of gloves, respirators, metal scrapers. The use of Cola, in turn, not only facilitates tasks such as removing rust, scale, and various stubborn stains, but also effectively copes with these problems. Therefore, the choice should be made only based on personal preferences. Millions of people have already become convinced that Cola is an indispensable assistant in everyday life, coping with many troubles without any special financial or physical costs.
Defrosting glass
If your car window is covered with ice, you don’t have to immediately run for hot water or spend a long and painful time trying to remove the ice from the surface. You can fill the window with soda and wait a little.
Surprisingly, the ice layer actually begins to melt and then all that remains is to carefully remove it from the glass.
Descaling
The formula that creates this soda, adored by millions of people around the world, is unknown to anyone. Perhaps this is for the better, because thanks to this riddle you can easily descale the kettle. To do this you need:
- Pour a little more than half of the volume into the kettle.
- Bring it to a boil and leave to cool inside the device so that it reacts with internal deposits.
- When it cools down a little, you can use sponges and brushes to speed up the process. For hard-to-reach places, you can use a toothbrush.
- If necessary, the procedure can be repeated. It is acceptable to leave the soda in the kettle overnight.
- After the scale has completely disappeared, the kettle should be thoroughly rinsed with clean water.
Blackening of car tires
Nowadays, many car repair shops offer their customers tire surface treatment services. There are special liquids that return worn rubber to a rich black color. After exposure to such a composition, it seems that the car has just purchased tires. Most drivers do not know that in the 80s of the last century, Coca-Cola was used for the same purpose.
The method is suitable for those who like to experiment. Before blackening, you need to wash the wheels and dry them well. Then the surface of the tires is wiped with a rag generously moistened with the drink and the moisture is allowed to completely evaporate. To consolidate the result, the procedure can be repeated. The resulting film will not only add decorativeness to the tires, but will repel dirt.
Small items
Cleaning small items, such as cutlery or coins, takes place in a pre-prepared plastic container. All products are carefully placed in it and filled with liquid so that they are completely hidden. Within a few days the devices will become much cleaner. All that remains is to thoroughly wipe the surface with a sponge or towel.
We recommend: Quickly getting rid of carbon deposits: how to clean an iron without damaging the sole
While the products are being processed, they should not be touched. Let them lie quietly while the soda dissolves plaque and rust. If the stains were not removed in one go, the procedure can always be repeated.
An old, rusty bolt that is difficult to unscrew should be wrapped in a napkin soaked in Coca-Cola for several hours. Then wipe with a clean sponge and try to unscrew again.
It is worth considering that the stake does not remove rust from all surfaces equally easily. Red stains from chrome or sanitary ware can be cleaned off with a bang, but oxides directly from iron are reluctant to leave - it takes much more time.
Automobile
With the same success, Pepsi will come to the aid of motorists. If the glass cleaner doesn't do the job, you can take the glass cleaner and gently apply it to the stains. After some time, the plaque will begin to dissolve. Then remove any remaining soda from the glass with a dry cloth.
In exactly the same way, cola is used to remove corrosion on the bumper and battery. Just use a hard sponge instead of a napkin.
How to clean a bathtub with Coca-Cola?
You can see the wonderful effect of soda when cleaning the bathroom. Cola will clean the bathtub, toilet, sink and tiles equally well.
To get a sparkling clean toilet, you need to pour ½ liter of cola into the drain hole for 1 hour (before this, you should remove the water in it - using an empty shampoo tube or simply vigorously poking the drain with a brush). If possible, it is better to wait longer until the acid completely dissolves the hard plaque. Then you need to clean the toilet as usual. Along with the dirt, the unpleasant odor will also disappear - after cleaning the bathroom will smell like cola.
To clean the bathtub and sink, simply pour a carbonated drink over their internal surfaces and wipe with a damp cloth after 5-10 minutes.
If rusty smudges or stains from salt and lime appear on a tiled wall or floor, Coca-Cola can easily deal with them. You just need to pour the “life-giving” drink into a small container and, dipping a napkin, rub the contaminated area.
Many cleaning products contain chlorine, which irritates the respiratory tract. Cola has a pleasant aroma and does not emit harmful substances, so it is an excellent option for allergy sufferers.
Bathroom
When cleaning the toilet, you need to pour 1-2 liters of cola into the bowl so that the liquid covers all the limescale. Leave overnight. Then use a toilet brush to wash the most problematic areas, and then flush the water. Cola is convenient because it helps remove not only stains, but also persistent unpleasant odors.
When treating a bathtub or sink, just wipe it with a cloth soaked generously in soda, leave it for a while and rinse with water.
A drink with an expiration date will not work. Only fresh cola eats away rust quickly and efficiently.
Does cola clean silver?
Silver items require cleaning from time to time. Cup holders and spoons, figurines and even decorative inserts in furniture sets become covered with dust, green deposits, and rust. Coca-Cola perfectly cleans silver, and when heated, it can remove any old stains.
For cleaning you will need ½ liter of soda and a deep metal container. To restore the shine and purity of silver products, you need to do the following work:
- pour cola into a container;
- put items that require cleaning there;
- place on a gas or electric stove;
- bring the liquid to a boil;
- boil for 5 minutes;
- remove the products and wait until they cool down;
- rinse in clean water;
- wipe dry with cotton cloth.
This is how you can easily and inexpensively remove any stains from silver items.
