Whenever we order lunch from a place that only sells Coke, one of our co-workers makes a special trip out to get Pepsi. He says he can taste the difference. Back in the ’80s Coke ran commercials comparing the popular Pepsi vs. Coke taste tests to chimps deciding which tennis ball was more furry. We’re just sayin’. But no matter what your preference, soda isn’t the healthiest thing to drink and some dedicated Coke followers have come up with plenty of other things to do with it. Lucky for us, they just happen to be environmentally-friendly. So instead of drinking it, use it to…
Contrary to the rumors, a 2-liter bottle of Coke won’t disintegrate a t-bone steak in two days, but it will work wonders on a clogged drain. Coke contains phosphoric acid which will eat through most clogs. Put your toxic drain cleaner away, and pour a bottle of Coke down the drain, let it sit over night and rinse with hot water in the morning.
Shake up a can of Coke, then open it. Seriously. But first flick the side with your fingers. When a can is shaken the insides line with bubbles that all rush to the top when the can is opened, causing it to explode. When you flick the can, the bubbles detach themselves. Magic.
Oil stains on the driveway? Pour Coke on and let it soak. Burnt pans? Boil some Coke in them to remove debris. Dirty coins? Soak them overnight. Got milk stains on a shirt? Scrub them with coke before using soap. One of our other co-workers (from a shadier side of the office), says he used bottles of Coke to clean blood off the sidewalk after a fight broke out at a restaurant where he used to work. Crime scenes aside, it also works on blood-stained clothing from everyday scrapes and skimmed knees.
The smartest person in the world taught us this one. This can be done with any soda. Drink a sip, swallow. Drink a sip, swallow. This has to be done at quick, even intervals, non-stop about ten times in a row and you’re cured. Don’t ask for a scientific explanation. We don’t have one. Just trust us–it works.
Besides being the first soft drink to be consumed in outer space, Coke is also the first to be used as a toilet cleaner. Pour it in, let it sit for an hour, then flush away for a shiny finish.
In June 2008, 1900 Latvians set the Guinness Book World Record for the most simultaneous Mentos and Coke explosions. Here’s how you can be cool too. Forget vinegar and baking soda, slip a tube of Mentos in a 2-liter bottle of Diet Coke (diet soda is less sticky) and you’ll have yourself a foam shooting fountain.
BOIL EGGS
Add a 1/2 cup of Coke to the water next time you boil eggs to soften the shell and make it easier to take off later.
POP TAB BRACELET
In 2006, Kyle MacDonald traded one red paper clip for a house in Saskatchewan. It only took him 14 trades and one year. For the full story, visit his blog at http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com. Inspired by MacDonald, Ralph Smith from Oklahoma decided to do the same thing and trade up (recycle! OK we’re reaching on this one) a used can of Coke for a million dollars or something worth a million dollars. Last we heard he was up to a George Foreman Lean Mean Grilling Machine, which he loved so much he decided to forgo the million and stop right there—or so we assume since he hasn’t updated his blog since 2006 (http://milliondollarcokecan.blogspot.com). But we have a slightly easier way to recycle your Coke can, or at least part of it, and still get your 5-cent deposit back. Visit www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Pop-Tab-Wristband to learn how to make a bracelet out of pop tabs–something you could also trade up for a million dollars, probably with more success than the used Coke can.