Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: General guidelines
• Method 2 of 2: Remove stubborn stains
• Tips

Coca-Cola is not just a tasty soft drink - because it is slightly acidic, you can also use it very well to clean the toilet. Are you looking for a way to deal with the scale residue in the toilet bowl without having to spend a lot of money on expensive toilet cleaners? Coca-Cola only costs about one euro per liter. Are you looking for a cleaning agent that is non-toxic? Coca-Cola is (of course) completely safe to use. Try these easy tricks for cleaning with cola today.

To step

Method 1 of 2: General guidelines

1. Measure out approximately 470 ml of Coca-Cola. Open a bottle or can of Coke. You don't need much to clean your toilet - a regular soda can contains 350ml of cola, which should be enough. If you have a larger bottle of Coca-Cola, measure approximately this amount and pour it into a glass.
   • You can use Coca-Cola as a cleaning agent because of the mild carbonation and phosphoric acid it contains. These chemicals are added during carbonization and have nothing to do with flavor. Diet Coke therefore works just as well as regular Coke. This also means that you can use club soda instead of Coca-Cola, as well as many other carbonated soft drinks (although these are rarely this cheap).
2. Pour the Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl. Pour the cola around the rim of the toilet bowl. Let it rinse over the stains at the bottom of the pot. Make sure all stains are well and evenly covered with cola - it will look like the cola is flushing at the bottom of the jar, but it will leave a thin film on the stain.
   • For hard-to-reach stains that are high in the toilet bowl, you can soak an old cloth in Coca-Cola and apply it to the stains by hand. You can also use a spray bottle filled with cola if you prefer not to get your hands dirty.
3. Let the Coca-Cola withdraw. It's important to be patient.The longer you let the cola soak in, the longer the acids in the cola have a chance to remove the stains. Try to get the Coke at least an hour to be withdrawn without affecting it.
   • For extra cleaning power, pour the Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl before going to sleep and leave it in the toilet overnight.
4. Flush the toilet. As you let the cola soak in, the acids will slowly remove the build-up of lime residue in the toilet bowl. Now flush the toilet once. The loosened lime residues will (at least partially) be rinsed away with the toilet water.
5. Repeat the process as needed. Now you can see how well the Coca-Cola was able to remove the stains. While Coca-Cola is usually good at removing the rings and build-up of limescale that are a problem in many toilets, it may not completely remove all stains. You can simply apply a second coat of cola if you wish and repeat the process.
   • If the stains don't seem to have disappeared even after you apply cola a second time, check out the section below, which describes methods for removing particularly stubborn stains.

Method 2 of 2: Remove stubborn stains

1. Scrub a lot. A good old-fashioned toilet brush is your best bet if a regular rinse doesn't get rid of the stains. The mechanical movement of a brush (or a similar object, such as a scouring pad) will further loosen the build-up of limescale and help remove them from the walls of the toilet bowl after you apply cola to it. Make sure to wash your hands after scrubbing. Wear gloves if you are afraid of bacteria.
   • For best results, scrub before and after using the Coca-Cola. In other words:
   • Lift the toilet lid and toilet seat and scrub the stains with the brush.
   • Apply Coca-Cola.
   • Let the Coca-Cola withdraw.
   • Scrub again with the brush and flush the toilet to rinse away the stains.
2. Use heat. A chemical reaction generally proceeds a lot faster at a high temperature. The reaction of the acids in the cola with which you can remove stains in the toilet bowl are no exception. For stubborn stains, try heating the Coca-Cola in the microwave before pouring it into the toilet bowl. It doesn't have to be boiling hot, but it should feel hot for best results. Be careful when working with hot cola.
   • Never heat soda (or any other liquid) in a closed or metal container. This can cause a dangerous explosion of hot liquid. Instead, pour the soda into something suitable for microwave use (such as something made of glass or ceramic) and heat it than pass.
   • Heating the Coca-Cola will make it fizz a little more than usual. You can wear gloves to prevent small drops of soda from splashing on you.
3. Use Coca-Cola with other household cleaning products. Even though Coca-Cola removes a lot of stains, it is not always the best cleaning agent to use. If you are dealing with very stubborn stains, you can use it together with other cleaning products. Here are some other cleaning methods you can try:
   • Mix 125 ml vinegar and 50 grams baking soda (or 2 teaspoons borax) with 2 liters of water. Put this in a jug and pour the mixture into the toilet bowl. Scrub the toilet bowl and wait an hour before flushing the toilet. Then clean the toilet with Coca-Cola if necessary.
   • For mold, mix one part hydrogen peroxide with two parts water in an atomizer. Spray this on the moldy surface, leave it on for at least an hour, then scrub it until the mold dissolves. Use Coca-Cola to remove the remaining stains and deposits around the mold area.
   • Mix two parts borax with one part lemon juice and one part Coca-Cola. This is also a versatile cleaning agent. Apply the mixture to the toilet bowl, leave it on for an hour, then scrub the stains away.
4. Know when Coca-Cola is not the best choice. Coca-Cola is suitable for most mineral deposits and rings that often appear in the toilet. However, it doesn't always work for less common stains, so sometimes you have to use other remedies. Read more below:
   • Coca-Cola is not very effective at removing oil, grease, or grease stains. For these stains it is better to use dish soap, laundry detergent or a stronger acid such as vinegar.
   • Coca-Cola is not good at killing bacteria. The sugar residue that regular Coca-Cola leaves behind can even attract certain types of bacteria. Stick to soap, a commercial cleaner, or an alcohol-based disinfectant to kill bacteria.
   • Coca-Cola does not remove stains caused by ink, paint or dyes. Cleaning alcohol and other chemical solutions are often the best choice here.

Tips

• As mentioned above, it also works well to use club soda and other soft drinks. Because these drinks are carbonized, they contain carbonic acid, which means they can remove stains in the toilet bowl, just like Coca-Cola. Soda water is often even a better cleaning agent because it does not leave sugar residue in the toilet. However, this makes less difference in a toilet bowl.
• This probably won't work for oil stains, like the one due to the Mythbusters proven. It only removes limescale residues.
• Cola contains acids, but that does not make it unsafe to drink. Orange juice, for example, has a much higher acid content.
• If you have roommates or family, tell them in advance what you will be doing. Otherwise, they may think you forgot to flush and will flush the toilet anyway, so all your efforts have been in vain.