45+ Coca-Cola Hacks That Will Save You Time & Money

What It Does: Removes rust within 24 hours
What You’ll Need: Enough Coca-Cola to submerge the rusty tools or other items 
Estimated Money Saved: $20-$35*

Believe it or not, Coca-Cola is a really effective cleaner. Part of the reason it’s so good at cleaning is because it’s carbonated, and that carbonation, along with the beverage’s citric and phosphoric acid, allows Coke to dissolve metal oxides. So, if you want to get rid of rust and save money on traditional rust-removing products that you’d buy on Amazon, grab a few liters of Coca-Cola instead.

Get Rid of Rust @EECHezzaz / Pinterest.com

Coca-Cola can break up rust on metals and other alloys. To use, submerge rusty tools or stained items in Coke. Let these items soak for twenty-four hours, and then remove and scrub off the rust. You’ll be amazed to find that these once-rusted items are good as new.

What It Does: Gives a sweet marinade and helps tenderize meat
What You’ll Need: Steak seasoning, oil, can of Coca-Cola, meat, onions (optional)
Estimated Money Saved: $5-$10*

We’ve seen a couple of cleaning hacks, but that’s not all cola has to offer. If you’re sizzling up some meat on the grill and are short on a pre-made marinade, consider marinating the meat in Coca-Cola. Coke has sweetness (thirty-nine grams of sugar per can, to be exact) and acidity, which helps it not only add sweetness and help meat caramelize on the grill, it also helps tenderize it.

Marinate Meat with Coke @Couple in the Kitchen/Twitter.com

No matter whether you’ve bought your meat from Whole Foods or Walmart, you should give Coke marinade a try. To use, combine Coke, steak seasoning, and oil in a resealable, large-size plastic bag. Then, add your meat and some chopped onion too, for an extra kick. Then, marinate the meat for half an hour in the refrigerator before grilling.

What It Does: Makes cake moist and fluffy when added to the mix
What You’ll Need: 1.5 cups of Coca-Cola, pre-boxed cake mix 
Estimated Money Saved: $5*

You could have the sweetest cake in the world, but, if it’s dry and crumbly, people won’t be asking for seconds. Luckily, Coke and other sodas are unexpected cake-baking heroes. If you’re baking a chocolate cake, you’ll need Coca-Cola or another dark-colored soda like Pepsi or Dr. Pepper. If you’re making a vanilla cake, use a light-colored soda like Sprite or 7-Up.

Make Moist Cake @86eats / Pinterest.com

If you’re baking with a pre-made cake mix, like the ones from Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines, add one-and-a-half cups of soda in lieu of the other ingredients. Then, bake as normal. Not only will you get a moist, fluffy cake, you’ll also cut down on calories. 

What It Does: Loosens and lifts stains from clothing when poured in with detergent
What You’ll Need: Can of Coke 
Estimated Money Saved: $10-$15*

As we saw, Coca-Cola can remove gross odors from clothing. In addition to waving bye-bye to B.O, you can also wave goodbye to stains. This might come as a surprise, as spilling Coke on your clothes is usually a major stain-causer, but you can use cola to remove stains from clothing.

Remove Clothing Stains @hkelfee9935 / Pinterest.com

Pop open a can of Coke. Pour it in with your laundry along with your usual Tide or other detergent. Run the wash cycle as normal. You’ll find that the Coke helps loosen and remove the stain. If you are dealing with a particularly tough stain, apply the Coca-Cola directly to the mark and soak it for thirty minutes before tossing the clothing into the wash. 

What It Does: Cleans corrosion off of car battery ports, cables, and terminals
What You’ll Need: Can of Coke, wire brush 
Estimated Money Saved: $20-$25*

You can easily tell if you have a corroded car battery, as white, bluish, or green coverings will begin to form around the car battery’s cables, ports, and terminals. It’s important to remove this corrosion as soon as you spot it, lest it cause serious damage to your vehicle.

Clean Car Battery @Naijauto/Twitter.com

Coke can do the trick. Pour the cola onto the corroded, discolored areas. The soda will bubble, as the corrosion is alkali and Coca-Cola is mildly acidic. Wait until it has finished bubbling, and then scrub the area with a wire brush, cleaning corrosion that might be stuck around the bolts and cables. 

What It Does: Cleans streaks, dirt, and smudges from glasses
What You’ll Need: Coke, water, cloth 
Estimated Money Saved: $5-$10*

There are a lot of ways to clean glasses with substances you have around the house, saving you money on lens cleaners. You’ve probably heard of using white vinegar or baking soda to clean your glasses, but have you heard of using Coca-Cola?

Clean Your Glasses @dorthaagnew / Pinterest.com

The mild acidity of the Coke is gentle enough to use on your lenses. Just pour Coke over the lenses, wipe them dry, and then rinse them with water to remove any sugary residue. Dry with a clean cloth. While you don’t want to use Coke to clean scratches, it’ll work for smudges and streaks. 

What It Does: Eats away at oil stains on concrete
What You’ll Need: Can of Coke, scrub brush 
Estimated Money Saved: $5-$10*

Picture the scene. You’re walking out to your car in the morning, and you notice a huge oil stain on your driveway. It’s frustrating, because not only do you now probably have to take your car in for an inspection, your driveway is dirty. Coca-Cola can fix one of those problems.

Remove Oil Stains @Louie Vlogs / Youtube.com

If an oil leak has left a stain in your garage or on your driveway, take a can of room-temperature Coke. You might have to leave the Coke out for a while if it has been sitting in the fridge. Pour the warmed-up can on the stain and leave it to sit for at least a few hours. Then, take a scrub brush and wipe away the oil residue. Though sadly, it can’t fix your car, Coke can leave your driveway looking stain-free. 

What It Does: Shrinks the hair cuticle, giving curls more definition, adds volume to hair
What You’ll Need: Liter of Coca-Cola (enough to rinse hair in)
Estimated Money Saved: N/A

When you think about getting your hair sleek and shiny, you might be tempted to spend a lot of money on high-end shampoos and conditioners. Certainly, that could get the results you’re looking for, but, if you’re on a budget, try a much cheaper hack: Coca-Cola.

Wash Hair With Coke @beautyklove/YouTube

The phosphoric acid in Coca-Cola has a low pH, so, when you rinse your hair with it, the hair cuticles tighten. This makes hair strands look smoother and curls appear tighter and more defined. Additionally, the sugar provides build-up for your hair, which makes it seem fuller and more voluminous. While Coke shouldn’t be your day-to-day shampoo, it’s a handy once-in-a-while styling tool.

What It Does: Phosphoric acid and sweetness can help curb nausea
What You’ll Need: Coca-Cola (preferably cold)
Estimated Money Saved: $5-$10*

Nausea is a terrible feeling. You don’t know if you’re going to faint or puke, but you do know that you’re very uncomfortable. Mint and ginger are two common home remedies for DIY nausea treatment, and you can always go the over-the-counter route with medications like Dramamine or Emetrol.

Cure nasea ©Anusorn/stock.adobe.com

Coca-Cola can help as well. According to The Wall Street Journal, Coke has phosphoric acid, which is the same ingredient that you find in Emetrol, a common anti-nausea drug. Also, it helps that people associate sweet, sugary flavors with feelings of contentment. If you’re feeling a twinge in your stomach, try taking a few sips of an ice-cold Coke. 

What It Does: Flat coke jump-starts the break-down process in composting
What You’ll Need: Can of uncarbonated, flat Coca-Cola 
Estimated Money Saved: N/A

Composting is a process of naturally recycling organic matter. At the end of the process, you should have a valuable fertilizer, which will help grow new plants quickly and healthily. Flat, non-carbonated Coca-Cola can help speed up the composting process.

Flat Coke Speeds Up Composting @Filtrexx / Pinterest.com

Coke has a lot of sugar, much to dieticians’ dismay, and the sugar attracts microorganisms that are necessary for jump-starting the compost’s break-down process. The acids in the Coke assist the breaking-down as well. Though you’d never want to use Coke as fertilizer, the soda, when flat, can give your compost the boost it needs to become fertilizer.  

What It Does: Destroys painful wasp venom
What You’ll Need: Coca-Cola
Estimated Money Saved: $5-$10*

Very few things are as painful as being stung by a wasp. The pain is immense, and it can even be so bad that you have to go to urgent care or the emergency room. Though you’re unlikely to die from a wasp sting or two, you’ll definitely be very uncomfortable.

Soothe Bee Stings @krazycouponlady / Pinterest.com

Coca-Cola can help cut that discomfort. The phosphoric acid of the cola destroys wasp venom, which is alkaline. The reason wasp stings are so painful is because of that venom, and when it’s removed, you’ll find the sting is soothed. If you don’t have Coke on hand, you can also use baking soda and water or meat tenderizers that contain papain. 

What It Does: Allows you to stack clothes
What You’ll Need: Old ring pulls 
Estimated Money Saved: $20 (for stackable hangers)*

It’s not just the liquid itself that makes cola multipurpose. The cans can be just as useful. One mom went viral on TikTok when she shared her simple hack for making more wardrobe space. Simply save all of the ring pulls once you’re done with your can of soda. 

©MAHATHIR MOHD YASIN/Shutterstock.com

Then, slide them over the top of a hanger and use it to hang another hanger on it. You can repeat this three or four times so your clothes don’t take up as much space in the closet. You can buy stackable hangers on sites like Amazon, but they’ll cost you a darn sight more.