Household Tips: 35 Unusual Uses for Coca-Cola (WWII Series)

If you’ve been following this series you know that it is dedicated to my grandmother and the wonderful household tips journal that she put together during WWII. Throughout this series I’ve learned so much about what kind of a woman she was, I wish that I had known her personally. Unfortunately she passed away when I was only 6 years old so I didn’t get an opportunity to really know her.

There are a few things that stand out in my memory about her. The first is how she would hold me and hum. I remember hating that humming and wanting her to stop. The more I begged her to stop the louder she would get. The second thing that really stands out is her elbows. I know it sounds funny but I remember playing with the soft, thin skin that hung from her elbows. I remember it being very relaxing rubbing that skin between my index finger and thumb. Finally, I remember always asking her for a drink of her Coca-Cola, I don’t think that I ever saw her without one. Which leads me to this weeks list on Coca-Cola.

Health

1. Bee Stings – to reduce pain, dab a little coke to the area.
2. Congestion – to relieve, sip on a cup of hot coke.
3. Diarrhea – to treat, sip on a glass of flat coke.
4. Hiccups – to alleviate, gargle with some coke.
5. Indigestion – to soothe, sip on a glass of flat coke.
6. Mosquito bites – to reduce itching, dab the area with a
   little coke.
7. Nausea – to settle, sip on a glass of flat coke.
8. Pregnancy – to alleviate fatigue, drink some coke.
9. Sore Throat – to soothe, sip on a glass of flat coke.

Beauty

1. Hair – to remove hair coloring, apply a can of coke to hair.
   Let it sit for several minutes before rinsing.
2. Hair – to remove gum, pour some coke on it and let it sit
   several minutes before working the gum out.
3. Skin – to soften, mix some coke in with your favorite
   lotion.

Laundry

1. Blood Stains – to remove from clothing, pour some coke on the
   stain, then wash as directed.
2. Carpet – to remove stains, apply a little coke. Let it sit
   for a few minutes before scrubbing. Clean with soapy water.
3. Grease Stains– to remove from clothing, pour some coke on
   the stain, then wash as usual.
4. Odors – to remove from clothing, add a can of coke to your
   washer.

Cleaning

1. Battery – to clean, pour a
   little coke over each one of the terminals.
2. Bugs – to remove from the grill of your car, spray the area
   with some coke. Let it sit for several minutes before rinsing.
3. Garage – to remove oil stains, soak the area with a can of
   coke. Let it sit several minutes before rinsing.
4. Grout – to clean, apply coke to the grout and let it sit for
   several minutes before rinsing.
5. Pennies – to clean, soak the pennies in some coke overnight.
6. Pots & Pans – to remove burnt residue, pour some coke
   into the pan and simmer for an hour before cleaning.
7. Rust – to clean, soak the item overnight in some coke.
8. Skunk – to remove odors, drench yourself with some coke,
   wait a few minutes and then rinse.
9. Toilet – to clean, pour a can of soda into the bowl and let
   it sit several minutes before cleaning.
10. Windows – to remove dirt and grease, wipe the windows with
    some coke then wipe away with a clean damp rag.
11. Windshield – to remove bugs, shake up a can of coke and pour
    it over the windshield. Let it sit several minutes before rinsing.

Garden

1. Acidic Plants – for plants that like acidic soil, pour a can
   of coke around the base of the plant.
2. Slugs and Snails – to eliminate, pour some coke into a
   shallow dish and place it in the problem area.

Miscellaneous

1. Ants – to kill, pour a can of coke on the ant hill.
2. Bolts – to loosen, soak them in coke before trying to separate.
3. Bugs – to control, place several cups of coke around the
   perimeter of your home.
4. Paint – to strip from metal, wrap the area with a rag soaked
   in coke. Let it sit for several days making sure that the rag stays wet the
   whole time.
5. Paper – to antique, pat the paper with a rag dipped in coke.
   Let dry.
6. Windshield – to defrost, pour some coke over the windshield
   and wait a few minutes.