Is Coca Cola on your product shelf?

Brenton

aka PEI Detail
I have used Coca Cola and Aluminum Foil as a chrome polish to make it shine and remove surface rust. I've found it doesn't work great on deeply corroded or oxidized chrome, but removes surface rust.

I was watching Mythbusters tonight, and they had a Cola Myth test. They tested many things, but for detailers:
1. Chrome Polish (with Aluminum foil, not tin)
2. Clothing degreaser
3. Loosening rusty bolts
4. Cleaning engines
5. Cleaning batteries

Here are the results:
1. Worked great. Went against a "Leading Chrome Polish" (3M I think, based on consistency). Worked much better, though I think they applied it a little too thick.
2. Did not remove motor grease and turned the fabric brown.
3. Did not work at all.
4. Took off a little surface rust, but didn't work as a degreaser, so no good.
5. Worked great, but in their test, so did water. Perhaps they needed more tests on this one.

Incidentally, Cola shines a penny, does not eat through a tooth, but turns it brown, and does not dissolve a steak (it marinades it).
 
I've heard some great uses for Coke, but haven't attempted any of them yet. As you mentioned I've heard it makes a great tenderizing marinade for steak. I've also heard it's a great toilet cleaner. Finally, I have also been told that it causes metal to rust. So, I can understand why it would not be a good rust remover. I have a golf club that the finish is intended to rust for softer feel and increased spin. When I bought it my friend recommended that I put the club head in a glass of Coke overnight to speed the rusting process.
 
Sometimes.
In an insulated cup with lots of ice. :)
I guess I figure that a solution of sugary colored water isn't really something I'm likely to use on any of my vehicles.

Charles
 
Here in Atlanta we drink Coke and use P21S Polishing Soap for chrome. :)

Interesting thread though...seems like a lot of uses for a cola.
 
SilverLexus said:
use P21S Polishing Soap for chrome.
I had wondered what "Polishing Soap" was used for. Here I've been using chrome polish because I didn't know any better.:)
Actually, none of my 4 wheeled vehicles need any chrome polish, just the bikes.
Does the polishing soap have any advantages over regular chrome polish or is it just a matter of preference?

Charles
 
I actually drink Pepsi, not Coke, but where in a strange province (think like the Carolinas, without the nice weather and racing).
 
Seen that episode also!

It's nice to be able to tell people that coke doesn't disolve a steak or a penny! :)

You can check the scoop here also! Snopes
 
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