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Dispelling Coke Use Mythology

Ah, Coke mythology! Actually, nearly everyone of these items has been debunked.

In many states the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident. FALSE. No one who has investigated this message has been able to locate any highway patrol unit that carries Coke for blood removal. As one research said, "Plain water would be as effective and less costly for cleaning pavement." It would certainly leave a nice sticky mess on the pavement that would have to be rinsed off with - you guessed it - WATER. Just use water in the first place! If anyone ever finds a highway patrol unit spending money on Coke and claiming it's for blood removal, turn 'em in and tell them to buy their Cokes with their own money.

You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two days. FALSE. Try the experiment yourself. Loads of people have. It does not work. The steak will get very mushy from the liquid and it will tenderize. It won't dissolve.

To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl...Let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. FALSE. Coke will be a poor china cleaner. The only cleaning properties in Coke is the carbonic acid (which will cause a bit of foaming) and the small amount of citric acid (a known cleaner helper). However, the carmel coloring and sugar will not be helpful. Besides, since when does a liquid adhere to the sides of the bowl? It doesn't. Anyone can tell you that carmel coloring stains. You'd do better with plain baking soda or clear, sugar free soda water. This has also been tried with poor results.

The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china. SAME.

To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a crumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola. Dip the aluminum in any liquid, or again, in baking soda charged water. Better than leaving yourself with a sticky mess.

To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion. Same to same. It's the soda, so any form of foaming soda will work. Again, better than leaving yourself with a sticky mess to clean up.

To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes. Same to same. However, further down I provide a link by a young lady who thought she'd try these things as an experiment. She says that numbers 3 - 7 don't work at all.

To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan; wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy. Of course Coke is great for ham. The soda and citric acid help in tenderizing, while the sugar and flavorings penetrate the ham and make it taste good. In Texas, we used Dr. Pepper instead. We also used it for roast and for brisket. I thought this anti-coke missive was supposed to be dissing Coke, but here is a yummy use!

The PH in the phosphorus is actually higher than stated. It won't dissolve a nail (been tried). Lemon juice is far more acidic. Even OJ contains more phosphoric acid than Coke.

Trucks carrying sodas often have to carry haz-mat warnings, but not because the spillage of Coke could be hazardous. The same would be true of beer, champagne, plain soda water, etc., because in all of those, the carbonation is kept in under pressure. You know what happens if a soda can bursts or the champagne cork blows off! Yes, there certainly could be danger.

Coke doesn't use the soda to clean truck engines. They'd have to be crazy to pour all that corn syrup over an engine! What they'd end up with is a sticky engine that will commence to smoking. Next time you see a delivery truck, ask the driver. It's not a good idea anyway to wash an engine unless it’s done by a professional.

The disintegrating tooth idea wouldn't fare any better than the meat or the nail. If Coke can't eat away at a steak, how's it going to do so with a tooth? Also, the message claims that Coke is a good cleaner for toilets and china, then goes on to say that it will eat away a tooth. After the soda cleans it and the soda goes flat, all that will be left is corn syrup, flavorings and colorings. The corn syrup will make the tooth sticky and the colorings will discolor it. That's all.

As to the idea that we're getting aluminum from drinking soda, how come in all these umpteen years that vegetables and everything else under the sun have been canned in aluminum, the writer isn't wondering why we aren't getting aluminum from that? If they're really concerned, they could buy soda only in plastic or glass containers. Would that solve the problem?

If sugar is the cause of arthritis, then just about everyone should have it. Lot's of my friends guzzle sugar and sodas and don't have it.

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