Coke Is It!

There is a story that occasionally makes the rounds of Internet and has probably landed in your email from time to time. It claims that Coca Cola is so highly acidic that it has been used for everything from removing rust from chrome, corrosion from battery terminals and stains from toilets.

Believe.

Bill and I are incurable pack rats. I am thoroughly convinced we suffer from the hoarding disorder. I offer the following as proof.

There was a time when Coke (and Squirt, and Vernor's and Root Beer) was on sale for real cheap - like a case for less than $4. We would buy it like it was going out of style. Then after awhile we either got tired of it or "forgot" it was there. At any rate, it went undrunk and remained stacked under the laundry tubs in the basement.

Eventually, we noticed that some of the cans had leaked. Not sure if they were punctured or if the seal at the pop-top had failed. But we found half filled cans and leakage on the floor under the laundry tubs. One glance told us that the beverage was far past its prime. Time to throw out the old coke.

Bill decided to empty the cans into the laundry tub on laundry day so that the water from the washing machine would wash the sticky residue down the drain. He spent quite some time emptying cans until he got tired or until he got a blister on his thumb (we had bought a LOT of soda). It worked like a charm and the only mess to clean up was the one under the laundry tubs.

Well, there was still quite a bit of old soda yet to dispose of and Bill decided yesterday was the day. I told him I was ready to do laundry and he proceeded to empty cans of soda into the laundry tub. He piled the empties in a laundry basket, lined with a heavy duty plastic bag. When the basket was full Bill asked me to unfold the plastic bag and pull it up high so he could add more cans to the bag.

Then he showed me something interesting. Many of the cans had reacted with the acidic soda they contained. The soda had eaten right through the aluminum cans and leaked all over. I can't tell you how long this took, but I can tell you it was an awesome sight, and an awesome phenomenon to ponder.

Behold the power or Coke. I don't know if it will rot your stomach, remove road tar or clean your car battery. But I do know that it will eat right through the can in which it is packaged.

Not that I intend to stop drinking it. Coke is still my favorite soft drink. And did you know, you can buy Kosher Coke or Coke bottled in Mexico that is still made with cane sugar (nowadays soda is sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, like everything else). Some people claim they can taste the difference. I'm afraid all those years of drinking this corrosive beverage may have eroded my taste buds. Just tastes like Coke to me. But it might be worth a try if you have a sensitive palate. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

And remember, things go better with Coke 'cuz it's the real thing, so have a Coke and a smile!

Quotable Quotes; In the category No, Wait, That's Not Quite What I Meant.

"It is like comparing champagne with cognac. No-with Coca-Cola."
Opera Diva Maria Callas