Can You Use Coke for Cleaning Toilets?

Using Coke for cleaning toilets is one of the oldest myths floating around on the Internet. It doesn’t surprise me that people are doing this on social media. It doesn’t surprise me that people are doing this on YouTube. What does surprise me is that cleaning companies are recommending this method, too.

Cleaning your toilet bowl with Coke is like washing your dishes with ketchup – you get the opposite of what you were hoping for. But since this myth persists (and many cleaning companies are spreading this misinformation), I guess it’s time to debunk it.

Why do people think you can clean your toilet bowl with Coke?

The brainiacs behind this method explain it like this – you can clean your toilet using cola because cola is acidic. Whether you’re using the big brand stuff or the store-bought cheap stuff, it doesn’t matter – any dark, sugary, carbonated drink would do. At least that’s how the story goes.

Many videos show a clean toilet after pouring a bottle of Coke into the bowl. Indeed, the toilet appears clean. But appearance isn’t everything. Many articles float around where the authors swear by this method. But does it actually work?

Does cleaning your toilet with cola work?

Reread my description of cola – dark, sugary, carbonated drink. Aside from being a sweet, crystalline substance, sugar gets sticky once it’s dissolved. Not only that, but it’s a magnet to bacteria and all kinds of germs that can’t get enough of it. In fact, it helps them reproduce at an alarming rate.

So not only will your toilet bowl be sticky if you clean it with cola, but you’ll have invited a whole host of germs and bacteria to a free buffet. A toilet bowl crawling with germs isn’t the result you’re looking for when you’re cleaning.

And, as the cherry on top, since cola is dark, you’ll probably leave dark stains on your toilet bowl (that’s the part the videos don’t show you). Will Coke clean your toilet bowl? There’s a chance. It might even remove your limescale. But there are better ways to remove limescale from your toilet bowl. It’s far more likely that you’ll end up with a sticky, stained, germ-infested (more than usual) toilet, though.

What should you use instead of cola to clean your toilet?

There’s an abundance of commercial toilet cleaning products on the market. You can use any of them and that will give you better results than Coke. That’s the obvious answer.

But maybe you don’t want to use chemicals. That’s fine, too. What makes Coke effective at toilet cleaning (as much as it is, anyway) are its acidic properties. Which means you can use white vinegar for the same effect. If you’re worried about the smell, you can make scented white vinegar at home. This is a great way to deal with limescale deposits, too. And if you want a great disinfectant, you can toss in some lemon juice and mix it in with the vinegar.

In case you want to deal with stains that are more… organic in nature, then you can use baking soda and water. This is an excellent combination for cleaning any type of organic stain.

Conclusion

Cleaning your toilet with Coke isn’t the bright, outside-the-box idea it’s been cranked out to be. Cola is dark and can stain your toilet, but more importantly – it’s sweet and sugary which is a breeding ground for germs. More than your bathroom already is. Use more traditional methods on this one. And if you want to forget about cleaning, you can always give us a call.

Author: Atanas Dzhingarov

Hi, I’m Atanas - brand consultant and writer. I’m helping Samyx Cleaning create the best cleaning company blog on the Internet. Join us on our journey and learn how to live a cleaner, healthier, happier life in the process.