Coca-Cola, the soft drink, has always been a popular beverage, but many people do not know the benefits Coke can have in the house, car and wallet.
The main ingredients in Coke include high fructose or sucrose corn syrup, carbonated water, caffeine, phosphoric acid, glycerin, kola and coca.
Over the break, I was able to experiment with multiple uses of cola. The effects are not limited to the Coca-Cola brand, and most carbonated beverages will do the trick.

Laundry

First, cola can be used to remove grease stains from clothes. By adding a can of cola to a warm wash-cycle with detergent, the stain is loosened and removed during the rinse cycle.
Soaking a blood or rust-stained piece of clothing in coke before washing can also be diminished. I chose to run the grease-stained item through a second time just to make sure all the cola was removed.
Kitchen

For pots and pans with stubborn stuck-on food and grease, cola can soften the grime so it can be scrubbed away.
In baking, cola can be substituted for parts of the liquid ingredients in cookies, brownies and cakes.
Cola can also be used to marinate steak and other meats. By simply soaking the meat for 30 minutes and following your routine for cooking, the meat should be tender.
With ham, you can add a can of cola to the pan and wrap the ham in aluminum foil to make it juicy. I added a pack of Italian dressing to my marinade to increase the flavor. Mixed with ketchup, cola can also create a unique barbeque sauce.
A small dose of flat soda can relieve upset stomach.

Cleaning

By pouring a can of cola into the toilet bowl and letting it set for about 1 hour, the citric acid will remove most stains from the bowl. Some people also use this method to scrub the toilet with a brush and decrease odor.
Cola can be poured directly into the sink and tub to keep them sparkling. The cola also removes some hair and debris as it travels through the pipes. Just make sure to run some water shortly afterwards so the syrup of the cola does not start to build up.

Garage

Oil stains on the cement can be removed or lessened by 30 minutes of soaking with cola. After rinsing, the stains should mostly wash away.
The acidic properties in cola can also remove corrosion from car batteries. Pour cola over the corroded terminals, and let it soak before removing the residue with a toothbrush or wet sponge. Crumpled foil coated with coke can also aid in removal of rust on chrome.
Cola can remove dead bugs and other grime off car parts. On winter days, cola can defrost the windshield, but afterwards the windshield has to be rinsed to avoid sticky residue.
Carbonated drinks can also be used to loosen stubborn or rusted bolts. After a few minutes, a cloth soaked in cola will loosen the bolt enough for it to be removed.

Miscellaneous

Cola can be beneficial to the garden too. Added to fertilizer, the cola can create lush landscape by ridding the area of pests like slugs. Place a bowl of cola to attract the slugs with sweetness, and the citric acid will kill them. Since some flowers like azalea and strawberries also need acidic soil to grow properly, the cola can add the acid they need.
Cut flowers, like a bouquet of roses, will also last longer with cola. The sugar in cola, added with water into a vase, will keep the flowers fresh longer.
Cola can also remove gum from hair after a short time soaked in the liquid.
I was not able to try out some of the other options, but cola can also be used to soothe jellyfish stings.