Should You Clean Your Gardening Tools With Coca Cola? Here's What To Know

Having a variety of essential gardening tools is important if you want to maintain a healthy yard or garden. It can be a challenge however to keep these metal-based items clean because of all the water and organic materials they encounter. One such issue you may notice is rust on your gardening tools. Some people have suggested using Coca-Cola as a remedy to remove rust from metal surfaces. Although it may be an interesting experiment, using the fuzzy beverage is not a cure-all solution for cleaning your gardening tools.

From an anecdotal standpoint, Coca-Cola is thought to assist in the removal of rust from metal. The effectiveness of the soda as a potent cleaning agent is attributed to a key ingredient called phosphoric acid. It's worth noting that brand name Coca-Cola is not the only product that contains this acid. Many types of soda brands use it because it helps add flavor while promoting shelf stability. However, Coca-Cola has garnered the most attention as a rust remover because it has been a topic on many blogs and forums. 

Phosphoric acid may help remove rust from metal, which can potentially keep your garden tools clean. In fact, some industries use pure phosphoric acid on cast iron and steel because of its ability to convert iron oxide (rust) into iron phosphate. As noted by the University of Georgia, this chemical reaction may remove the appearance of rust, but not necessarily the iron oxide itself. Coca-Cola (or any soda for that matter) will not harm your garden equipment — it just may not be the best cleaning tool.

Before deciding to use Coca-Cola to clean your tools, you should consider the pros and cons. Soda might be able to loosen the rust, but you would still have to scrub it off with a mild abrasive product such as baking soda. Be sure to keep soap and water handy to clean the sugary residue off your tools. You might also want to consider the cost of soda, which has increased in price in recent years. Due to this price hike, soda may not be the most affordable way to get your garden tools to sparkle.

With all these factors in mind, consider a more tried-and-true cleaning method that is also budget-friendly. For rust removal, wrap the gardening tools in a rag soaked with white vinegar for several hours or even overnight. Follow up with baking soda and a soft-bristled brush to scrub off the remaining rust. Repeat if necessary, until the metal comes out clean. As a bonus, vinegar and baking soda can also help if your toolbox is filled with rusty and greasy tools.

To keep your gardening tools in good condition, wipe them off after each use. You can rinse them with water but dry them thoroughly with a towel. You may also want to scrub them with a scouring pad before storing for the winter.