# Phosphoric acid in Coca Cola ... can it be used to clean grime? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 16, 2008, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phosphoric-acid-in-coca-cola-can-it-be-used-to-clean-grime/456685 "2008-07-16T14:44:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2008, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phosphoric-acid-in-coca-cola-can-it-be-used-to-clean-grime/456685/1 "2008-07-16T14:44:26Z")
A lot of people know about the science-fair experiment of dissolving hamburger in Coca Cola. The phosphoric acid in the drink dissolves the meat. I was thinking of this experiment as I regarded our grimey stovetop yesterday. It’s a gas stove, with kind of a donut-shaped “pan” under each burner that catches all kinds of drippings. Well, the most frequently-used donut has caked-on Og-knows-what. Loads of other cleaners and scrubbing pads have made only a minor dent in the grime. So … this morning, I filled the donuts with Coke and left for work. I’ll check out the results when I get home. Can Coca-Cola\* dissolve this presumably protein-based grime the same way it dissolves hamburger? If this proves to be ineffective, what is the best way to clean up such grime? Trying to avoid oven cleaner, as it seems risky to use in the house with two small kids. \*\* - we’re actually using Diet Coke to avoid any potential stickiness from leftover corn syrup.\* ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2008, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phosphoric-acid-in-coca-cola-can-it-be-used-to-clean-grime/456685/2 "2008-07-16T15:01:33Z")
Not an answer to your question, but why do you presume the grime is protein-based? I would have thought fat or simple carbon residue. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2008, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phosphoric-acid-in-coca-cola-can-it-be-used-to-clean-grime/456685/3 "2008-07-16T15:02:09Z")
Snopes Cokelore. Coke contains very little phosphoric acid. > **[Do the Acids in Coca-Cola Make It Harmful to Drink?](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/coca-cola-acids/)** > > Do the acids in Coca-Cola make it harmful to drink? As a 40+ year veteran of cleaning stoves, I’m here to tell you that any liquid left to soak in those burner pans for an entire day will have the effect of soaking off the accumulated crud; there’s nothing magical about Coke. If it’s still not soft enough to remove when you get home tonight, you can soak them overnight in the sink, bathtub, or a Rubbermaid plastic box, wherever they’ll fit so as to completely immerse the relevant part, and add a half-cup or so of straight household ammonia to the water. This will emit fumes, so do it somewhere away from people and pets. If that doesn’t work, then you go down to the hardware store and ask them for some trisodium phosphate, and you mix it and use it according to directions. NOTE: do NOT use a steel wool or Brillo/SOS pad on them, you will scratch the porcelain coating. ETA: no matter what you use to soak, it’s still going to take elbow grease to get it off, once the ammonia or TSP has softened it. Even oven cleaner in my experience requires elbow grease to augment its powers, when you’re dealing with heavy layers of stove crud. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2008, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phosphoric-acid-in-coca-cola-can-it-be-used-to-clean-grime/456685/4 "2008-07-16T15:04:43Z")
[QUOTE=bordelond] A lot of people know about the science-fair experiment of dissolving hamburger in Coca Cola. The phosphoric acid in the drink dissolves the meat. [/quote] I’m pretty sure its just the carbonated water doing this. There is, I think, a Straight Dope article about this. We used to use carbonated water as a cleaner when I worked at McDonalds long long ago. It was really effective. -Kris ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2008, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phosphoric-acid-in-coca-cola-can-it-be-used-to-clean-grime/456685/5 "2008-07-16T15:10:07Z")
[QUOTE=Frylock] I’m pretty sure its just the carbonated water doing this. There is, I think, a Straight Dope article about this. We used to use carbonated water as a cleaner when I worked at McDonalds long long ago. It was really effective. -Kris [/QUOTE] Upon further investigation (snopes) I take it back. It’s the phosphoric acid what does the dirty work after all. Never mind! But we did use carbonated water as a cleaning chemical, and it did work… -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2008, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phosphoric-acid-in-coca-cola-can-it-be-used-to-clean-grime/456685/6 "2008-07-16T15:12:40Z")
Well, carbonated or flat, it’s still the universal solvent. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2008, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phosphoric-acid-in-coca-cola-can-it-be-used-to-clean-grime/456685/7 "2008-07-16T15:31:13Z")
[QUOTE=Duck Duck Goose] If it’s still not soft enough to remove when you get home tonight, you can soak them overnight in the sink, bathtub, or a Rubbermaid plastic box, wherever they’ll fit so as to completely immerse the relevant part, and add a half-cup or so of straight household ammonia to the water. This will emit fumes, so do it somewhere away from people and pets. [/QUOTE] Unfortunately, the donuts are not easily removable for such soaking – I’d have to disconnect the igniters and such. I’m trying to clean them _in situ_. I did read the Coke piece on Snopes … but it didn’t seem to suggest that the phosphoric acid within wouldn’t work at all – just that it might take longer than I was thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Raza](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raza/32/213_2.png) [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2008, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phosphoric-acid-in-coca-cola-can-it-be-used-to-clean-grime/456685/8 "2008-07-16T15:36:28Z")
FWIW, our new heavy-duty built-in griddle’s owner’s manual (or was it the salesman?) suggests using club soda on a slightly warm griddle for cleaning. It works very well; no detergent or soaking needed. This is for a relatively light buildup, so I doubt it would work for the OP, but just attesting to the cleaning power of carbonated water. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2008, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phosphoric-acid-in-coca-cola-can-it-be-used-to-clean-grime/456685/9 "2008-07-16T15:37:23Z")
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow] Not an answer to your question, but why do you presume the grime is protein-based? I would have thought fat or simple carbon residue. [/QUOTE] Dunno … seemed logical to me. I didn’t think fat would get _that_ hard and crusty. I suppose carbohydrate-based grime could, though (thinking of burnt sugar, burnt rice on the bottom of a pot, etc.). ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phosphoric-acid-in-coca-cola-can-it-be-used-to-clean-grime/456685/10 "2008-07-16T15:52:19Z")
I’ve had good luck with those “Magic Eraser” sponges at getting the carbonized stuff off my burner pans. Failing that, head to a restaurant supply shop, and they have cleaning products designed specifically for getting carbonized gunk off pots and pans, stoves and griddles. One of the popular brands is “Carbon Off” and it’s safe to use on just about anything except black-anodized aluminum such as Calphalon. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2008, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phosphoric-acid-in-coca-cola-can-it-be-used-to-clean-grime/456685/11 "2008-07-16T16:07:21Z")
I’ve had more success than I thought possible with Dawn Power Dissolver AND the generic equivalents you can sometimes find in your local 99 cent store. Patience and scrubbing are essential. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2008, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phosphoric-acid-in-coca-cola-can-it-be-used-to-clean-grime/456685/12 "2008-07-16T16:08:01Z")
[QUOTE=gotpasswords] Failing that, head to a restaurant supply shop, and they have cleaning products designed specifically for getting carbonized gunk off pots and pans, stoves and griddles. One of the popular brands is “Carbon Off” and it’s safe to use on just about anything except black-anodized aluminum such as Calphalon. [/QUOTE] That looks like just the right stuff … thanks! Having a look at the Carbon Off website … they have products that will help us reclaim all those carboned-up cookie sheets that we end up throwing away after a few months (yes, we never clean up right after cooking/baking :o ). ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2008, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phosphoric-acid-in-coca-cola-can-it-be-used-to-clean-grime/456685/13 "2008-07-16T16:20:01Z")
Before you buy any specialized products, you might try scrubbing with baking soda. I’ve found it works wonders on my good pots and pans.