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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsIn_The_Wind
(72,300 posts)Renew Deal
(81,859 posts)In_The_Wind
(72,300 posts)Kali
(55,008 posts)now using coke in an emergency to clean car battery terminals, I can get behind!
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)So it works OK at removing hard water stains in the toilet. Vinegar costs about the same and works as good or better.
panader0
(25,816 posts)I won't use antibiotic soap either. Gotta keep your septic bacteria thriving. I try to use Rid-X a few times a year too.
Kali
(55,008 posts)but my parents house is on septic, and my mother was a worse bleach addict than me - it actually breaks down pretty quickly - never saw any problems at that house. (other than the requisite overflow on big family holidays)
ProfessorGAC
(65,042 posts)Rust and hard water deposits do not dissolve at high pH. And, bleach always has residual caustic or lime pushing the pH high. (It's made by bubbling chlorine gas into a caustic solution or a lime/water suspension, then diluted to household use.)
Coke has phosphoric acid in it and that does a better job on rust.
The best rust remover, because it's safe, non-toxic, and food grade is oxalic acid which can be found in Barkeeper's Friend.
I'd be nervous about Coke in a toilet though, because the lower pH and the sugars, for any length of time would be a great breeding ground for bacteria. And, lots of pathogens are acidophilic. Probably ok if you flushed a few times right after and made sure the lip under the rim are really clean.
I wouldn't use it.
Kali
(55,008 posts)as for disinfecting, nothing beats bleach for cheap and effective
eppur_se_muova
(36,262 posts)Oxalic acid has toxic effects through contact and if ingested; manufacturers provide details in Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). It is not identified as mutagenic or carcinogenic; there is a possible risk of congenital malformation in the fetus; may be harmful if inhaled, and is extremely destructive to tissue of mucous membranes and upper respiratory tract; harmful if swallowed; harmful to and destructive of tissue and causes burns if absorbed through the skin or is in contact with the eyes. Symptoms and effects include a burning sensation, cough, wheezing, laryngitis, shortness of breath, spasm, inflammation and edema of the larynx, inflammation and edema of the bronchi, pneumonitis, pulmonary edema.[21]
In humans, ingested oxalic acid has an oral LDLo (lowest published lethal dose) of 600 mg/kg.[22] It has been reported that the lethal oral dose is 15 to 30 grams.[23]
The toxicity of oxalic acid is due to kidney failure caused by precipitation of solid calcium oxalate,[24] the main component of kidney stones. Oxalic acid can also cause joint pain due to the formation of similar precipitates in the joints. Ingestion of ethylene glycol results in oxalic acid as a metabolite which can also cause acute kidney failure.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxalic_acid#Toxicity_and_safety
Admittedly, that's a high lethal dose, but keep it away from eyes, nose, and mouth. Oh, also skin. I suspect that in any commercial product it's actually partially neutralized to form a salt.
Sodium oxalate, like citrates, can also be used to remove calcium ions (Ca2+) from blood plasma. It also prevents blood from clotting. Note that by removing calcium ions from the blood, sodium oxalate can impair brain function, and deposit calcium oxalate in the kidneys.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_oxalate#Biological_activity
ProfessorGAC
(65,042 posts). . .that's effectively non-toxic even at far above normal usage.
olddots
(10,237 posts)Another public service message .......
Xipe Totec
(43,890 posts)mockmonkey
(2,815 posts)do they add the Mentos?
UglyGreed
(7,661 posts)your digestive system too!!!