"Things Go Better with Cleaning Solution!"

You got 'em, we know how to clean 'em
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Brian F.
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"Things Go Better with Cleaning Solution!"

Post by Brian F. »

Ok, ok, so I was giving the standard response about cleaning crusty old reels with diluted vinegar and out of the blue, someone suggests Coca Cola! Seemed to make perfect sense to me but I would imagine it to be much stronger an acid than vinegar and something you may want to dilute too or be extremely careful with. My son is always on my case for drinking "acid water with sugar in it" and everyone is warned not to dump Coke or Pepsi down the drain and let it sit. In fact, I seem to recall seeing it recommended to clean pennies and clear out drains. Has anyone used this before and is it the carbonation that is the (for lack of a better term) "corrosive" agent or is it something else in it?
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Ron Mc
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Post by Ron Mc »

carbonic acid is the weak mineral acid
(vinegar is an organic acid, which is also weak)
carbonic acid is more aggressive in that it can pit and crack some metals including steel.
carbonic acid goes through a transition where it gives off C02 gas (this is the bubbles in your Coke). During this process is when its the most agressive, because the pH is initially depressed (more acidic) - once it goes completely flat it will be neutral to mildly alkaline.
I would also worry about residues from the sugar, which I have seen break down to formic acid to corrode even aluminum. I saw a pallet of coke cans where 20% leaked and it was traced to an initial residue or leak causing an avananche effect.
Copper (brass) is going to be the most resistant metal to carbonic acid, but it, too will pit.
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Brian F.
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Post by Brian F. »

Thanks for the info, Ron. :shock: Maybe we we should just drink more beer instead of soda (also known as "pop" - does that give me jr. geezer status since I know that?).
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Lynn Thomas
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Beer vs. coke

Post by Lynn Thomas »

Yeah, Brian - more beer will ease the pain of rubbing Simichrone on a reel for hours. Might rot our insides as bad as coke does metal, but I'll take my chances ! Go Buckeyes !
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