Will Cola Clean & Unblock Drains?

If you’re a fan of ‘life hack’ videos, I’m sure you’ve seen what a can of cola can do for your car or home. But can pouring a can of soda down your drains really do the trick? And even more, is it the best option for long-term drain care? 

The complete list of ingredients in Cola is a closely guarded secret, but the label lists carbonated water, caramel, cane sugar, flavor, caffeine, and phosphoric acid. Cola uses phosphoric acid to give the tangy, semi-addicting flavor that we all love. The reason you may have seen people using cola to break is the presence of phosphoric acid in the drink. It is a mildly corrosive acid used primarily to manufacture fertilizer or detergents.

Phosphoric acid in large concentrations can be used to clean rust off metal parts, remove tough limescale, and clean the nastiest of toilet scum. Unfortunately, the amount of phosphoric acid in a can—or even a bottle of cola is present in a much smaller concentration; it cannot do a good job of cleaning even the smallest of clogs. Because of the very small amount of phosphoric acid, you’d need quite a bit of cola to make a difference in your clogged drain. If you pour cola into a partially clogged drain, it will just pass through without any noticeable effect.

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