Coca-Cola vs Phos-Kleen B: The Rust Removal Showdown

Over the years, we’ve heard it time and again—on the phone, at shows, even shouted across the workshop:
“Why waste time with rust removers? I’ll just dunk it in a bottle of Coke! It’s got phosphoric acid, doesn’t it?”

Well, yes. But is it really strong enough to remove rust before your beard rivals Gandalf’s?

Naturally, we had to put this to the test.

We staged a simple head-to-head challenge:
Two identical 1.5mm thick steel plates, both equally rusty. One soaked in 100ml of classic Coca-Cola, the other in Rustbuster Phos-Kleen B Rust Remover.
Both were left to soak for 24 hours... then we checked back in to see which one came out on top.

The Contenders Before the Soak

Two crusty steel plates, equally weathered—ready for the ultimate showdown.

So, before you read on, what’s your guess?
Will the fizz of Coca-Cola take the crown, or will Phos-Kleen B show what it’s really made of?

Place your bets—Team Cola or Team Clean? 🍾⚔️
(And don’t cheat by skipping to the results—we’ve got our eye on you 👀)

The Results

Side by side, the verdict was clear—no competition.
The winner? Phos-Kleen B, without a doubt.

It’s no great shock, really. Phos-Kleen B is packed with phosphoric acid, surfactants, and a few clever secrets. It’s the heavyweight of rust removers—efficient, reliable, and built for the job.

Coca-Cola had a fair attempt—it softened a bit of the rust, mainly at the edges, but seemed unsure whether it was meant to be cleaning or just having a bit of a fizz.

Phos-Kleen B, on the other hand, didn’t just remove the rust. It went one step further and phosphated the surface too.
Flash rust? Not even a hint. That steel has been sitting exposed for weeks now and still looks like it’s on a beach break.

Both samples are still soaking in their respective solutions, and we’ll continue the test to see what happens next. Stay tuned for more updates.