Soaking something in a soft drink or rubbing something with a cloth soaked in a soft drink is not at all like drinking a soft drink. People don't hold soft drinks in their mouths for long periods of time, nor rub their teeth with fabric soaked in soft drinks, so it doesn't make sense to extend these possible affects to normal use of the product. Because our teeth are constantly bathed by saliva, which helps buffer the effects of acids from foods and beverages, the effect on tooth enamel is greatly reduced. In fact, the acids in most foods are neutralized to a large degree by the saliva in the mouth long before they reach the stomach.

There is a small amount of edible acid present in many foods, including fruit juices, buttermilk, and soft drinks, such as Coca-Cola. These foods are not acidic enough to harm your body tissues -- in fact, your own natural stomach acid is stronger. It is possible that the edible acid in any of these products could have the effects described, even though it's still quite safe to drink these products. However, we don't make any claims relating to other uses. Instead, we recommend using products specifically designed for cleaning or rust removal.

The myths about disappearing teeth, nails, steaks and various other objects are just that -- myths. These stories continue to spring up and get recycled because each new generation finds them hard to ignore, but they simply are not true.