TypewriterKing wrote:

Well, I tried cola, and yes, it does remove rust.  But you'll want to use diet coke, since the sugary kind gets sticky, and you don't want sticky in your typewriter, not at all.  It'd be hard gettin' that stuff outta there!!

Yes. That flaw in my home made naval jelly plan hit me later. And I'm not sure sugar has any synergistic effect with mild acids either - maybe it's just bad for your teeth because sugary residue promotes bacterial growth. In which case the oral effect could be stopped by rinsing your mouth.

My mom used to tell me that sugary drinks were bad for my teeth, but she never added "so be sure to rinse your mouth afterwards"!  This suggests it was propaganda and not science based.