How to Make Glow in the Dark Mountain Dew

Baking soda and peroxide are not the ingredients that made soda glow!
Steve McAlister, Getty Images
By
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Chemistry Expert
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
  • B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
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Updated on June 04, 2020

Mountain Dew has a vibrant yellow-green color to it but ever thought about making it glow? Here's how you do it:

Glow in the Dark Mountain Dew Materials

Make It Glow

  1. Pour out or drink all but a small volume of the soft drink (~1/4 inch). If your bottle is empty, add a little water.
  2. Add a squirt of dishwashing liquid.
  3. Use scissors or wire cutters to cut the glowstick.
  4. Empty the contents of the glow stick into the bottle. If the liquid won't flow you can snip the glowstick into pieces and just add the pieces to the bottle.
  5. Add 1 to 3 capfuls of hydrogen peroxide.
  6. Add a pinch of baking soda and immediately seal the bottle.
  7. Turn out the lights (if you haven't already) and vigorously shake the bottle.
  8. Don't drink the contents of the bottle. Keep it out of reach of children or anyone else who might be tempted to drink the liquid. Modern glowsticks are nontoxic, but that doesn't make them good for you to eat. Similarly, dishwashing liquid is not edible.

Tips

  • There's nothing special about Mountain Dew. In fact, you don't even need soda. The glowing red bottle was made using a bit of water, a squirt of Dawn, a broken red glowstick, a couple of capfuls of hydrogen peroxide, and a pinch of baking soda.
  • You don't absolutely need the peroxide or baking soda either. The project works if you add a little detergent and the contents of a broken glowstick to any near-empty 20-oz bottle.
  • However, if you add the peroxide and baking soda, you get an immediate bright glow. Enjoy the glow while you can because the chemiluminescence reaction proceeds rapidly. If you use peroxide you will notice the light starting to fade within about half a minute.
  • Avoid contact with the contents of the glow stick. Clean off any residue from your scissors or another cutting tool. If you get any of the product on your skin, rinse it off immediately with warm soapy water.
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Your Citation
Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "How to Make Glow in the Dark Mountain Dew." ThoughtCo, Aug. 25, 2020, thoughtco.com/glow-in-the-dark-mountain-dew-607628. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, August 25). How to Make Glow in the Dark Mountain Dew. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/glow-in-the-dark-mountain-dew-607628 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "How to Make Glow in the Dark Mountain Dew." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/glow-in-the-dark-mountain-dew-607628 (accessed March 28, 2023).
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