If you have old coffee grounds that you aren’t sure are fit for consumption, you really don’t need to throw them away. Instead of making a hot cuppa, here are 17 things you can do with them around your home.
Fertilize Plants
One of the most popular uses of coffee grounds is improving soil quality, and there are many benefits to this. Coffee grounds improve water retention in the soil and also add nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. However, UMaine explains that it’s best to use your grounds as a soil conditioner in moderate amounts.
Compost Additive
You can mix coffee grounds with your organic matter, like leaves or grass clippings, to speed up the composting process, thanks to the nitrogen in them. Grounds create a balanced carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, which ensures microbes have enough protein to feed on and makes composting piles more effective.
Pest Repellent
When you sprinkle coffee grounds around your plants or even in your compost, you chase off pests like ants, slugs, and snails. Coffee grounds also contain toxic compounds that can be used to deter insects like mosquitoes, fruit flies, and beetles from entering your home.
Natural Cleaning Scrub
Coffee grounds have a coarse texture, and this makes them great DIY scrubs to remove grime from pots, pans, and stovetops. They’ll help you get rid of stubborn food residue, and they’re also gentle enough to ensure you don’t leave permanent scratches on scrubbed surfaces.
Exfoliating Scrub
Mixed with water, coffee grounds are also natural, safe exfoliating agents to get rid of dead cells from your face and body. Spice this up by mixing them with coconut oil, honey, or other exfoliating agents like sugar, and leave it all to sit for about 15 minutes before washing the mixture off.
Natural Dye
Iowa State University refers to coffee grounds as a sustainable alternative to chemical dyes, and the dying process is quite easy to follow. To infuse earthy brown tones into your clothes, simply dissolve coffee grounds with salt in water, boil the mixture, place your fabric in it, and, when satisfied, rinse off any residue.
Wood Stain
In the same way as cloth dyes, you can also use coffee grounds to stain wood and give it a natural, rusty look. All you need is some coffee and hot water to create a thick, concentrated, dark brown-mixture. Use a cloth to apply the stain, and simply wait for the wood surface to dry out.
Tenderize Meat
The acidity of (and enzymes in) coffee grounds also allow them to play a good role as tenderizers. You can either use coffee grounds as a rub-on or as an ingredient in marinades. What you eventually get is meat that retains more moisture and a subtle, smoky flavor.
Hair Treatment
Coffee grounds are great for your hair’s health, and this is because of two things. Firstly, you can rid your scalp of dead skin by rubbing it off with cold grounds. Secondly, you can encourage hair growth by washing your hair with some coffee ground mix once or twice a week.
Ice Melt
To avoid falling on icy driveways or sidewalks, simply sprinkle some coffee grounds on them to give yourself some traction. When you wait long enough, with the right amount of sunlight, your coffee grounds, thanks to their dark color, also absorb and radiate heat, causing nearby ice to melt faster.
Furniture Scratch Repair
You can also rub wet coffee grounds on distressed furniture surfaces. This simultaneously fills in the scratches and conceals the filled spots. You can then wipe off any residue and pat the area off with a cloth. As Huffpost says, coffee grounds are particularly great with dark wood pieces.
Remove Fireplace Ashes
You can also sprinkle wet coffee grounds on your fireplace ashes before scraping them out to clean. Coffee grounds help to keep the ashes in place and prevent them from creating smoke clouds. You can then scrape the mixture out without ash dust spreading around.
Polish Metal
The natural coarseness of coffee grounds also makes them effective abrasives for restoring the shine of metals. You use them to remove tarnish and rust, just like when cleaning other surfaces mentioned on our list—just put some coffee grounds on a damp cloth and scrub away.
Repel Cats from Garden
If you have some stray cats causing a nuisance at home, coffee grounds will come to your aid here, too! The strong smell of coffee is too unpleasant for cats to bear, and this forces them to stay away. Just sprinkling some coffee grounds around your garden beds and plants will prevent cats from digging there.
Deodorizer
If you’re finding it difficult to get rid of the pungent smell of onions or garlic, coffee grounds are a great natural solution. You can either use them directly as scrubs or simply lay them in your refrigerator, shoes, and trash cans to absorb any unpleasant smell. Yahoo shares that they’re better DIY deodorizers than baking soda.
Natural Air Freshener
Not only will coffee grounds absorb musty odors in a room or closet, but they’ll also leave you with a light coffee scent. Using dry grounds as air fresheners would be awesome, only if you love the smell of coffee. To maximize the scent, you can place a bag of them in air vents. Make sure to replace them regularly as well!
Use in Chili
Many people also use coffee grounds to add depth and complexity to their chili recipes. Coffee grounds go well with (and can be added to) chili rubs, sauces, vinaigrette, and even already-made stews. The result is a dish with an added, subtle, malty sweetness – yum!
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