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Looking for different ways to use your left over coffee grounds?
About half of the people in the U.S. over the age of 18 drink a cup of coffee each day. That is more than 450 million cups of coffee a day. For most people this is just an everyday routine. Once the routine is complete, the coffee grounds end up in the garbage.
Coffee grounds are extremely versatile so instead of sending them off to a land fill, try using them around the house, in homemade body-care products or in the garden. Mother Earth New Living shared these uses for coffee grounds.
Odor Eater:
- Coffee grounds can absorb unpleasant orders just like baking soda. In an open jar, combine a week’s worth of coffee grounds and place it in the back of your refrigerator or freezer. The coffee grounds will naturally deodorize the space.
Hearth Helper:
- Sprinkle coffee grounds over the ashes in your fireplace. The grounds help to dampen the dust and keep it from flying everywhere before you clean it out.
Scratch Remover:
- For scratched wood surfaces, mix ¼ cup coffee grounds with ¼ cup warm water and ¼ cup vinegar. Let this steep for an hour and then apply the mixture to the scratched wood surface using a washcloth. Let the stain sit for 5 minutes for light-colored surfaces or up to an hour for dark-colored surfaces before you wipe it away. If you are worried about the stain getting too dark, apply in small increments until you achieve the color you want.
Hand Savior:
- Rub coffee grounds into the palms of your hands after handling smelly foods like garlic, onion or fish. The grounds will absorb the smell and any excess oils off of your hands.
DIY Candle:
- Use coffee grounds in a homemade candle to make your house smell as though you have been roasting beans all day long. In a small canning jar, place a wick in the center of the jar with alternating layers of coffee grounds and melted beeswax. (Beeswax must dry between layers.) The candle will release a subtle coffee scent that will perk you up without the caffeine.
Dish Cleaner:
- Mix a handful of coffee grounds with your dish soap. The abrasive grit will help scrub away tough bits stuck to pots and pans.
Meat Rub:
- Combine ¼ cup coffee grounds with ¼ cup ground pepper and 3 tablespoons kosher salt for a savory coffee meat rub. Sprinkle the rub on your favorite raw meat before grilling. For best results, use fresh ground coffee.
Worm Compost:
- Coffee grounds are slightly acidic making them a phenomenal fertilizer. These are great for acidic loving plants like blueberries, tomatoes, roses and hydrangeas. Coffee grounds also attract worms who love the gritty material. The coffee grounds help the worms’ digestion in turn making a great soil. Coffee grounds can be dumped directly into your compost or garden.
Color Boost:
- You can deepen the blue color of your hydrangeas because of the acidic nature of the coffee grounds. Hydrangeas color is dependent on the pH of the soil.
Control Pests:
- The pungent aroma of the coffee grounds will help deter snails, slugs and other garden pests from disturbing your garden. They can also be used inside your house to repel ants. Sprinkle the grounds where ants commonly enter your home.
Seed Starter:
- With the high carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (almost 20:1), used coffee grounds will release nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, into the surrounding soil as they break down.
Sugar Scrub:
- Mix ¼ cup used coffee grounds and ½ cup sugar with 2 tablespoons coconut oil to form a scrub. Rub all over dry skin. The scrub will help reduce the appearance of cellulite as well as tighten and tone skin. You can also add a few drops of vanilla essential oil for a vanilla-latte version.
Exfoliating Soap:
- Add used coffee grounds to a homemade soap mixture to make a light exfoliating hand or body soap with a subtle coffee scent.
Hair Treatment:
- Massage a mixture of ¼ cup coffee grounds and ¼ cup coconut oil into your scalp for a luxurious but deep clean. Caffeine stimulates hair growth and will give your hair a fresh luster while dispelling build-up. The coconut oil will moisturize your scalp and hydrate dry strands of hair. Rinse out with an apple cider vinegar rinse. (NOTE: Coffee grounds could stain lighter colored hair.)
