25 Uses You Never Considered (But Should!) for Coffee Grounds
We already knew that coffee makes the world go round, but we didn’t know that our fave hot bevvie is worth its weight in gold—even after we’ve savoured our oh-so-delicious home brew. So grab that cup of java, and read our list of ways to use those delicious left-over coffee grounds from your home brewed Joe. You’ll be glad you did.
1. Plants love coffee as much as we do. Use your old coffee grounds as mulch for plants like roses, azaleas, rhododendrons, evergreens, camellias, and hydrangeas.
2. Snails aren’t fans of coffee (probably why they’re so slow). With snails or slugs in your garden, your flowers won’t grow. So use old coffee grounds to get them gone.
3. Ants don’t drink coffee either. You can sprinkle coffee grounds around ant mounds to deter them, or around areas you’d prefer they didn’t march.
4. Help with the dust. Dried coffee grounds can also be sprinkled on a wood floor before mopping. Adds a bit of shine and grabs the dust. Then compost it all.
5. Cats may like cream but coffee isn’t their thing. Keep the neighbourhood kitties out of your garden by sprinkling orange peels and coffee grounds around any plants they’re eyeing.
6. A healthier way to tan. To rejuvenate a tan without harming your skin in the sun, just add a cup of boiling water to used coffee grounds. Once cooled, rub it all over your body, soak it in for about 15 minutes, and then rinse off.
7. Scrub hands. Rub a scoop of grounds between palms as an exfoliant to remove dead skin and help eliminate smells from foods like fish and garlic.
8. Coffee boost for carrots. To give your carrots a boost of energy, mix their seeds with dried coffee grounds before planting. This also will also help keep pests away (see #s 2, 3 and 5).
9. Clean cast iron cookware. Put a few teaspoons of grounds on a cloth and use to scour away grease and grime. Finish with a thorough rinsing (no soap!).
10. Coffee-scented chimney. Cleaning your fireplace couldn’t be easier! Sprinkle damp, used coffee grounds on top of the ash in the fireplace before attempting to clean. It will weigh down the ash and eliminate clouds of dust. Plus, it will smell delicious.
11. Get creative. Make a sepia dye with old coffee grounds by soaking them in hot water. Use the dye for fabrics, wool, paper, or even Easter Eggs.
12. Hide scratches on natural wood furniture. Dip a Q-Tip into steeped grounds and dab on scratches in dark wood furniture to minimize them. Just test in an inconspicuous area first.
13. New car smell. Make an air freshener for your car out of old coffee grounds by cutting the leg off of an old pair of nylon stockings. Dump a bunch of coffee grounds inside, then add about two drops of vanilla extract into the mix, and tie the leg off. Your car will smell less like a gym and more like a Starbucks.
14. Marinate meat. Use a strong brew of coffee and add it to an already existing recipe or premade sauce for a slightly more smokey flavor. Delicious!
15. Coffee and no cigarettes. If your car’s ashtray smells of cigarettes (not from you, obviously!), sprinkle around some old coffee grounds and use a soft washcloth to scrub out the residue. Then rinse.
16. Clean your fridge—or just hide the smells. Deodorize your fridge by sprinkling used coffee grounds inside, or just put the whole used filter, grounds included, in an old margarine or butter dish.
17. Goodbye, cellulite. Okay, so there is no “proven” way to get rid of cellulite, but some celebrities swear by this odd treatment involving old coffee grounds: Mix an egg white with the day’s used coffee grounds, warm it up in the microwave, and then spread the gooey concoction on your problem areas. Wrap tightly in saran wrap. Boom—you’ve just saved $700 at the spa.
18. Brunettes, rejoice! Brunettes and dark redheads can benefit from rinsing their hair in coffee to rejuvenate their color. Just steep your used grounds in two cups of hot water and then rinse this through your hair.
19. Coffee-off dry skin. Exfoliating with coffee grounds can help stimulate blood flow, promoting healthier and tighter skin. Just add mineral oil or vitamin E oil to old coffee grounds and apply it to your skin with a loofah.
20. The cheapest facelift. Ever. Mix a quarter cup of coffee grounds with one egg white, and then spread the mixture over your face. Once it is dry and flakey, rub the mask off and rinse your face. Voila—a tighter face.
21. Exfoliate. It is easy to turn coffee grounds into a perfect skin exfoliant by blending it with a natural oil base. You will see results and pay so much less than buying products in the store!
22. Make a coffee rub. If you’d rather make a rub for meat instead of a marinade, coffee grounds can still come to the rescue. Check out this simple, yet delicious recipe for you next rub. You won’t believe how easy it will be to whip up!
23. Enhance your 2nd favourite flavour. Coffee can boost the flavour of chocolate. Add a dash of instant coffee in hot chocolate or to any chocolate cake, brownie or cookie recipes.
24. Get shiny hair. Add it to your routine once a week by mixing the grounds with your favorite conditioner. Coffee is said to actually aid with hair growth. (Probably not a good idea for dyed or very light blondes.)
25. Help your compost. If none of these ideas appeal to you, toss your grounds in with your compost. They’ll add nitrogen to your pile. Added bonus: coffee filters can also be composted, so throw it all in there.
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