1. Homemade Fertilizer
You can replace your store-bought fertilizer with coffee grounds. Just
sprinkle the grounds in the soil around your plants, or mix 1/2 cup of
grounds and warm water in a spray bottle to make a fertilizer mist for
your home garden.
2. Bug Repellent
The strong scent of coffee keeps insects at bay. You can sprinkle dry
coffee grounds along the foundation of your house, or put the grounds in
bowls and set them out on the patio to keep the bugs away.
3. In Compost
Tossing coffee grounds in your compost pile helps stabilize the pH
level, which helps foods degrade more quickly, and more evenly. The
coffee scent also helps with the smell.
4. Worm Food
Worms can ingest coffee grounds without harm. If you keep worms for vermicomposting, or to use as bait, adding coffee grounds to the dirt enables them to live longer.
5. Dumpster Deodorizer
Coffee grounds can absorb the strong odors in your garbage. Fill up an
old pair of pantyhose with some dry coffee grounds, and hang the mixture
on the inside of your trash can lid.
Inside Uses
6. Drain CleanerThe gritty texture of the grounds and the strong scent helps unclog and deodorize your kitchen sink. Boil a cup of coffee grounds in a pot of water, and then pour the entire hot mixture down the drain.
7. Scratch Repair
You can use coffee to hide scratches on dark wood or espresso finishes. Mix a small amount of grounds with warm water to make a paste, rub the paste over the scratch, and wipe it off with a towel. The grounds stain the wood, and make the scratch less noticeable.
8. Refrigerator Deodorizer
Most people use baking soda for this, but coffee grounds work, too. Fill a cheese cloth with dry coffee grounds, and place the bag on a shelf in your refrigerator. The grounds absorb strong odors.
9. Food Flavoring
Used coffee grounds work just as well as fresh grounds in food recipes. You can also add a small amount of grounds to chocolate baked goods for some added flavor.
10. Household Cleaner
Wet or dry coffee grounds effectively clean heavily soiled pots and pans, and dirty countertops. Just toss the grounds on the surface, and scrub with a sponge. Test a small area of a countertop for colorfastness before cleaning the entire surface.
Personal Use
11. Face and Body ScrubYou can replace your store-bought exfoliator with coffee grounds. The abrasiveness of the grounds helps remove dead skin cells, without irritating your face or body. To use, rub the grounds on in the shower, then wash them off with cool water.
12. Hair Shine
Running coffee grounds through your hair can give it a nice sheen. Just rub the coffee grounds in as part of a final rinse, and wash them out with cold water.
13. Hand Odor Neutralizer
Cooking with onions or garlic leaves a strong odor on your hands that most liquid soaps can’t remove. After cooking, wet your hands and rub a small amount of coffee grounds on them, then rinse with cool water. This removes the odor from your hands and nails.
14. Shoe Deodorizer
Sprinkle dry coffee grounds into your shoes, let them sit overnight, and then shake the grounds out over a trashcan. The grounds soak up any odors, leaving your shoes smelling cleaner.
15. Craft Projects
Coffee grounds make realistic looking dirt, tree limbs, and beards in art projects. With a little glue, you can add a three-dimensional look to any art project. Kids especially love doing art projects with used coffee grounds.
