Stop Tossing Your Old Coffee Grounds. Here are 15 Genius Ways to Reuse Them Around the House
This one is for the coffee lovers out there. If you are a coffeeholic, try these easy and useful ways to reuse your old coffee grounds!
If you are anything like me, you like to start your morning out with a fresh cup of coffee. Whether you drink it every day or not, there is no harm in a little coffee fanaticism. With every cup of coffee, comes used coffee grounds. Instead of throwing them in the trash, use them! There are many easy do-it-yourself ways to reuse coffee grounds! They are an excellent way to stimulate new life to your plants or even keeping pests out of your garden! Here are 15 different ways to utilize those used coffee grounds.
Skin Care – Making a body scrub out of coffee grounds can be amazing for your skin. Mix coffee grounds, coconut oil, and brown sugar! Exfoliate the desired area and see results in days!
Flowers – Acid-loving plants like roses love coffee grounds! They benefit from coffee grounds natural acidity and it also adds nutrients to the soil! Keep the valentine’s day roses alive simply by dumping your coffee grounds into the pot! Other flowers that love coffee grounds are hydrangeas, camellias, azaleas, and rhododendrons!
Ants – If the ants just keep coming and are overstaying their welcome, use coffee grounds to drive them in the opposite direction! Ants hate the smell of coffee grounds. Place them in the affected area and watch the ants flee!
Snails and Slugs – Spread used coffee grounds outside on the patio to keep away the slugs and snails! The natural pheromones of coffee drive them away. They find the smell simply unpleasant. It’s okay, we don’t like them either.
Compost – Add coffee grounds to your compost pile. The compounds in the coffee grounds help to naturally break down compost. They are rich in nitrogen. Worms also might be drawn into your compost because worms really appreciate the aroma of a good coffee bean.
Carrot Harvesting – Coffee grounds have a high content of caffeine in them. This is beneficial when it comes to harvest this season’s carrots! Before sowing, this season’s harvest, add a little coffee grounds with them at planting time. This will give them more energy, and they will grow to a fuller potential! Not only will your plants be more lively, but you will also keep pests away from them!
Odors – Coffee grounds are excellent at absorbing odors. They work especially great for absorbing odors from foods. You may even see a bottle of coffee beans at your local perfume dealer! Coffee grounds work much like baking soda in this way. Simply put old grounds in a container and stow them away in the back of the fridge! They will absorb all the odors while you collect more coffee grounds.
Abrasive – While used grounds are abrasive, they aren’t so harsh that they will damage the surfaces in your kitchen. They work great for cutting through tough grease stains on the counter. You can also use coffee grounds to clean jewelry and other items with metal finishes.
Golden Dye – Turn the annoying coffee stain into something productive! Coffee grounds can be used to create a beautiful golden colored dye. Used coffee grounds soaked in a bit of water can also be used to turn boring white paper into ‘antique’ parchment.
Candles – If you love the smell of coffee, this one is for you! Make a natural homemade candle using your old coffee grounds. It smells great and is fun to do at the same time! Make a fun family project in creating coffee candles!
Cleaning a Fireplace – Coffee grounds will make the process of cleaning out your fireplace much easier and less messy. Gently scatter old used coffee grounds over the ashes to weight them down and prevent the huge clouds of smoke that often arise when performing this arduous task. Not only will shoveling the ashes be easier than ever before, you also won’t have to wipe down every horizontal surface in the room when you’re done.
Hair Care – Used coffee grounds are extremely beneficial for your hair. Remove that build-up using old coffee grounds to give your hair a lift and restore its natural healthy shine. Before you shampoo, simply grab a handful of used grounds and massage them into your hair. The coarse texture is enough to break apart the product residue, without actually damaging the hair itself. It has a nice aroma to it too!
Cellulite – cellulite has many causes and for every cause, there are at least a dozen “cures” which may or may not actually work. Well, here’s one that does: used coffee grounds. Mix coffee grounds and warm water and apply topically to the affected area. Scrub for up to 10 minutes and rinse. You should see results within a few weeks.
Soap – You can actually make your own caffeinated soap from coffee grounds! Many soaps on the market today contain harmful chemicals in them. Big soap manufacturers cannot be trusted, so make this easy do-it-yourself caffeine soap! It is a great natural alternative to harmful toxin contaminated soaps.
Facial Mask – Make a rejuvenating face mask using your old coffee grounds. Mix two tablespoons of used coffee grounds with an equal amount of organic cocoa powder. Add three tablespoons of whole milk or heavy cream and top it off with a heaping tablespoon of honey for the perfect all-natural alpha-hydroxy and antioxidant facial.
Tomorrow morning think before you toss those coffee grounds in the trash. They are a natural alternative to many harmful products such as soap or pesticides. There are so many different ways to use coffee grounds! It would simply be a waste of resources to throw them out!