If you’re like me and love your morning coffee, you probably have a stash of unused coffee grounds lying around. Before you toss them out, consider their many amazing uses in gardening, home maintenance, and even cooking. If you’re not a coffee drinker, don’t worry—many coffee shops are more than willing to give away their used coffee grounds.
Coffee grounds are essentially crushed coffee beans, similar to how flour is made from wheat. We brew coffee from these grounds to get our caffeine fix, but the unbrewed ones can be surprisingly useful in their natural state. Let’s explore some practical ways to use unbrewed coffee grounds.
In the kitchen, their gritty texture can help scrub away tough food residues on pots and pans without damaging them. Just mix a handful with some dish soap and use a scrub pad.
For household maintenance, if your drain starts to smell, simply pour some coffee grounds down the drain followed by hot water to freshen it up.
Unbrewed coffee grounds can also be a natural remedy for pests. Ants, for instance, are put off by caffeine. Sprinkle some grounds where ants are active, and you’ll notice fewer of them over time. Similarly, after shampooing your pet, rub coffee grounds into their fur to naturally repel fleas.
Roaches are attracted to the scent of coffee too, so if you’re dealing with these pests, fill a container with damp coffee grounds and line the edges with sticky tape to trap them.
Need a natural deodorizer? Coffee grounds can absorb odors from your fridge, gym bag, or shoes. Simply fill socks or pantyhose with the grounds and tie them off.
Coffee grounds are also perfect for candle making. Place tea lights on a bed of coffee grounds—the heat will release a pleasant aroma.
Using coffee grounds in the fireplace can prevent ash clouds when cleaning. Spread the grounds to weigh down ashes and make cleanup easier.
For a DIY sewing project, use coffee grounds to create a fragrant pincushion that also prevents rust on your needles.
Coffee grounds can also be handy in the winter by providing traction on icy sidewalks, though they’re not as effective at melting ice as salt is.
In the garden, coffee grounds enrich the soil with nitrogen, potassium, and magnesium, helping plants thrive. Acid-loving plants like azaleas and rhododendrons will love them, and they’ll also attract beneficial worms to your garden.
Make gardener’s soap by adding coffee grounds to melted glycerin soap, perfect for washing up after a day outdoors. And if you’re trying to keep cats out of specific parts of your garden, coffee grounds mixed with orange peels can act as a natural deterrent.
Besides the garden and the home, coffee grounds are great for beauty treatments too. They’re an excellent natural stain for wood, and they can work as an exfoliator when mixed with some brown sugar and oil. Similarly, you can use them to improve the appearance of cellulite with a homemade scrub.
If you’ve ever spilled coffee on a white shirt, you know it can leave a lasting stain. Use coffee grounds to dye fabrics or paper for an artistic touch, and they can even darken brunette hair.
Exfoliating your scalp with coffee grounds can remove buildup and may even stimulate hair growth. For reducing dark circles under the eyes, caffeine in coffee grounds can improve blood circulation and reduce swelling.
Finally, if you have a cold sore, dabbing wet coffee grounds can help soothe it and speed up healing. Coffee’s natural properties also make it a great acne mask when mixed into a paste with milk.
With so many uses in and around your home and garden, coffee grounds are a versatile resource that shouldn’t go to waste.
