If you have old coffee grounds that you aren’t sure are fit for consumption, you really don’t need to throw them away. Instead of making a hot cuppa, here are 9 things you can do with them around your home.
Fertilize Plants
One of the most popular uses of coffee grounds is improving soil quality, and there are many benefits to this. Coffee grounds improve water retention in the soil and also add nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. However, UMaine explains that it’s best to use your grounds as a soil conditioner in moderate amounts.
Compost Additive
You can mix coffee grounds with your organic matter, like leaves or grass clippings, to speed up the composting process, thanks to the nitrogen in them. Grounds create a balanced carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, which ensures microbes have enough protein to feed on and makes composting piles more effective.
Pest Repellent
When you sprinkle coffee grounds around your plants or even in your compost, you chase off pests like ants, slugs, and snails. Coffee grounds also contain toxic compounds that can be used to deter insects like mosquitoes, fruit flies, and beetles from entering your home.
Natural Cleaning Scrub
Coffee grounds have a coarse texture, and this makes them great DIY scrubs to remove grime from pots, pans, and stovetops. They’ll help you get rid of stubborn food residue, and they’re also gentle enough to ensure you don’t leave permanent scratches on scrubbed surfaces.
Furniture Scratch Repair
You can also rub wet coffee grounds on distressed furniture surfaces. This simultaneously fills in the scratches and conceals the filled spots. You can then wipe off any residue and pat the area off with a cloth. As Huffpost says, coffee grounds are particularly great with dark wood pieces.
Natural Dye
Iowa State University refers to coffee grounds as a sustainable alternative to chemical dyes, and the dying process is quite easy to follow. To infuse earthy brown tones into your clothes, simply dissolve coffee grounds with salt in water, boil the mixture, place your fabric in it, and, when satisfied, rinse off any residue.
Wood Stain
In the same way as cloth dyes, you can also use coffee grounds to stain wood and give it a natural, rusty look. All you need is some coffee and hot water to create a thick, concentrated, dark brown-mixture. Use a cloth to apply the stain, and simply wait for the wood surface to dry out.
Deodorizer
If you’re finding it difficult to get rid of the pungent smell of onions or garlic, coffee grounds are a great natural solution. You can either use them directly as scrubs or simply lay them in your refrigerator, shoes, and trash cans to absorb any unpleasant smell. Yahoo shares that they’re better DIY deodorizers than baking soda.
Hair Treatment
Coffee grounds are great for your hair’s health, and this is because of two things. Firstly, you can rid your scalp of dead skin by rubbing it off with cold grounds. Secondly, you can encourage hair growth by washing your hair with some coffee ground mix once or twice a week.
