5 ways To Use Coffee Grounds

Getting the most out of your grounds

As a coffee drinker, you may assume that the usefulness of your grounds ends as soon as the drink is brewed. But rather than simply throwing the remnants away, there are actually a huge number of ways in which you can reuse the grounds to good effect. So when it comes to finding the best way in which to dispose of these left overs, try to following suggestions:

1. Great around the garden

For those in need of an acidic fertiliser, the flower bed might be the perfect place to drop off the grounds, with azaleas, rhododendrons, hydrangeas and roses all enjoying a generous sprinkling. When planting things such as carrot and or radish seeds, don’t be afraid to mix them in with the grounds for a while before planting, as it can dramatically increase your yield. As well as being a good fertiliser, the left over coffee can be great for sorting out your compost, releasing nitrogen into the mix and making everything especially rich. When mixed in with chopped orange peel, a gentle sprinkling around the flower beds can ward off cats.

2. Cleaning around the home

There are many ways in which old coffee grounds can be used to help out with the cleaning around the home by being able to replace many different types of specialist products, saving you money and effort. One way is to use it as a scour powder. Mixing the grounds with equal parts baking soda, the mixture can be used to remove grime and grease from pots and pans. If you are about to clear out a fire place after it has been used, damp coffee grounds sprinkled on top are an excellent way of reducing the dust which often gets kicked up during the cleaning process.

3. An odour eater

Dried grounds are a fantastic way of getting rid of those difficult and annoying odours which crop up in the fridge. Lay out the used coffee grounds on a baking sheet to dry them out and then use them to fill up a bowl which is then placed into the fridge or freezer. This can also be used in musty cupboards and cramped spaces. A small pot filled with dried out grounds is useful to keep around the kitchen. When you find yourself cutting onions or garlic, simply rub a little bit of the old coffee on your hands to get rid of those cooking smells.

4. Caffeine cosmetics

There are a number of ways in which the chemicals which are naturally found in used coffee grounds can be used to improve your skin. It can be used as an exfoliating scrub, with the caffeine helping to stimulate the cells in your skin, tightening it up. Those with darker hair can use old coffee grounds in warm water to rinse through the hair to encourage a more vibrant shine. People who suffer from acne might even be able to benefit from their old coffee grounds, mixing them with just enough milk to create a paste. Apply to the skin, leave for twenty minutes and rinse away in order to take advantage of the natural astringent and antioxidant properties present in the coffee to rid you of acne.

5. Not forgetting used tea leaves

Tea leaves also makes great plan food for indoor plants, potted plants and generally around the garden. Green tea in particular is high in nitrogen while offering the added benefit of warding off insects and pests.