If you're a home-brewed coffee connoisseur, you're bound to end up with used grounds leftover every day. Whether you're using a Keurig or make coffee in a French press, coffee grounds can be a big source of kitchen waste. Instead of throwing them out right away, why not put it to good use? Here are 6 unique ways to get more use out of your coffee grounds and can reduce food waste at the same time!
1. Embrace the Abrasiveness
The rough texture of coffee grounds makes for an excellent scouring agent. You can use them just as you would salt or baking soda to clean food residue from pots and pans, dishes, or even your outdoor grill. Simply sprinkle some coffee grounds onto a dirty surface, add a little water, and scrub!
2. Help Your Garden Grow
Coffee grounds are an exceptional source of nitrogen, which makes them great for fertilising plants in your backyard garden. Throw them on your compost pile, or mix them in with the soil around your plants. The coffee will help to break down organic material in the soil and release its nutrients slowly over time.
3. Repel Pesky Pets
If you're having trouble with bugs in your garden or indoor plants, you might be surprised to find out coffee can help! Coffee grounds are a natural repellent of fruit flies, ants, slugs, and other insects – simply place the grounds around the stems of your plants to form a protective barrier against those pesky pests.
4. Cover Up Furniture Scratches
Do you have unsightly scratches on your dark wood furniture? Try using coffee grounds as a DIY stain to help cover them up! The dark colour of the coffee will help to minimise the appearance of scratches, hiding them from view. Simply apply a thin layer of grounds with a brush, let it dry and then brush off the excess.
5. Deodorise Your Home
Coffee beans are known for their ability to soak up odours. Use this to your advantage by using coffee grounds as a deodoriser for your entire house. All you need to do is place a scoop of grounds in a small bowl or container, and place them strategically around your home. The grounds will help to absorb any unpleasant smells in the air, and you can follow with any other room scent if you don't fancy the smell of coffee in your bathroom.
6. Scrub for Smooth Skin
Coffee has long been used as an exfoliating agent for the body. Make your own coffee scrub by mixing equal parts olive oil or coconut oil with grounds in a food processor, until it forms a thick paste. Apply to your skin and scrub in a circular motion. Rinse off with warm water and enjoy your smooth, soft skin!
