Every day when I’m cleaning out my coffee maker I wonder if there is something I can do with the used coffee grounds. I decided to look into it and have put together a list of different uses for used coffee grounds.
1. Deodorizer. Dry them out on a cookie sheet and then put them in a bowl in your refrigerator or freezer, or rub them on your hands to get rid of food prep smells.
2. Clean Tools and Dishware. Place a few teaspoons of grounds on a thin cleaning rag and use to scour away grease and grime. Finish with a thorough rinsing.
3. Hide Furniture Scratches. Dip a cotton swab into steeped grounds and dab on scratches in dark wood furniture to minimize them. Just test in an inconspicuous area first.
4. Give Paper an Antique Look. Dip paper or sheets of stationery in a soupy mix of grounds and water; allow them to sit a minute or two, then let dry and brush off the grounds.
5. Dye. By steeping grounds in hot water, you can make brown dye for fabric and even Easter eggs.
6. Repel Insects. Mound grounds into a ring to create a protective border around plants that will ward off ants and slugs.
7. Grow Blue Hydrangeas. Work grounds into the soil at the base of mophead hydrangeas to increase the acidity level. This helps the shrubs absorb aluminum, which you can add to the soil to keep the flowers a vibrant blue.
8. Plant food. Plants such as rosebushes, azaleas, rhododendrons, evergreen and camellias that prefer acidic soils will appreciate the leftovers from your morning cup. Also, grounds can add nutrients to your compost bin.
9. Kitty repellent. To keep kitty from using the garden as her personal powder room, sprinkle grounds mixed with orange peels around your plants.
10. Contain Ashes. Sprinkle damp grounds on fireplace ashes to cut down on airborne dust as you sweep them up.
11. Scrub Hands. Rub a scoop of grounds between palms as an exfoliant to remove dead skin and help eliminate smells from foods like fish and garlic.
12. Make a Cockroach Trap. Fill a can or jar with an inch or two of moistened coffee grounds, then line the container’s neck with extra-sticky double-sided tape. The scent will draw the roaches into the trap.
13. Fortify Plants. Give seedlings a nitrogen boost by stirring grounds into soil or a watering can.
14. Cellulite reducer. I haven’t tried this my self but you’re supposed to mix 1/4 cup warm, used coffee grounds with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then, while standing over an old towel or newspaper, we’re to apply the mixture to our “problem areas”. Next, wrap the areas with shrink wrap and leave on for several minutes. Unwind the wrap, brush loose grounds off our skin and then shower with warm water. For best results, it is recommended to repeat this procedure twice a week. A little weird to be sure, but as high priced cellulite creams actually have coffee in them, it just might work.
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