Most of us tend to dispose of our used coffee grounds after making our favourite brew. In this blog we are going to explore some of our favourite ways that these old grounds can be used! So before you plop your full filter paper in the bin, or scoop out the grounds from the bottom of your cafetiere, have a read through and you might discover a creative second use that is perfect for you.
1. Plant Fertiliser
Did you know that coffee grounds are packed with minerals that are essential for optimal plant growth. These key minerals include: nitrogen, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and chromium. As well as this, they also help to attract worms, which will work wonders for your garden.
To use as a plant fertiliser simply sprinkle the used grounds onto the soil surrounding your plants.
2. Face & Body Scrub
The coarseness of ground coffee can be the perfect texture for exfoliating your skin. You may be familiar with some well-known coffee scrubs - why not make your own to cater for your skin type! The caffeine found in the coffee can also increase blood flow, which aids in overall skin health, and can be great for reducing the appearance of cellulite!
We recommend mixing a small amount of water or coconut oil with your coffee, you can then scrub this onto your body using your hands, to unveil silky smooth skin.
3. Cleaning Scrub
As this coarse texture makes coffee abrasive, this is perfect for helping to remove dirt build-up on surfaces that are hard to clean. Also perfect for kitchen utensils that have seen better days, the grounds can be perfectly used to scour old food build up. Just be careful of brown stains! We recommend not to use for cleaning anything to fragile that can be easily stained.
To use them as an insect and pest repellent, simply sprinkle the used grounds around outdoor seating areas or set out bowls of grounds to help repell.
4. Insect Repellent
There are certain compounds found in coffee that can be highly toxic to insects - these include caffeine and diterpenes. Because of this, coffee grounds can be used to repel bugs such as mosquitos, fruit flies and beetles. They also may help to keep other pests away too!
Simply set out bowls of grounds or sprinkle them around outdoor seating areas to help to repel insects and pests.
5. Eliminate Odors
Coffee grounds can also help to absorb and eliminate odors as they contain nitrogen, which helps eliminate foul-smelling sulfur gasses from the air when it’s combined with carbon. Place a bowl of coffee grounds in your fridge or freezer to neutralize odors from spoiled or fragrant foods. Do you struggle to get the smell of garlic or onions off of your hands after cooking? The grounds are perfect to remove this smell from your hands when used as a scrub.
Next time you brew yourself a cup of coffee, you can now consider making further use out of the grounds using one of the ideas in our blog! We recommend keeping them stored instead of throwing them away - then you can decide what to do with them when you have compiled a generous amount together.
