Sweet, light or full-bodied? We love our morning coffee! Plus, we love the whole ritual that comes with it… The sound when the machine starts and the coffee fills the glass, its smell, its creamy foam that melts in your mouth…
What are coffee grounds?
Coffee grounds are simply leftover coffee after use! You know… the wet residue that forms after brewing your coffee! This 100% natural material is made up of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and offers numerous benefits and uses! Then it’s high time to stop seeing it as a waste! After preparing your coffee, leave the coffee grounds in a container lined with absorbent paper towels. Once it’s dry, you can recycle it in many ways! We’ll tell you everything!
What can you do with coffee grounds? : 21 tips to try!
If the coffee grounds aren’t destined to end up in the trash can, what can you do with them? Here are 25 tips that you must try at home to enjoy your coffee to the fullest!
Use coffee grounds at home
Let’s start by giving you a small, detailed list of the uses of coffee grounds for cleaning your home! You will be very surprised!
1- Eliminate bad odors from your pipes
It’s easy to get rid of the unpleasant odors that sometimes come out of your pipes! Prepare your coffee as usual in the coffee machine and enjoy! Let the coffee grounds cool, then pour them directly into the sink and let the hot water run!
2- Deodorize your refrigerator, garbage cans and cabinets!
As cleaning expert Dominika , better known as Washy_Wash on TikTok, confirms, coffee absorbs odors and smells great! So, if your refrigerator emits bad odors even after a thorough cleaning, fill a container with coffee grounds and place it in your appliance. It absorbs all the annoying odors and lightly perfumes your refrigerator with coffee aroma. You can also put some of it in your closet or near your trash can!
3- Inhibit the ash of your fireplace
Before cleaning your chimney, take advantage of this little trick so that you don’t get it everywhere! To prevent the ash from spreading during cleaning, cover it with plenty of moist coffee grounds!
4- Use coffee grounds as a repellent and keep ants away from your pantry!
When the heat rises, the ants are out! So, if you have an infestation of these little critters in your kitchen and want to get rid of them without the use of chemicals, sprinkle dry coffee grounds in their transit areas.
5- Clean all dirty surfaces!
Because coffee grounds are somewhat abrasive and acidic, they are great for cleaning countertops, stoves, and refrigerators.
6- Perfume your car!
As seen above, dry coffee grounds absorb bad odors! So why not use it in your car too? Put some of it in a sock you tie and place it in the cabin to deodorize it.
7- Free your pet from fleas
If you want to take care of your four-legged friend and rid him of the nasty fleas he suffers, rub wet coffee grounds on his fur after a good bath! Here’s how to repel fleas, ticks, and lice from your pet with a natural repellent without toxic chemicals!
8- Fill in the scratches on your furniture
And yes ! You can make small scratches on your dark furniture disappear! Rub a damp cotton swab dipped in coffee grounds and a lot of patience over the scratches little by little until the damage disappears! An ingenious idea that will give your pretty furniture a better look…
9- Eliminate the smell of “tobacco” from your home
Coffee grounds are effective against bad odors, especially tobacco odors! Place some of these in small containers around your house and you’ll only smell the coffee around you! It’s so much more fun!
10- Eliminate bad odors from shoes
It happens that our shoes smell bad and this is quite normal, because it is there that the bacteria find the warm and humid environment they need to develop! That’s where coffee grounds come in! Place it in a small cloth bag and place it in the shoe in question for 24 hours. Then remove the bag and air out the shoe!
11- Color the fabrics
Imagine that leftover coffee can be used to paint and create brown watercolors, of course!
- Save any leftover coffee until you have a sufficient supply. In fact, you need at least half a cup to paint with coffee! ;
- Boil your coffee grounds with a little water until you get an elastic, dense, dark and sticky mixture.
- And off we go! You’ve got your raw material, so get your brushes!
12- Clean the grill, oven plate and pans
After you’ve had a good cup of coffee, you can use the coffee grounds to clean your grill! Just let it cool and place it on some newspaper. Then, scrub your grill with it to remove grease and ash! Finish the process by rinsing with a soapy sponge and admire the result once the grid is dry!
13- Cook!
Oh yes! Coffee grounds are edible and, once incorporated, will give your cookies an exquisite flavor and a very pleasant texture for the palate! Your guests will never guess the secret behind this unique and subtle taste. Want to try the recipe? Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- 100 g coffee grounds;
- 350g almond flour;
- 5 g of baking powder (you can also use baking soda instead);
- 300 g almond paste;
- 350 g vegetable butter;
- 380 g fructose;
- 2 eggs ;
- 100 ml almond milk.
Steps to prepare your cookies:
- Mix butter, fructose, eggs and milk in a container until homogeneous;
- Transfer the coffee grounds, flour and baking powder to another container and stir with a stick.
- Add everything to the previous mixture little by little, continuing to beat with the stick;
- Add the almond pulp and let it rest in the fridge for 20 minutes;
- Using a piping bag, shape your cookies on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
- Bake your cookies at 160°C for 15 minutes and take them with you to eat!
14- Make coffee scented candles!
If you love the scent of coffee so much that you want to use it as a home fragrance, you can always make candles for your home! To do this, you will need:
- 1 or 2 tablespoons of dry coffee grounds;
- 1 cup candle wax;
- A candle wick or a cotton thread;
Instructions to follow:
- Put the wax in a metal bowl and place it in a half-filled pan to make a double boiler.
- Put it on low heat and wait for the wax to melt.
- Take a dry paper cup and place the wick in it (in the middle) before carefully pouring half of the coffee grounds into it;
- Then pour in the melted wax and wait 20 minutes for it to harden.
- Make a third layer by adding the rest of the coffee grounds on top of the dried wax, then a fourth layer of wax;
- Leave to dry for an hour;
- Remove the paper cup by cutting it open with scissors.
- Smooth the edges with a towel if necessary. And now your candle is ready! The subdued atmosphere and subtle scent are guaranteed to sweeten your cocooning evening!
Use of coffee grounds in beauty care
After cleaning the house, let’s get to coffee skincare! With its many assets, you can take care of your beauty at a lower price!
15- Make a mask full of benefits for your hair!
This recipe only works on dark hair, which improves its shine and natural look! To make this mask, you will need:
- 1 tablespoon coffee grounds;
- 1 tablespoon of honey or agave syrup;
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil of your choice;
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until you get a smooth and homogeneous paste. Apply this mixture to your hair after shampooing (on wet hair). Massage your scalp well when applying the mask and leave it on for 30 minutes before rinsing everything well with clean water. You can renew this application every week for good results!
16- Do a body scrub!
Did you know that one of the main ingredients of any cellulite cream is caffeine? The latter improves fat metabolism and reduces its appearance under the skin. In addition, coffee grounds are an excellent exfoliant, ideal for removing dead cells. To prepare a coffee grounds scrub, follow these steps:
- 1/4 cup fresh coffee grounds;
- 1/4 cup brown sugar;
- Enough lemon juice to achieve the desired consistency;
Use this mixture every two to three days after soaping up your body. Rub in the scrub and leave it on the skin for a few minutes before rinsing it off with water. Guaranteed soft baby skin…
17- Eliminate bad odors from your hands
We like to cook with spices, … Garlic, coriander, … it smells so good when cooked! But it is much less pleasant if you keep this smell on your hands for hours! To remove it, simply take a handful of coffee grounds and rub them over your hand. Rinse with lukewarm water and voilà!
18- Dye your hair naturally!
The natural pigments contained in coffee can be used as a color, but also as a hair dye! Here’s how to get it:
- Brew half a cup of strong, ground coffee and let it cool to room temperature.
- Add 2 tablespoons of coffee grounds;
- Add a cup of leave-in conditioner to even out the color and make it easier to apply.
Manual
- Start by washing your hair with your shampoo.
- Use a dye brush to apply the mixture to damp hair from roots to ends.
- You can use your hands to spread the color throughout your hair;
- Leave on for an hour before rinsing off with clean water.
The result is beautiful hair with a shiny chocolate brown hue! Use of coffee grounds for gardening Coffee grounds are so effective that their use has a very wide field! Let’s see how you can use it to make your gardens bloom!
19- Coffee grounds in the form of compost for your plants and vegetable garden!
In fact, you can also use the coffee grounds to make compost or even directly into the soil for plants that like acidity! As coffee expert Lewis Spencer of Coffee Direct points out, coffee grounds are rich in phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and copper, which is very beneficial for growing vegetables!
20- Keep cats away from your garden
Coffee grounds have a double effect in your vegetable garden! Not only does it nourish your plants, but it also prevents cats from roaming around! Even better if you add orange and lemon zest! Cats run away from these smells!
21- Grow mushrooms!
Note that coffee grounds are also an excellent substrate (nutrient base) for mushroom growing! So don’t hesitate to use it if you want to grow something!
Coffee grounds: Frequently asked questions
How long does ground coffee last?
open café
| Type of coffee | Shelf or pantry | Refrigerator |
| Coffee beans | 2 years | 6 months |
| Ground coffee | 3-5 months | 3-5 months |
| Instant coffee | 2-20 years old |
Café closed
| Type of coffee | Shelf or pantry | Refrigerator |
| Coffee beans | 6-9 months | 2-3 years |
| Ground coffee | 3-5 months | 1-2 years |
| Instant coffee | 2-20 years old |
What to do with coffee grounds in the garden?
Coffee grounds are an excellent fertilizer for your garden or pots, as they gradually release nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, components that are very useful for plant growth. In addition, it absorbs heavy metals that contaminate soil and water.
How do you use coffee grounds as fertilizer?
After drying, put coffee grounds sparingly under the feet of your plants. You can sprinkle it directly on the soil or compost it along with the rest of your waste and organic material.
How do you make liquid fertilizer from coffee grounds?
What plants don’t like coffee grounds?
Only plants that need acidic or nitrogen-rich soil, such as hydrangeas, grow better with coffee grounds.
Can white vinegar and coffee grounds be used to clean a drain?
Yes, you can mix coffee grounds with vinegar and add baking soda!
- 1 tablespoon baking powder;
- 2 tablespoons of white vinegar;
- 2 tablespoons coffee grounds;
How to use it?
- Mix everything;
- Pour the mixture into your pipes;
- Pour in at least 1 liter of boiling water;
- Use this trick once a week to increase efficiency!
Caution: Avoid this boiling water trick if you have PVC pipes! You can do this with coffee grounds! It would be sad if you threw it in the trash! We have a debt to our planet. So as long as we can recycle and reuse our waste while benefiting from it, let’s do it!