7 creative ways to use spent coffee grounds

In the morning, nothing quite goes down so nicely as a cup of coffee. So much interest has been put on the power of the beverage produced by coffee beans that it has distracted us from the other great resource that coffee provides: spent coffee grounds. It’s time the world knew just how wonderful coffee grounds can be, even after the coffee has been brewed. (Hint, be sure to buy organic to get the most of these benefits and avoid pesticides in your cuppa.)

1. GET GREEN

In this new day of composting, coffee grounds are aces for the old compost heap. The basics of composting are that we want both “green” and “brown” compost matter. A good ratio to aim for is one part green (coffee grounds, as well as vegetable scraps and actual green stuff like grass) to about thirty parts brown (dead leaves, cardboard, straw or paper). The green stuff provides nitrogen needed for healthy soil, which coffee grounds are full of.

2. AVOID PESTS

As well as being nitrogen-rich, which means good for a little fertilising in the garden, spent coffee grounds also repel garden pests like ants and slugs. Just sprinkle some coffee grounds around your plants. Apparently, those perennial pests aren’t into pick-me-ups, so your coffee grounds double as soil enriching, chemical-free pesticide.

3. DON'T MAKE A STINK

Coffee grounds, as we all have seen, are quite absorbent. They are also excellent at absorbing bad smells (ironic, seeing as coffee smells so good), so spent grounds can be put in an open container in the fridge / freezer to neutralise unwanted odours, a la baking soda!

4. SCRUB DOWN

Also similar to baking soda, coffee grounds are abrasive, and that translates into some quality cleaning. Sure, it sounds odd to use something we typically think of as trash to clean, but it works. The grounds are coarse enough to help with food and such stuck to surfaces, but they are mild enough not to damage anything. Just keep in mind that they might stain things like white grout or areas inside of cracks.

5. MAKE A SCENT

Probably on par with the actual first cup of morning coffee every day is the smell of said coffee brewing. It smells so right. But, we needn’t brew ourselves another coffee (eventually, everyone gets the jitters) every time we are after that delicious smell. Rather, we can use the old grounds to make homemade candles. Save the wax ends of old candles, do a little melding and out comes DIY coffee candles.

6. EXFOLIATE

Being mildly abrasive, used coffee grounds make for a great exfoliator, removing dead skin cells whilst rejuvenating the skin. Simply mix with water and coconut oil or avocado. And, to think, it almost got thrown away!

7. FIGHT CELLULITE

Cellulite is more genetic and permanent than something easily remedied by a beauty product, but coffee — good for speeding up fat metabolism and blood circulation — is reputed to reduce the formation of cellulite. Regardless, it’s good for the skin, so why not give a simple homemade coffee ground body scrub a go?

Well, hopefully, you had the wherewithal to get a your coffee brewing before settling in to read this article!

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