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11 Good Reasons Why Coffee Grounds are Worth Keeping
After brewing coffee, coffee grounds are often tossed into the trash bin. Some people regard the group of squeezed coffee beans as worthless items. If they only knew the alternative uses for coffee grounds, they would probably store the used beans in their cupboards.
Coffee grounds have many other uses aside from producing coffee. They can be used for gardening, repelling insects, and even as pet grooming products. Just by using these supposed waste products, the need to buy some household products can be instantly eliminated. Best of all, the use of coffee grounds is environment-friendly. You better think twice if you plan to throw away your next batch of coffee grounds. Here are 11 of the best reasons why used coffee grounds are worth keeping:
- Compost Material – Coffee grounds fit the standards set by gardeners for compost materials. The grounds, when mixed with soil, release nutrients that make the ground richer and more acidic. Plants that flourish in acidic soil will be healthier since they can get the needed nourishment from the ground. If you have a good supply of coffee grounds, just spread them evenly in your garden. Your plants will reward you by producing robust blooms.
- Pet Grooming Solution – Mix coffee ground extract with some water and the result is a nice grooming solution for pets. After a few rubs, the solution softens your pet’s fur, giving it a nice sheen. Some people even claim that the solution keeps fleas and other parasites off your pet, though it still needs testing for it to be considered a fact.
- Fridge Deodorizer – Storing different types of food inside the fridge can produce a nasty mixture of odors. Remove those pungent smells with a bowl filled with coffee grounds. Place the bowl inside your fridge and your coffee ground deodorizer will gradually absorb all unwanted scents. If your fridge is packed with stored food, just add more grounds and a few drops of vanilla to your deodorizer so that it can absorb more odors.
- No Place for Pet Litter – You can keep your pet from defecating in your garden if you spread a mixture of coffee grounds and orange peels around the area. Your pets will find the scent of the mixture too exotic for their defecating standards.
Skin Exfoliant – Rubbing your skin with coffee ground extract seems silly but it is actually a good idea. The extract removes dead skin cells, which results in better-looking skin. It can save you hundreds of dollars since this simple product can practically replacesseveral pricey sessions with your dermatologist.- Shoe Deodorizer – Active people and smelly feet are often associated with each other. Break away from the norm by placing used coffee grounds in your shoes. It will not relieve you of foul-smelling feet, but it will certainly get rid of the evidence. Now, if you want to truly remove foot odor, you can always wash your feet with water and coffee ground extract.
- Hair Shine Solution – Let’s face it, everyone wants to have shiny and bouncy hair. Some people spend significant amounts of cash just to make their hair look better. You can look no further than your supply of used coffee grounds to give you softer and shinier hair. Just wash your hair with the coffee byproduct and rinse. You will soon sport your favorite celebrity hairstyle after a few strokes.
- Ant Repellent – Ants can be annoying, especially if they manage to make their way to your bath towel or clothes. You can avoid these tiny pests by rubbing coffee grounds on your closet. For some reason, ants dislike the scent and the properties of coffee ground extract.
- Fireplace Dust Regulator – Fireplace dust is always a big obstacle for someone who cleans the fireplace. Large dust formations can sting your eyes and irritate your sinuses. They can also make the surrounding areas dirty. To properly regulate dust, you can toss a handful of wet coffee grounds in your fireplace after operation. The wet grounds will hold the dust in place, lessening the appearance of dust clouds when cleaning the fireplace.
- Coloring Ingredient – If you combine coffee ground extract with hot water, you can create brown dye for fabrics, art works and other applications. You can also mix the extract with henna to produce brown-colored henna tattoos.
- Scratch Remover – Coffee ground extract can erase scratches after several forceful scrubs. Its thick slippery base, when coupled with a rug, topples the foundations of most scratches. The scratches eventually fade in the process.
You can use coffee grounds as unconventional product substitutes for many household activities. With their wide variety of uses, you can say that they’re even more useful than their ungrounded counterparts.
This is a great article, but I’m confused about one thing. What exactly is “coffee ground extract” and how do you make it? do you mean the grounds themselves. or do you run more hot water over the used grounds?
I think I\’ll keep putting mine in my compost pile. It makes the birds fidgety.
I believe coffee ground extract is…the mixture of coffee grounds and water (usually hot water)…The resulting solution is the extract…
Coffee ground extract would be…coffee?
yep…
Coffee grounds + egg shells = no blossom rot on tomatoes!
Coffee grounds are NOT acidic. This has been debunked. Coffe beans are acidic but the the acidity is removed by the brewing process.
Wade- a small amount of acidity remains in the grounds after brewing. The pH of the grounds depends on the temperature of the water used, the length of time the grounds were exposed to the water and the grind of the beans. Smaller grinds give greater surface area which results in more of the acidity being leeched during brewing. It also depends on the qualities of the water used to brew as in how basic/acidic is it? How hard/soft? What other elements/compunds are in it, etc.
Fun stuff- however I would be careful using coffee grounds on pets or in areas pets can get to. I\’ve treated more than one animal for coffee toxicity. In mild form is just hyperexcitability, but as the dose increases you can see arrhythmias and seizures. The most common presentation is a goofy young lab who ate ground out of the trash or the garden when someone is composting with coffee.
I also don\’t recommend using coffee grounds as an exfoliant, it leaves brownish orange stains on your skin.
DO NOT use coffee grounds on a cats hair. Coffee is poisonous to cats in bean or liquid form.
coffee ground exfoliant will also clog your bathroom drains. that\’s why the best exfoliants — salt, sugar — dissolve.
Yikes! Caffeine is very toxic to cats and dogs! Tip #2 doesn\\\\\\\’t sound like a good idea to me.
Umm… is it April Fool’s Day? You can’t be serious.
I wouldn\’t use this on my blond hair either, for fear of loosing the color I pay so much to get.
worst article… ever.
So, I put a bunch of coffee in my shoes.
Upside: They don\’t smell anymore.
Downsite: My shoes are full of coffee.
Also great for cleaning cast-iron skillets! The grounds are abrasive, the oils keep the skillet cured, and the mild acids help cleaning.
Little known fact: you can use coffee grounds to create a non-toxic, very effective roach trap:
1. Place fresh, used coffee grounds in open glass jar.
2. Add a few inches of warm water; mix.
3. Add a strip of duct or masking tape down the side of the jar, vertically (so the roach can climb into the jar).
4. Place jar overnight in roachs’ favorite hang out (kitchen, bathroom, etc.).
Cockroaches love the smell of coffee grounds. They will climb into the jar and drown in the water. I think I learned this trick on Animal Planet or the Discovery Channel. I have tried it on several occasions and it worked very well.
I beg to differ. I find some of the tips useful. I did use it on my hair and it became shinier than what I originally expected. I\’m about to use it as an exfoliant later, given its effects on my hair. The grounds\’ efficiency as compost material has been documented. I just had to get over the initial shock value of the info before i actually appreciated the true benefits of used coffee grounds.
I find some of the tips useful. I did use it on my hair and it became shinier than what I originally expected. I’m about to use it as an exfoliant later, given its effects on my hair. The grounds’ efficiency as compost material has been documented. I just had to get over the initial shock value of the info before i actually appreciated the true benefits of used coffee grounds.
or you can use salt which does the same thing for cast iron but will NOT clog your drain. I have seen a coffee clogged drain.. its not pretty.
Do not use any caffeinated products on your animals, used or not. Used coffee grinds still contain caffeine, which is HIGHLY toxic to cats and dogs.
This list is 92% useless (or worse yet: dangerous). Spot on in re: compost, however.
Not entirely useless. It is a decent exfoliant, compost material, and hair shine solution. I just got rid of the initial shock value before trying it out.
What about tea? Does it offer the same benefits, or is it just coffee?
Well then maybe I will forward this article to my local Starbucks and they can start a whole new line of products with its used coffee grounds.
Personally, I think this article is booooooo-guss!
I think I will keep putting my used grinds down the sink.
Most of these are urban legends, placebo effects, and stuff that was made up to fill yet another attention-seeking blog. Let me guess, you guys submit this digg and stumbleupon yourselves?
Next time try doing a little research before claiming this is true. You could end up hurting some innocent pets
gah! don\’t put coffee grounds in the sink (especially if you don\’t have a garbage disposal); it will clog.
My grandmother always put HOT used coffee grounds down the sink drain. She said it picked up any fats on its way down the pipes. She never had a kitchen sink drain clog in all her 87 years. I have been putting HOT USED coffee grounds in my sink all of my life as well and I am 63 now. I have NEVER HAD A KITCHEN SINK CLOG either!
it’s on the internet, so it MUST all be true!!!!
Yay! Let’s go for the bashing bandwagon. It makes us feel cool and rational.
Okay, returning to the topic, I agree with number 8. I actually use coffee grounds as an insect repellent. It’s surprisingly effective.
How to Green the Coffee , coffee ground exfoliant will also clog your bathroom drains,
Thanks
This is awesome! Thanks!