By: Ali Drucker
Credit: Pixabay
Everyone with taste buds and a brain loves the hair-raising caffeine fix and mouthwatering flavor of a hot cup of joe -- it's biologically really hard not to. But there's more you can do with it besides just pouring it down your face-hole.
From helping you be less of a slob to adding a secret kick to your cooking, coffee is so much more than merely your morning addiction. Check out these 15 alternate uses and prepare to bow down to the almighty bean.
Credit: Flickr/Yuichi Sakuraba
1. Spice up your steaks
Give your meals a smoky flavor by using coffee grounds as an ingredient in dry rubs.
2. Go green with coffee compost and fertilizer
Coffee grounds grow bacteria that worms enjoy, making it a key ingredient in compost. And since coffee grounds contain a lot of calcium, magnesium, and nitrogen, you can add a small layer on your topsoil for a chemical-free fertilizer. Bonus: it won't smell like crap.
Credit: Flickr/Ramón Portellano
3. Create a natural insect repellant
Coffee has a smell that deters lots of bugs, like ants, mosquitos, and more. Sprinkle some grounds on areas of your house you're trying to keep bug-free (around doors, cracks in walls), or -- if you're out of bug spray and don't mind looking like you just rolled around in dirt -- rub a light coating on yourself.
4. Make your own air freshener
Storing coffee grounds in a breathable fabric container can absorb odors in the air, or even in your refrigerator. Perfect for masking the three-week-old Chinese food leftovers that have been marinating in the back.
5. Coat your sidewalks in the winter
Instead of paying for street salt, you can use coffee grounds to get more traction on icy walkways.
Credit: Flickr/Nguyen Dangtrong
6. Get handy around the house with DIY wood stain
Since coffee stains your clothes when you inevitably spill it all over yourself, it stands to reason you can use it as furniture stain too. Brew a pot, but instead of tossing the grounds, put them back into the coffee. Coat untreated wood with the mixture for a light, amber stain.
7. Clear drain clogs
A concoction of dish soap, coffee grounds, and boiling water can easily tackle grease buildup in your sink.
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