After making a morning cup of coffee at home, do you toss the leftover grounds in the trash?
You DEFINITELY shouldn't.
Contrary to popular belief, composting isn't the only way to re-use old coffee grounds. Other sneaky uses for the stuff abound, like a delicious-smelling way to clean out your fridge and a clever DIY wood stain to fuel the Pinterest projects of your dreams.
Get those ideas brewing, because you can use coffee grounds to...
Work leftover grounds into the soil around your plants to boost drainage, aeration and water retention. Rinse the grounds first for use on most plants, and leave them as-is for acid-loving plants like azaleas and gardenias.
Store grounds in a breathable container like a nylon sachet, porous bag or small bowl to give your fridge a fresh scent.
Many garden hackers report that sprinkling coffee grounds around ants causes them to flee. But be warned: If you’re dealing with a consistent source of ants (like an anthill, for example), coffee may not deter them permanently.
For residue that’s hard to get rid of, add some coffee grounds to your pan, and scrub with a sponge. The grounds are naturally abrasive, which helps to de-gunk cookware.
It only takes a few ingredients (coffee grounds, mainly) to stain wood a dark, rustic hue for DIY projects and decorations.
For scratch marks on darker wood tabletops or chairs, dab coffee grounds on the spot with a Q-tip. Allow the grounds to soak in for five to 10 minutes, then buff away with a rag.
Run coffee grounds through the grinder once more if needed, to make sure they’re extra-fine. Then mix with olive oil for an exfoliating scrub that’ll leave your face silky smooth.
You’ve been meaning to do it forever, and coffee grounds make the process speedier. Before sweeping out the ashes, cover them in damp grounds to weigh down the dust and keep it from flying all over the place.
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