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Since somewhere around 70% of Americans enjoy a cup of joe at least a couple of times a day, there’s a good chance you’re disposing of a bunch of coffee grounds on a weekly basis.
I’m not sure what percentage of Americans are interested in re-using what they can instead of tossing it into the trash, but if you’re one of them, here are 6 neat ways your coffee grounds could have a second life.
6. Battle cellulite.
80%-90% of adult women have some cellulite, and even though it’s natural and generally not physically harmful, many women find it unsightly (because of society, but I digress).
If you’re not a fan of yours, a coffee-ground scrub could help reduce it.
You take your old grounds, mix them with water or coconut oil, and rub it in. Caffeine dehydrates cells, but you’ll have to use this scrub daily for the largest visible difference.
5. Make a body scrub.
The inherent grittiness of coffee grounds help exfoliate your skin by removing dirt and dead cells.
You can make your own scrub by combining 3 tablespoons of coffee grounds, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, and 1 tablespoons of coconut oil. Mix it up and put it into a storage jar, then when you want to use it, work it into your skin before rinsing off the extra.
You can’t use de-caffeinated grounds because the antioxidants in the caffeine helps protect your skin from sun damage and increase blood flow.
4. Mask other odors.
Most people – even non-coffee drinkers – agree that the smell of coffee is delightful, but did you know it can also absorb other odors in your home?
You don’t want this to happen before you’ve used the grounds, but if you’ve got a funky smell lingering, dried used grounds in a bowl in the fridge or on the counter can be a huge help.
If your rug is smelling a little, you can also sprinkle them on your carpet, leave them overnight and vacuum them up in the morning.
3. Make homemade candles.
Along those same lines, the grounds make great coffee-scented candles.
You can make them yourself by layering grounds in the candle, and you can find tons of videos on YouTube that tell you how to make them.
2. Use it in your garden.
Coffee grounds can be put to use in several ways in your garden, the first of which is their ability to repel insects, slugs, and snails.
They’ll also repel mosquitos and fruit flies around your seating area, or you can mix them – they’re rich in nitrogen – into your compost to use as fertilizer.
1. De-Ice your sidewalk.
Ice and snow can become real safety issues on your porch, steps, and driveway, and even though the seasoned snowbirds might always have rock salt on hand, there’s always the chance you could run out.
Along with kitty litter, coffee grounds are a substitute with a bonus – they don’t harm the environment.
That said, you will need quite a bit more of them than rock salt to get the job done.
There are some really cool ideas here, don’t you think?
Let us know if you have more, or if you’ve tried any of these and how it worked out!
