For Your Body
- As a body scrub. Mix a bit of oil or cleanser into a handful of coffee grounds and exfoliate those dead those dead skin cells away! However, you should not use coffee grounds as a facial scrub because they are too sharp and rough to use on delicate facial skin.
- For shiny hair and to prevent dandruff. After shampooing, rub a handful of coffee grounds through your hair to increase the shine and scalp to help prevent dandruff. Rinse the grounds out of your hair (this took awhile for me because my hair is long and it made a big mess in my shower afterwards!) Coffee may add dark highlights to dark colored hair although I didn’t’ see much of a difference in my auburn colored hair. Blondes may want to stay away from this tip.
- As body art. Make henna paste.
For Plant Food
- Make fertilizer.Place those coffee grounds in a traditional or worm compost bin.
- Make quickie compost. This is a great alternative for anyone who doesn’t have room for a traditional or worm compost bin.
- As a plant booster. Pour coffee grounds directly on the soil around the base of roses, acid loving plants like azaleas, and unbelievably, carrots and radishes.
For Cooking
- Make iced coffee. Freeze leftover coffee into ice cube trays. Then use those coffee cubes to cool down a warm cup of coffee.
- Make Vietnamese-style coffee popsicles.
For Around the House
- As a deodorizer. Dry used coffee grounds on a cookie sheet. Put them into a porous container such as a paper bag (paper wine bags work well for this project), a leg of pantyhose, or an empty butter tub with holes poked into the lid. I sometimes use an old room deodorizer container. Place the container in a room, refrigerator/freezer, or even in a musty smelling piece of furniture. As long as the coffee has access to air, it will trap odors and musty smells. For a short-term quick fix, I do the same thing with a freshly empty coffee can or bag in a closed closet.
- As dye. Soak used coffee grounds in hot water until the water is nice and dark. Then use the mixture instead of a tea stain to give paper and light colored cloth or clothing a sepia look.
Tips to Try with Caution
- To repeal garden pests. Spread coffee grounds around anthills to deter ants or mix with orange peels and spread it in a flowerbed to deter cats from using it as a litter box. However, be aware that some pets like to eat coffee grounds and that can cause coffee toxicity. The symptoms in both cats and dogs range from mild hyperexcitablity to the severe such as causing arrhythmias and seizures. Since I have a 12-pound dog who likes to eat coffee grounds, I’m not going to try this method.
- As a pot scrubber. Add a handful of coffee grounds an extra abrasive when cleaning clean stuck on food gunk from the bottom of a cast iron or metal pot or pan. However, this method may stain light color items such as porcelain sinks, pots and pans, or storage containers.
- As a fireplace dust buster. Sprinkle damp coffee grounds in a fireplace to keep the ash from flying about while you shovel it out of the fireplace. Since I have a gas fireplace instead of a wood burning one, I can’t test this method. Therefore, I say use with caution.
There you have it... 13 useful tips for reusing old coffee and coffee grounds that may not only save you money but may also help you save the planet. How do you reuse coffee grounds?
Want more tips for honing Sustainable Style? Check out more from Lisa. And get more wisdom from real women at Capessa.com.
