Additional Uses for Used Coffee Grounds

Once you've enjoyed your hot cup of coffee or your refreshing glass of ice coffee, don't just throw your used coffee grounds away. Recycle them and use them for additional benefits. Here, then, are some examples of what can be done with used coffee grounds.

Personal Use

A second Cup of Hot Coffee. Coffee grounds, like tea bags, can be reused for additional coffee. The trick is to let it steep longer in order to prevent getting a weak cup of coffee.

Ice Coffee. Either cover the used coffee grounds with half the volume of cold water that was used to make the original hot coffee and let it sit for half a day, or pour the same amount of hot water that was used for the original cup of coffee and let it steep for ten or so minutes. The longer the coffee steeps, the stronger it will be. Thereafter pour off the coffee and if desired, sweeten it. The coffee made with the cold water can then be poured over ice and either drunk as is or augmented with milk or cream. The coffee made with hot water should first be refrigerated and then prepared as above.

Freshen Hands. After handling onions or other pungent foods, rub the hands with wetted, used coffee grounds and any smell left on the hands will disappear. Be sure to follow up with a good rinsing of the hands to prevent staining them with the coffee grounds.

Reduce Cellulite. Prepare a mixture of used coffee grounds with a small amount of warm water and a tablespoon or two of cooking oil. Rub this paste onto the cellulite area and wrap it securely with kitchen shrink wrap. Leave this application in place for ten minutes, then remove the shrink wrap and brush off the coffee grounds to be followed with a warm shower. To prevent clogging the shower drain, it is recommended that the application of the paste as well as the brushing off be done while standing on old newspapers that can be easily picked up and disposed of.

Garden Use

Add to a Compost Pile. Used coffee grounds make an excellent addition to compost piles. Once dug in to a garden's soil, the compost with the coffee grounds gives structure, adds vital plant nutrients and loosens overly-loamy soil.

Add Directly to the Garden. Mixed directly into the soil around the plants adds an extra amount of nutrients that promote robust blooming. Mixed with eggshells, used coffee grounds have shown to prevent tomato blossom rot. Also, earthworms love coffee grounds and will be attracted to where they are, thereby giving the garden the added benefits that worms offer.

Use in Flower Pots. When potting or repotting plants, spread a layer of used coffee grounds at the bottom of the pots and top off with potting soil. The plants will love the store of nutrients that the grounds provide for a good long time.

Pest Control

Keep Animals out of the Garden. Mix used coffee grounds with bits of orange peel and spread all over the garden. Animals that burrow, defecate or otherwise molest the garden will stay away.

Keep Ants Away. Ants can't abide coffee grounds. To rid a yard or a garden of ant hills, cover them with a good amount of used coffee grounds. If repeated enough times, the ants will abandon their hills and move on. Army ants tend to be tougher than their weaker cousins and may require additional applications before they get the hint and move away. Sprinkling coffee grinds around window sills, around entry doors and especially in sliding glass door runners will establish a barrier that ants detest and will not cross.

Keep Slugs and Cutworms out of the Garden. Sprinkling used coffee grounds around the perimeter of the garden as well as along the rows of plants will greatly diminish the appearance of slugs and cutworms that cause havoc to the garden.

Trap and Kill Cockroaches. Cockroaches love coffee grounds and they can thus be used as bait to trap and kill them. Mix freshly used coffee grounds with warm water in a can or jar. Attach masking or duct tape along the sides of the can or jar to give roaches a footing to climb into the container. They'll be attracted to the smell of the coffee, climb up the tape and ultimately drop into the coffee mixture and drown. It's effective and non-poisonous.

Odor Control

Deodorize the Garbage Disposal. Pour used coffee grounds into the garbage disposal and allow them to sit for five to ten minutes. They'll pick up all of the nasty odors that have collected there. Thereafter run hot or warm water into the disposal and run it to flush it down the drain. Contrary to popular opinion, coffee grounds don't remove clogs nor do they cause them if they're pushed through a garbage disposal.

Deodorize a room. Simply place used coffee grounds that have been dried on a cookie sheet in an oven, in a shallow dish and place out of sight. Soon the unpleasant odors in the room will disappear to be replaced by a mild, soothing smell of coffee. Very effective!

Deodorize the Refrigerator/Freezer. Place used coffee grounds in an open dish or bind them in a satchel and place it in the refrigerator and freezer compartments. Within a short time, any objectionable odors will be eliminated. After a few days the coffee grinds should be replaced with a new batch to ensure the continuance of the fresh smell in the appliance.

Other Deodorizing Uses. Once used coffee grounds have been dried they can be used as deodorizing agents in closets, shoes, gym bags and lockers, automobiles, RVs, boats, and everywhere else that odors linger. Simply make a satchel out of old nylons, fill it with the dried grounds, and after tying off the opening, hang it, shove it or lay it where it can absorb the odors. It's efficient, it's non-toxic and it's in keeping with going "green."

General Purpose

Mild Abrasive Cleaner. Used coffee grounds are mildly abrasive and can be used as a scrubbing agent on items that don't stain. On skillets, for instance, the grounds are aided by their mild acid in cleaning, plus the oils are known to keep the skillet in a cook-ready cured state.

Remove Furniture Scratches. On dark furniture that won't be impacted by the coffee staining, used coffee grounds can be used with a soft cloth to rub out many scratches. Naturally this should not be done on light furniture that can be discolored by the coffee stain.

Stain Wood and Cloth. Coffee grounds have been used for ages to stain light-colored wood as well as many different types of cloth, such as table coverings and curtains.

Antique Paper. For a pleasing effect, soak writing paper in a brew of coffee grinds and warm water. After a good soak, remove the paper and hang to drip dry. For an even more dramatic effect, blotch the paper in different areas with additional coffee staining to give the paper a true, antique look. After the stained paper has dried, it will curl which can add to the desired look. Alternatively, the curled paper can be flattened by ironing it.

Keep sewing needles rust-free. A pin cushion can be stuffed with dry, used coffee grounds. Pins that are then stuck into the cushion and thus the coffee grounds will remain rust-free.

Keep the Dust Down in a Fireplace. After a fire has burned out and it's time to clean the fireplace, sprinkle damp coffee grounds over the ashes to minimize the dust clout that could otherwise spread to the furniture, carpets and your nose.

Grow Bigger Bait Worms for Fishing. Avid fishermen who grow their own bait worms have known for years that mixing coffee grounds with the dirt that the worms are growing in, promotes big, juicy bait. Yum-yum!

Now for some cautionary comments about using used coffee grounds. Many pet owners have used them to clean and condition their dogs' and cats' furs. The results have often been dramatic, and the beneficial aspects of used coffee grounds for this purpose have been openly disseminated. Unfortunately, some pets, which ingested the grounds by licking them off their furs, have experienced dangerously high pulses from the caffeine affecting their circulatory systems. Some have also become over-anxious, overly excited and potentially close to heart failure. It is for this reason that it is not recommended to use used coffee grounds on or near pets.

Recycling this often overlooked workhorse is beneficial to all of us and it is the "green" thing to do.

Enjoy!