10 Uses for Coffee Grounds
Stash the leftovers from your morning pot of joe for these clever household uses
What this Brew Leftover Can Do
Once you’ve brewed your morning cup of joe, perk up around-the-house tasks with this surprisingly versatile leftover
1. Deodorize Your Fridge
Place a bowl of dry grounds in your refrigerator or freezer to neutralize odors left by stale or spoiled food.
2. Clean Tools and Dishware
Place a few teaspoons of grounds on a thin cleaning rag and use to scour away grease and grime. Finish with a thorough rinsing.
3. Hide Furniture Scratches
Dip a cotton swab into steeped grounds and dab on scratches in dark wood furniture to minimize them. Just test in an inconspicuous area first.
4. Give Paper an Antique Look
Dip paper or sheets of stationery in a soupy mix of grounds and water; allow them to sit a minute or two, then let dry and brush off the grounds.
5. Repel Insects
Mound grounds into a ring to create a protective border around plants that will ward off ants and slugs.
6. Grow Blue Hydrangeas
Work grounds into the soil at the base of mophead hydrangeas to increase the acidity level. This helps the shrubs absorb aluminum, which you can add to the soil to keep the flowers a vibrant blue.
7. Contain Ashes
Sprinkle damp grounds on fireplace ashes to cut down on airborne dust as you sweep them up.
8. Scrub Hands
Rub a scoop of grounds between palms as an exfoliant to remove dead skin and help eliminate smells from foods like fish and garlic.
9. Make a Cockroach Trap
Fill a can or jar with an inch or two of moistened coffee grounds, then line the container’s neck with extra-sticky double-sided tape. The scent will draw the roaches into the trap.
10. Fortify Plants
Give seedlings a nitrogen boost by stirring grounds into soil or a watering can.
Kate is the founder of Learn and Grow Books, which is a website for parents and teachers of pre-K children.