Picture this: you've just prepared your morning cup and can't wait to dig into your breakfast. Everything's set up, but there's one thing you've probably never thought of: you don't need to throw those spent coffee grounds away.
Used coffee grounds have many unexpected uses. From various health benefits to using it as a body scrub, there's a million creative ways to make the most out of them!
10 Smart and Sustainable Uses for Used Coffee Grounds
If you prefer fair trade coffee, odds are you share our commitment to sustainability. Surprisingly, spent coffee grounds can be recycled and used for more things than you can imagine. Let's go through them.
1 - Natural Fertilizer for Your Garden
Studies show used coffee grounds are rich in nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, and magnesium — all of which are good for plants. To use them as fertilizer, just add coffee grounds directly into the soil. This also allows you to reuse both old coffee grounds and wet coffee grounds.
Coffee grounds help improve soil quality and increase organic matter, which makes your plants thrive. Plus with our selection of organic coffees, you know you are not adding a bunch of unknowns into your garden. Happy dirt, happy plants!
Mixing Coffee Grounds Into Compost
Coffee grounds break down quickly and act as a “green” compost material, adding nitrogen to the compost pile. They also attract helpful worms, which loosen the soil, allowing more air to move through as they move through it.
When composted, coffee grounds can help balance pH levels and speed up the composting process, making them an ideal addition to any compost pile. This is a quick way of disposing of just used, fresh coffee grounds.
Plus, using one of our coffees gives the added peace of mind of not adding unnecessary toxins into your own garden. Feel free to throw any leftover or stale coffee in as well.
2 - Natural Pest Repellent
The strong scent of used coffee grounds is a natural insect repellent. It'll work on ants, slugs, and even fruit flies. Just sprinkle the used coffee grounds around plants or entry points to deter these critters.
Coffee grounds are especially useful for gardeners looking to keep slugs away from their plants without using harsh chemicals. You can even use this on your pet's fur to keep fleas away. Just don't overdo it!
We see this every day in the roast house as there's not a bugs or pests to be found. In fact, we had a farmer who used to pick up the chafe from our roasts to mix with the bedding for his chickens. He commented on how many fewer bugs or pests there were around his birds when using the chafe.
3 - Spent Coffee Grounds Are a Natural Deodorizer
Coffee grounds absorb odors, making them an excellent natural deodorizer. Seriously, try it. Place a bowl of used grounds in your fridge, freezer, or any other spot prone to odors to neutralize smells. You can also fill an old sock or cloth pouch with dried coffee grounds and leave it in closets or shoes.
Coffee beans can also absorb moisture and bad odors, so many people put a few beans with their table salt. It won't change the flavor, but it will prevent it from turning into a mush of humid rocks.
4 - DIY Skin Exfoliant
Coffee grounds, even after the brewing process, have a gritty texture that makes them a fantastic natural exfoliant. Use them to make a body scrub by mixing them with coconut oil or a little honey until you have a thick paste.
Gently scrub your skin with this mixture to remove dead skin cells and improve circulation. Pro tip: it's also an amazingly exfoliating lip scrub. This process can stimulate hair growth and health by increasing the blood flow to the areas where you scrub.
Plus, coffee grounds contain antioxidants that may help nourish and revitalize the skin. Many people include them in their skin care routine to treat under eye circles due to their coarse texture and mildly abrasive texture. Try it out and see for yourself!
Tip: You can also use it on hard to clean surfaces like any other abrasive paste! We'll circle back to this.
5 - Natural Dye for Fabrics and Paper
If you're looking for a natural, earthy brown dye, coffee grounds are a perfect solution. Boil used coffee grounds in water and let your fabric or paper soak in the mixture. The result is a lovely sepia-toned effect, which can be used for art projects, homemade cards, or rustic decor.
You can also brew coffee and soak your fabric directly in it. Want some real life evidence of this working?Think about the last time you spilled coffee on your shirt. Coffee's chemical properties make it much more difficult to scrub out than coconut oil or even wine.
6 - Scour Pots and Pans
Coffee grounds have just enough abrasiveness to scrub stubborn stains off pots, pans, and grills without scratching surfaces. Simply sprinkle a small amount on your sponge and scrub away.
Not only is this an eco-friendly alternative to chemical-based scrubs, but it also makes use of something you would otherwise throw away when you brew coffee. That means you won't scratch teflon pans or destroy the non-stick coating of a cast iron pan.
7 - Boost Your Plants with a Coffee “Tea.”
Make a liquid fertilizer or “coffee tea” by steeping used coffee grounds in water for a few hours, just like when you prepare a cold brew. Remember, steep means soak, no need to heat this mixture. Then, use the result to water your plants and try mixing coffee grounds into the soil.
It's an effortless way to give houseplants or garden plants a little nutrient boost and is especially helpful for acid-loving plants like roses, hydrangeas, and evergreens. Even better is knowing you are using organic coffee grounds without adding pesticides and unknown toxins into your own plants.
8 - Tenderize Meat
Yes, we know it sounds weird, but hear us out. Coffee grounds contain naturally acidic enzymes which can help tenderize meat before you cook it. Cover your steak in coffee grounds around two to three hours before cooking and let it sit.
It will soften the meat, and if you add a few coffee grounds to your favorite dry rub recipe, it can also give it a delicious smoky flavor!
9 - Repair Scratches on Wooden Furniture
Coffee grounds can help mask small scratches on dark wood furniture. Seriously, this is a lifesaver!Simply rub a small amount of damp coffee grounds into the scratch, let it sit for a few minutes, and then wipe away any excess.
The grounds will help darken the scratch, making it less noticeable. Of course, you'll want the color of the damaged furniture to be dark colored and close to the color of coffee grounds. Remember that you can dye the wood using more coffee grounds over a longer period of time.
10 - Grow Mushrooms
You read that right. Mushrooms don't generally grow on soil, but studies show most of them will grow on coffee grounds. That's because they need specific conditions, both in nutrients and PH, which used coffee grounds provide better than most substrates.
This is a great experiment to do with kids, and the results are edible! Plus, the brewing process has already pasteurized the coffee grounds good enough that no mold will grow on it. You'll need to save a bunch of used coffee grounds before you can begin though, so do your research and have fun!
Final Thoughts
Used coffee grounds have a surprisingly huge amount of use cases. From skin health, where it can even help remove dark circles below your eyes, to being a natural dye and even helping you marinade meat.
Repurposing your coffee grounds not only saves money but also helps reduce waste, making a small yet positive difference in our world. So next time you're about to toss your coffee grounds, consider these ideas and make a virtue out of your used coffee!