What to do with coffee grounds

16 Creative Uses for Used Coffee Grounds

By Kayla McDonell, RD on April 12, 2018

Coffee is a popular beverage consumed all over the world.

People usually discard the grounds left behind after it’s brewed, but after reading this article, you may reconsider throwing them out.

Coffee grounds have many practical uses around the home and garden and can even help spruce up your beauty routine.

If you don’t make a lot of coffee at home, most coffee shops have an abundance of coffee grounds that they are willing to give away.

Below are 16 creative uses for used coffee grounds.

1. Fertilize Your Garden

Most soil does not contain the essential nutrients needed for optimal plant growth.

Also, as plants grow, they absorb nutrients from the soil, ultimately leaving it depleted.

Thus, most gardens need to be fertilized to ensure that plants have the nourishment they need to survive.

Coffee grounds contain several key minerals for plant growth — nitrogen, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and chromium (1).

They may also help absorb heavy metals that can contaminate soil (2, 3).

What’s more, coffee grounds help attract worms, which are great for your garden.

To use coffee grounds as fertilizer, simply sprinkle them onto the soil surrounding your plants.

Summary Coffee grounds make great fertilizer because they contain several key nutrients required for plant growth. They can also help attract worms and decrease the concentrations of heavy metals in the soil.

2. Compost It for Later

If you do not have an immediate need for fertilizer, you can compost your coffee grounds for later use.

Composting is a natural process that turns organic items such as food scraps and yard debris into a dark, rich material called compost or humus.

Adding compost to your yard or garden can help the soil hold onto more nutrients and water, thereby improving the health of your plants.

One study found that compost made with coffee grounds and kitchen waste was richer in nutrients than compost made with waste alone (4).

Another study compared four batches of compost containing 0, 10, 20 and 40% coffee grounds.

The batch containing 40% coffee grounds produced the fewest greenhouse gas emissions and best quality compost (5).

Other items to compost include grass clippings, leaves, bark, shredded newspaper, brush, herbs, egg shells, stale bread and fruit and vegetable trimmings.

You should avoid composting meat and fish scraps, dairy products, diseased plants, grease and oils.

Summary Adding compost to your garden can significantly improve the health of your plants. Coffee grounds can help increase nutrient levels and decrease the greenhouse gas emissions of your compost.

3. Repel Insects and Pests

Certain compounds found in coffee, such caffeine and diterpenes, can be highly toxic to insects (6, 7).

Because of this, you can use coffee grounds to repel bugs.

They are effective at deterring mosquitos, fruit flies and beetles, and they may help keep other pests away too (8, 9).

To use coffee grounds as an insect and pest repellent, simply set out bowls of grounds or sprinkle them around outdoor seating areas.

You can also keep pests out of your garden by scattering coffee grounds around your plants. They help create a barrier that slugs and snails do not like to crawl over.

Summary Coffee grounds contain compounds that are toxic to many insects. You can use your coffee grounds to repel mosquitos, fruit flies, beetles and other pests.

4. Remove Fleas from Your Pet

Fleas are a common problem in household pets, and treating them can be costly and time-consuming (10).

There are several flea-removal products on the market, but many contain harsh chemicals and can produce unwanted side effects.

Luckily, fleas don’t seem to like coffee, and you may want to consider coffee grounds as a natural treatment.

Simply rub the grounds throughout your pet’s fur after shampooing. Then rinse them off and allow your pet to dry as usual.

Some say doing this may also add smoothness and shine to your pet’s coat, but there is little to no research to support either of these claims.

However, coffee grounds may be less effective than a prescription product, so if your pet has fleas and this treatment does not work, you may want to contact a vet to discuss alternative options.

Also, coffee grounds should only be used externally. They can be toxic to dogs if consumed.

Summary Like other insects, fleas do not like coffee. Bathing your pet in used coffee grounds may help keep fleas at bay.

5. Neutralize Odors

Coffee grounds contain nitrogen, which helps eliminate a foul-smelling sulfur gas from the air when it’s combined with carbon (11).

In other words, coffee grounds can help absorb and eliminate odors.

You can place a bowl of coffee grounds in your fridge or freezer to neutralize odors from spoiled or fragrant foods.

You can also fill old socks or pantyhose with coffee grounds and tie them off to make portable air fresheners.

Place these in your shoes, gym bag, bedroom drawers, under your car seat or anywhere else that may need some deodorizing.

You can even keep coffee grounds by the sink and use them to scrub your hands after chopping garlic or onions. The grounds will help remove the smell from your hands.

Summary Coffee grounds can help absorb and eliminate odors from your refrigerator, gym bag or smelly shoes. Using them as a hand scrub can also help remove lingering smells from onion or garlic.

6. Use It as a Natural Cleaning Scrub

Coffee grounds are abrasive and can help remove buildup on hard-to-clean surfaces. They may even help sanitize due to their antibacterial and antiviral properties (8).

If you like to avoid cleaning with chemicals, used coffee grounds might be worth a try.

Use them to scour your sink, polish your cookware or clean your grill.

Just be careful not to use them on any kind of porous material, as they can cause brown stains.

Summary Coffee grounds can be used as an abrasive cleaner. They can help sanitize and remove buildup from sinks, cookware, grills and other surfaces around the house.

7. Scour Your Pots and Pans

The coarse texture of coffee grounds makes them ideal for scrubbing hard-to-clean kitchen utensils.

You can use them to scrape your dishes clean and remove caked-on food from pots and pans. Simply sprinkle the grounds directly onto your pots and pans and scrub as usual. Make sure to rinse thoroughly afterward.

Summary You can use coffee grounds to scour your pots and pans. Their abrasive texture helps scrape away caked-on food.

8. Exfoliate Your Skin

The coarse particles in coffee grounds work as an exfoliating agent to help remove dirt and dead cells from the skin.

Simply mix coffee grounds with a little bit of water or coconut oil and scrub them with your hands directly onto your face and body.

Coffee grounds can also be mixed with a small amount of honey and used as an exfoliating lip scrub.

What’s more, the caffeine in coffee grounds has potent antioxidant properties that can help protect the skin from sun damage.

It can also increase blood flow, which aids in overall skin health (12).

Summary Coffee grounds can be repurposed into an exfoliating scrub for your face and body. They help remove dirt and dead skin cells and promote overall skin health.

9. Reduce the Appearance of Cellulite

Cellulite is a condition that gives the skin a dimpled, lumpy appearance. It affects 80–90% of adult women (13).

It occurs when fat deposits push through the connective tissue under your skin and is commonly seen in the buttocks and thighs.

When caffeine such as that in coffee grounds is applied topically, it may help break down this fat and increase blood flow to the area, thus decreasing the appearance of cellulite (12).

Simply mix grounds with water or coconut oil and scrub for 10 minutes twice weekly on any areas affected by cellulite.

Summary Coffee grounds may help reduce the appearance of cellulite by breaking down fat deposits and increasing blood flow to the affected area.

10. Use It as a Natural Dye

If you’ve ever spilled coffee on a white shirt, you know that it can leave a stain.

By rewetting used coffee grounds, you can create an inexpensive and all-natural dye that can be used to color cotton, rayon, cellophane, linen and paper (14).

This is an easy way to give fabrics and paper a vintage look or disguise existing stains on your clothing and towels.

Coffee grounds can even be used to dye Easter eggs or deepen the color of dark hair.

Commercial food and hair dyes can contain hundreds of chemicals, many of which may cause cancer (15, 16, 17).

Used coffee grounds make a great non-toxic alternative to traditional dyes.

If you’ve dyed a piece of fabric or yarn that will be worn or used for sewing or knitting, make sure to wash it in cold water with a very mild laundry detergent before using it.

Summary Used coffee grounds are a great natural alternative to harsh chemical dyes. Simply rewet them and use them to dye paper or fabric or darken brunette hair.

11. Clean Your Fireplace

Cleaning ashes from a wood-burning fireplace can be an incredibly messy task.

By scattering used coffee grounds over the ashes, you can weigh them down and prevent smoke clouds from forming.

This not only makes the ashes easier to remove, but it also keeps dust from escaping and traveling to other parts of the room.

Summary Use coffee grounds to weigh down the ashes in your fireplace before cleaning. This makes for easier ash removal and less mess.

12. Tenderize Meat

Meat contains muscle fibers and proteins that can give it a tough consistency.

Tenderizing meat helps break them down, resulting in a softer texture.

Salt, enzymes and acids are three natural types of meat tenderizers. Coffee contains natural acids and enzymes, making it especially effective at tenderizing meat.

The acidic nature of coffee can also help enhance the flavor of meat.

Simply add used coffee grounds to your favorite dry-rub recipe and apply the rub to the meat two hours before cooking.

The grounds will get cooked onto the meat and form a dark, crispy crust.

Alternatively, you can rebrew used grounds to make coffee, allow it to cool and use it to marinade meat in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before cooking.

Summary Coffee grounds contain natural acids and enzymes that help tenderize meat and enhance its flavor.

13. Stimulate Hair Growth and Strip Buildup

Shampoos and styling products often leave residue behind that can dull and weigh down your hair.

Exfoliating your scalp with coffee grounds can help remove buildup and dead skin cells.

What’s more, several test-tube studies have found that caffeine, such as that in used coffee grounds, stimulates human hair growth (18, 19, 20).

Similarly, human and animal studies have found that applying caffeine to the skin increases blood flow and accelerates hair growth (12).

Before you shampoo, simply grab a handful of coffee grounds and massage them into your scalp and hair for a few minutes. Then wash and rinse as you normally would.

Do this one to two times per week, or as needed.

Summary Exfoliating your scalp with used coffee grounds can help remove dead skin cells and product buildup and may even speed up hair growth.

14. Repair Scratched Furniture

If you own wooden furniture, you’ve probably noticed it can be easily scuffed and scratched.

Various products can help minimize the appearance of scratches, but before you run to the store, you might want to give coffee grounds a try.

First, make a thick paste with used coffee grounds and water.

Then rub the paste into the scratch using a cotton swab, allow it to sit for 5–10 minutes and then wipe with a cotton rag.

This should help buff out the scratch and conceal it by dying the exposed wood a dark-brown color.

Continue to dab coffee into the scratch using a cotton swab until the desired color is achieved, waiting a few hours between applications.

Summary You can use coffee grounds to buff out scratches on wooden furniture and darken them to match your existing finish.

15. Grow Mushrooms

Mushrooms only thrive in specific conditions and are notoriously difficult to grow.

For starters, they do not grow in ordinary garden soil, as they require a substrate, or underlying substance or layer.

Used coffee grounds make a great substrate because they are packed full of nutrients that mushrooms like to grow on (21).

What’s more, they have already been sterilized during the brewing process, which would otherwise be an extra step in the growing process.

How to Grow Mushrooms in Used Coffee Grounds

Collect about 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg) of grounds and moisten them using a spray bottle.
Add a little over 1 pound (500 grams) of mushroom spore and sawdust mixture and mix well. You can look for this product at your local gardening store.
Place resulting mixture into a filter patch grow bag, large freezer bag or bucket and fill until approximately one-half to two-thirds full.
Cut four air holes, about 5 mm in size, into the sides of your container above the grounds. If you are using an open container, cover it with cellophane and poke with a few more small air holes.
Lightly spray the grounds with water once daily or as needed to keep them moist.
In about two to four weeks when you start to see dense white areas with little budding mushrooms, move the container to an area with lighter and fresher air.
When the mushrooms become plump and their caps turn upward, you can harvest them.

You can use this method to grow just about any kind of mushroom, but shiitake and oyster varieties seem to be the easiest.

Summary When combined with adequate moisture, coffee grounds seem to be an ideal growing environment for mushrooms.

16. Treat Under-Eye Circles

The skin surrounding the eyes is extremely delicate and contains very little fat tissue. Because of this, it’s one of the first places you might see signs of aging (22).

Many things can contribute to the development of dark circles and puffiness under the eyes, including fragile blood vessels, poor circulation and inadequate skin quality (23).

Coffee grounds seem to be a promising solution due to their high antioxidant and caffeine contents.

Studies show that skin care products containing antioxidants and caffeine can help prevent the appearance of aging and reduce under-eye circles (23, 24).

In particular, caffeine has anti-inflammatory properties and stimulates blood circulation around the eyes, which can help reduce the appearance of dark circles and swelling (12, 25).

The antioxidants in coffee can also help fight free radicals, which contribute to skin aging (26).

Simply add water or coconut oil to your coffee grounds to form a paste. Apply the mixture under your eyes and let it sit for about 10 minutes before rinsing. Repeat this process daily or as needed.

Summary Coffee grounds contain caffeine and antioxidants. When applied to the skin, they can help prevent aging and reduce the appearance of dark under-eye circles and puffiness.

Are Coffee Grounds Safe to Consume?

Drinking coffee has been linked to a number of health benefits, including a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke and some types of cancer (27, 28, 29, 30).

While it may seem safe to assume that consuming coffee grounds may yield similar benefits, many doctors caution against it.

Coffee beans contain compounds called cafestol and kahweol, which can increase blood cholesterol. These compounds are typically removed by paper filters when coffee is brewed but remain in the grounds.

One study looked at the effects of consuming about 0.25 ounces (7 grams) of coffee grounds per day. After three weeks, the blood cholesterol of participants increased by an average of 26 points (31).

Some recipes for baked goods, meat rubs and sauces call for coffee grounds. Using coffee grounds this way is probably fine as long as you don’t consume them often.

Summary Coffee grounds contain compounds that can raise blood cholesterol. Consuming small amounts on occasion is fine for most people, but they may be problematic if consumed in excess.

The Bottom Line

Most people discard the grounds left behind after brewing coffee. However, there are many great ways to reuse them.

The caffeine and antioxidants in coffee grounds may help combat cellulite, under-eye circles and other signs of aging skin.

Coffee grounds are also packed with nutrients that can nourish plants and deter pests in your garden.

Furthermore, their abrasiveness makes them a great cleaning scrub around the house.

Next time you brew yourself a cup of coffee, consider repurposing the grounds using one of the ideas in this article.

8 Amazing Things To Do With Your Used Coffee Grounds

What’s your usual method for disposing of used coffee grounds? Does their destiny lie in the garbage disposal? The trash? Do you toss them out the window?

As it turns out, the coffee experience doesn’t have to end with the last sip of your mug. Those used coffee grounds are capable of an encore. They just keep giving and giving.

There are many things you can do with your used coffee grounds, but a lot of them are burdensome or unrealistic. We’re not interested in wasting your time, so we’ve narrowed this list down to just eight.

Our eight favorite uses of used coffee grounds are simple, practical, and rewarding. Check them out and put your used grounds back to work.

Read: 5 Ways To Make Your Coffee More Eco-Friendly

1. Repel Those Pests

A variety of bugs don’t like the intense acids and aromas of coffee grounds, even when they’ve been used to brew. There are a few ways you can use this to your advantage.

Keep ant colonies from venturing into your home by spreading a 1-2 inch thick line around vulnerable areas of your home. You’ll want to refresh that line with some fresh grounds every two weeks.

I was able to keep ants from coming into my kitchen for a week before the pest service could arrive in my last apartment. Worked like a charm.

You can also keep snails and slugs off your garden by spreading some grounds around. These guys are really not fond of coffee, so a thin line or gentle sprinkling will work.

Scare fleas off your pets with a coffee ground wash. Just make sure you do this outside - you don’t want fleas jumping all around your house in a frenzy!

Read: The Easy Guide to Coffee Bean Storage

These all-natural pest solutions are effective, inexpensive, and easy to implement.

2. Mix Body Scrub

The gritty texture and acidic content of coffee grounds cause them to be great exfoliators. With only a few simple ingredients, you can create your own body scrub.

Mix these items in your kitchen and store in a mason jar.

3T Used coffee grounds
1T Natural oil (coconut, grapeseed, almond)
1T brown sugar

We’ve done this a few times at my house and I can’t remember the last time I paid for an exfoliator. Sure, it doesn’t make my skin smell like sandalwood and mint, but it works well.

You can read about this recipe and others on StyleCaster.

3. Make Homemade Coffee Candles

If you enjoy candlemaking, you’ll love using coffee grounds as an ingredient. You’ll never want to use aromatic oils again - real used coffee grounds smell so much more authentic and look great when layered in candles.

As the candles burn down, the grounds become exposed and the heat releases the rich coffee aromas. Yum!

If you’ve never made candles before, this easy guide will get you started and show you how to use coffee grounds in your candles.

Image courtesy of House of Smilla.

4. Remove Hair Product Residue

Coffee grounds, thanks to their abrasive texture, are great at ridding your hair of sticky residues.

As much as the idea of natural shampoo and conditioners sounds great, the residues they often leave behind can kill the experience. Many people use apple cider vinegar to rinse them out, but it’s annoying to deal with.

It’s much easier to just keep a jar of coffee grounds next to your shower items. When you wash your hair, grab a few grounds and mix with your natural product. The residue will cling to the grounds instead of your hair!

Read: Why You Should Ditch Your Drip Coffee Pot For A French Press

5. Enrich Your Compost Bin Or Garden

Used coffee grounds make great additions to compost bins and gardens. They’re what the gardening world calls “green”, or very rich in nitrogen. Worms love nitrogen-rich soil, which means adding coffee grounds to your compost bin makes worms more likely to stick around.

Used grounds are also rich in magnesium, potassium, calcium, and other vitamins and minerals. This makes them a decent fertilizer. Spread them around your garden or rake them into the soil between seasons.

Just be careful not to add grounds to areas where you’re growing plants that could be damaged by a boost in soil acidity.

6. Touch Up Furniture Scratches

If you have furniture with dings or scuffs, there’s an easy fix!

Most solutions are expensive, difficult, and use toxic materials. Coffee grounds do the same thing without any of these downsides.

Read: Iced Coffee VS Cold Brew: What's The Difference?

To fix those lightly-colored mishaps, grab a q-tip and your used coffee grounds. Pour a few drops of water on the grounds and dab the q-tip in the mixture.

Now, lightly dab the q-tip on the scuffed area and wait 5-10 minutes. Buff the area with a soft rag and see how it looks. Repeat the process if necessary.

7. Deodorize Everything

Coffee grounds like to soak up all the odors around them. This is why you should always keep coffee bags sealed shut - you don’t want your fresh beans to taste like anything other than delicious coffee.

Once you’ve used those beans, you can use this attribute to your advantage.

Put some dried used grounds in a shallow jar and place it in the back of your fridge. It won’t mask the odor of anything that severely spoils, but it’ll help keep things smelling fresh in there.

Read: Is Hard Water Destroying Your Coffee’s Flavor?

Toss a couple tablespoons of grounds down the drain, followed by two drops of soap and boiling water. This will break down the grease, clean the pipe, and reduce drain odors. Don’t do this more than a couple times per month though to avoid accidental clogging.

Image courtesy of Helping.

8. Save For Winter

If you live in an area where snow and ice are likely to pile up, keep your used coffee grounds for those storms. They make for a great de-icer!

Salt is the usual de-icer. It lowers the freezing point of water, causing snow and rain to be less likely to freeze. It also creates a point of friction, making it easier to walk.

Coffee grounds work in a similar way. Nitrogen is a known ice-melter, and used grounds are rich in nitrogen. They also provide touch points that increase friction and reduce your risk of slipping.

However, coffee grounds are “green” and don’t pose any environmental harm compared to salt. Save those grounds and sprinkle them along walking areas next Winter.

Read: Why Fresh Coffee Is The Best Coffee

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There are many ways to put used grounds to work at home, but these are among the best. These strategies are all-natural, non-toxic, and inexpensive.

But what do you do with the extra money you’re saving on exfoliators, pest toxins, and salt? Reinvest in better coffee, of course!

You’ve worked hard to be responsible with your used coffee grounds, so it’s time to reward yourself. Buy yourself coffee that’s richly flavorful, freshly roasted, and deeply satisfying.

Check out our Coffee Blends. Our coffee is freshly roasted, made from high-quality beans that we’ve sourced from some of the world’s best coffee farms.

Ever tried coffee with tasting notes of blueberry, stone fruit, or honey? Here’s your chance.

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How to use coffee pomace - coffee grounds as fertilizer or scrub

Average coffee consumption is between 3 and 12 kg per person per year. But few people know that this drink is worth appreciating not only for its taste. After all, coffee grounds are beneficial. This is an important component that can and should be used in everyday life.

It is easy to make fertilizer, pest control, deodorant, and a face and body mask from the cake. And these are just some of the ideas: how to use the leftover coffee from the coffee machine. After all, cake consists of moderately solid particles, and also contains a lot of trace elements and antioxidants. It is an indispensable helper in everyday life.

Coffee grounds as a fertilizer

Cake contains a lot of trace elements. Therefore, gardeners use coffee as a fertilizer. This approach allows you to saturate the soil with useful substances without chemicals:

nitrogen;
magnesium;
potassium;
calcium;
phosphorus.

Coffee residues from a bean coffee machine are also rich in other trace elements. Therefore, cake is used as an organic fertilizer for plants. But you can’t just take it and put it in the soil. Make compost from spent coffee. Several methods can be used for this:

Mixed with soil in pots. In this case, the coffee extract is added with care. Its amount should not exceed 10% of the soil.
Compost. Dried coffee grounds are also used as a fertilizer in combination with the remains of grass, plants and food waste. When collecting compost, do not forget to add a little cake there (no more than 20%).
Intervention in the soil in the garden. Use only dried coffee grounds. As a fertilizer, it is scattered at a distance of 30-60 cm from the trunks of trees or shrubs. Then, be sure to loosen the soil.

Important: never pour coffee waste from the coffee machine directly into the ground. After all, cake has a pH of 5.5-5.9. Its use in its raw form will lead to soil acidification. To avoid this, the thick must be dried beforehand. Then its pH softens to 6.5-6.8.

Now the owners of suburban areas and just lovers of indoor plants know exactly what to do with coffee cake. But in order not to harm the plants, you should remember the prohibitions:

do not immediately pour the thick with coffee residue into the ground - it must first be dried;
Millicano coffee bean waste is not used in horticulture;
cake after coffee with milk or cream should not be used as top dressing.

Don't forget: if you are using coffee grounds as a fertilizer, it is important to follow the correct watering technique. The soil should dry out well. If the surface is always kept wet, midges can start.

The benefits of coffee grounds for plants are invaluable. In addition to saturating the soil with minerals, the cake attracts with such useful properties:

soil drainage, improvement of aeration;
optimal composition, rich in beneficial microorganisms;
attract earthworms, which increases soil productivity;
pest repellent.

As you can see, the benefits of coffee grounds for plants have been proven. It is an important component of complex fertilizers and an effective mono-element. The main thing is to use it correctly.

Coffee grounds for flowers

Cake is used as a basic element of complex top dressing. Use coffee as a houseplant fertilizer if you're into azaleas, begonias, camellias, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, and other flowers. To get the result, it is important to use coffee correctly. Fertilizer for plants is used in accordance with the following recommendations:

Dried cake only . Also, do not forget to pre-mix the flower coffee with earth or compost.
Drain . Dried coffee grounds for flowers are used during planting and transplanting plants into pots. It should be poured in a thin layer (no more than 1-2 tablespoons) directly on the expanded clay.
For transplant adaptation . Changing pots is stressful for plants. To reduce it, coffee is used as a fertilizer for flowers. Just add to the soil mixture 1-2 tbsp. l. dried pulp, and mix thoroughly.

Don't forget: coffee is a fertilizer for flowers that love acidic soil. Therefore, it can be used for almost all indoor plants. The exception is geranium and pelargonium.

Useful for coffee roses, peonies, lilies, hostas, tulips and ornamental shrubs. For perennial herbaceous plants, chrysanthemums, asters and dahlias, such an additive is rarely used.

But is it possible to fertilize flowers with coffee grounds without using other additives? Experienced flower growers agree with the benefits of cake. But they recommend using it as a supplement to standard dressings.

Coffee grounds as a fertilizer for the garden

Experienced gardeners know exactly which plants coffee grounds are good for and which vegetables/fruits do not like them. If you want to saturate the soil with microelements, you should use a mixture of cake and compost, ash or soil.

Coffee as a fertilizer for the garden is chosen for the following crops:

cucumber;
pepper;
tomato;
radish;
potatoes;
bow;
greens.

Coffee pomace is also used for strawberries, blueberries, lingonberries and cranberries. These plants respond well to soil acidification, begin to grow actively and bear fruit vigorously.

Coffee grounds are popular among gardeners as a fertilizer for cucumbers. After all, these vegetables are extremely sensitive to growing conditions. The cake attracts earthworms. They improve the quality of the soil, saturating it with beneficial bacteria and improving ventilation.

Important: when using coffee in the garden, always mix the grounds with grass or compost. In no case do not pour cake directly onto the ground. Indeed, after watering, it can form a crust, which will impair the ventilation of the roots.

Coffee as fertilizer for seedlings

Seeds need energy to germinate. Therefore, many use coffee as a fertilizer for seedlings. It can be applied in several ways:

Seed preparation . Just mix them with dried coffee grounds. This coffee fertilizer will speed up germination.
When transplanting to a bed . Dried coffee cake is used as a fertilizer when planting seedlings in the ground. Sprinkle some grounds on the bottom of the prepared holes and top it with compost, a layer of 1-2 cm.
When sowing seeds in the soil . Create grooves 2 cm deeper than you did before. Evenly sprinkle the dried coffee cake (no more than 10-15 g per linear meter). Coffee fertilizer is covered with soil, a layer of 1-2 cm. Such top dressing is used when growing root crops: carrots, radishes, beets.

Dried coffee grounds are widely used as garden fertilizer. But it is worth remembering that such top dressing is prohibited when growing asparagus.

Coffee grounds against pests

Insects and other garden dwellers cause damage by destroying crops. In order not to use aggressive chemicals, summer residents use coffee from ants and other pests. Specifics of application depend on the type of insects to be repelled:

Ant coffee in the garden. Many believe that these inhabitants are useful. But ants love to set up real aphid farms right on your site. This is detrimental to all plants. Applying coffee from ants in the garden is easy. It is enough to cover the anthills and the surrounding area with dried cake.
Against bronze and slugs . They feed on buds, leaves and crops. To scare off pests, coffee waste is poured with boiling water and infused for 3-4 hours. The cooled liquid should be poured into a spray bottle and sprayed onto plants. Roses, strawberries, wild strawberries and cabbage are subject to processing.
From os . They love to eat ripe grapes. To ward off wasps, coffee grounds and saltpeter are used. Prepare the mixture for fumigation. To do this, for every 20 g of cake, use 1 g of saltpeter. Place tin containers around the perimeter of the vineyard and set fire to the mixture poured into them. Processing should be carried out once every 2 weeks.

Helps coffee grounds against ants and other insects. Cake is also used to scare away yard cats who decide to mark the site. Mix the grounds with orange peel, and scatter in places where an unpleasant odor is concentrated. This processing will prevent the appearance of repeated marks.

Coffee grounds in cosmetology

Coffee pomace is used in the beauty industry. This is a coffee mask for cellulite, a cleansing scrub, as well as face and hair products. After all, coffee is rich in antioxidants. It effectively cleanses and tones the skin.

Coffee grounds are also used in cosmetology due to their unique texture. Fine cake is strong enough to eliminate dead particles. But at the same time, coffee waste has a delicate texture and does not damage the skin. This allows you to use the thick as scrubs and masks.

Beauticians are sure: the benefits of coffee grounds are undeniable. After all, ground coffee beans have a range of positive effects:

deep cleansing of pores;
antibacterial effect, reduction of inflammatory processes;
normalization of local water balance, so cellulite coffee cake effectively eliminates orange peel;
rejuvenating effect and smoothing of small mimic wrinkles;
toning - the skin becomes fresh and elastic;
odor removal - cellulite mask with coffee refreshes, which is very useful if you have problems with excessive secretion of sebum.

But for the use of coffee grounds to be beneficial, it is important to properly prepare it by combining it with other ingredients. Oil, cream and useful components should be added to it.

Coffee grounds body scrub

Good cleansing is the key to healthy skin. Therefore, the scrub from the waste of the coffee machine should be prepared correctly. Popular recipes:

Basic . To make a coffee grounds body scrub, simply mix the coffee grounds with the cream, oil, or body lotion that suits you.
With sea salt . Mix pomace and salt in a ratio of 1 to 1. Do not forget to add a little olive oil (20 ml for every 300 g).
With honey . This is an effective coffee pomace cellulite scrub. Mix 200 g of honey and 100 g of coffee grounds. The composition is applied to the skin with massaging movements, and left for 5-7 minutes. After the product should be thoroughly rinsed with water.

The same recipe as the coffee grounds scrub for cellulite with honey can be prepared with a yoghurt-based composition. It is suitable for those who are allergic to bee products. There are many more ideas on what to mix coffee with for a scrub. You can use cottage cheese, oatmeal, fruit puree, cosmetic clay, etc.

Important: after the preparation of cosmetic products, there are often leftovers. But how do you properly store your coffee scrub? To do this, it is necessary to properly prepare it. Be sure to dry the cake before use. Only then mix the ingredients. Excess scrub should be placed in a glass or plastic container and put in the refrigerator.

Coffee grounds face mask

Many beauticians use only anti-cellulite coffee masks. But the cake has a lot more useful properties. Therefore, experienced craftsmen recommend using face masks based on coffee grounds:

Rejuvenating . Mix 1 tablespoon of flour with uncured cake. Pour in the thick until the mixture becomes pasty. Then, add 1 raw egg yolk to the composition and mix thoroughly, whisking lightly. This coffee mask is applied for 10-15 minutes.
Cleanser . Mix 15 g of dried pomace with grated apple. The mask is applied for 10-15 minutes.
Moisturizer . Mix 15 g of cake with grated cucumber on a coarse grater. This face mask with coffee grounds restores water balance.

Important: before using coffee pomace, it must be dried. The exception is a rejuvenating mask. In other cases, the thick is added to the composition of cosmetic products without excess moisture.

Coffee cake for cellulite

Orange peel on the thighs and buttocks gives a lot of inconvenience. An anti-cellulite mask with coffee will help get rid of it. It is better to apply it immediately after bath procedures on warm and well-cleansed skin. In this case, the product is not left on the body, but gently massaged on the surface. This improves local metabolism.

Using coffee pomace against cellulite is easy. It is enough to choose 1 of the popular recipes:

Oatmeal . This is an effective anti-cellulite mask with coffee. Oatmeal should be well ground. Then, mix 4 tbsp. l. oatmeal with 2 tbsp. l. dried coffee grounds. To the mixture, add 1 tbsp. l. unsweetened yogurt or sour cream. Do a massage with this mask for 10 minutes.
Essential . Dried coffee grounds for cellulite are often used in combination with aromatic oils. For 100 g of cake, add 5-6 drops of essential oil with your favorite aroma. If the consistency is too crumbly, 1-2 tsp will help correct the situation. olive oil.
Anti-inflammatory . Mix the cake with the pulp of aloe leaves. This anti-cellulite coffee body mask effectively cleanses, eliminates orange peel and promotes skin rejuvenation.

Now you know what can be done with coffee waste to eliminate aesthetic problems. After all, cake has a complex effect, restores the hydro-lipid balance and eliminates excess subcutaneous fat. It is an important assistant in the fight against cellulite.

Coffee cake for hair

The special texture of coffee grounds allows for gentle scalp care. You can use coffee grounds for hair in its pure form. Simply apply it to the hair at the roots and gently massage into the scalp. So you eliminate the remnants of pollution, get rid of excess sebum and dead skin particles.

A coffee pomace hair mask is also useful. Several recipes can be used to prepare it:

For oily hair . Mix 3 tsp. cake with 1 tsp. honey and chicken egg. Do not forget to add 100-150 ml of pasteurized milk to the mixture. Apply the composition to the curls and wrap your head with a towel for 20-30 minutes.
For dry and brittle hair . A real salvation will be a hair mask made from coffee and olive oil. She is easy to prepare. Mix 2 tablespoons of coffee grounds with 50-100 ml of olive oil. Now apply the composition on the scalp and gently massage. Rinse off with shampoo.
For dull and lifeless hair . Mix 1 tbsp. l. coffee and hot water, 2 chicken yolks and 2 tbsp. l. cognac. Apply the mask to the hair along the entire length, spread evenly and leave for 1-2 hours. Then, wash off with your favorite shampoo.

Now you know what to do with old coffee to improve the condition of your hair. If you want to increase the effectiveness of the mask, you should add 1 tbsp to the traditional recipe. l. burdock oil.

Home use of coffee grounds

The use of coffee in everyday life is not limited to cosmetology and gardening. Also, cake is used in such situations:

Odor absorber for refrigerator. It is a safe and effective natural deodorant. It will get rid of the unpleasant odor.
For covering scratches . Owners of wooden furniture know where to use coffee grounds. Boil the cake, creating a rich broth. Then blot the areas with scratches, chips and other damage to the wood with the composition until the difference in tone disappears.
Stain . It is safe and completely harmless. Therefore, a decoction of cake is used to give a golden hue to fabrics, Easter eggs and paper.

Knowing how to use your coffee pomace will save you money and help the environment. After all, this material is absolutely harmless and safe. It will easily replace popular chemical compounds, and will bring much more benefits.

7 sustainable ways to use coffee grounds

Health

Author Uliana Smirnova

March 15, 2021

Coffee grounds are a useful and versatile product that most often ends up in the trash. Meanwhile, many applications can be found for it.

Reasonable consumption is simple. Reusable cloth or paper bags instead of plastic ones, products in cartons, separate waste collection. There are many opportunities to become eco-friendly. One of the most popular trends is the recycling of waste. Ecologists are sure that almost everything thrown out by man can be recycled. For example, coffee grounds .

Abroad coffee waste is used to make dishes, fabrics, barbecue fuel briquettes and jewelry. And more recently, German designers have begun to produce eco-friendly sneakers from them and have already sold the first batch.

At home, coffee grounds are no less functional. Waste coffee has many useful properties, so it can replace expensive products. Here are seven unexpected ways to reuse coffee grounds.

1. Pleasant household deodorant

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Coffee grounds effectively absorb unpleasant odors [1]. The easiest air freshener to make is a cloth bag or open container filled with dried coffee grounds. It can be placed under the sink, refrigerator, kitchen or wardrobe.

In addition, used coffee is able to freshen shoes no worse than purchased absorbers. Place it in an old sock and leave it in your favorite sneakers or boots overnight. The living room can be decorated with a composition of dried flowers by filling a vase or a beautiful glass jar with fresh and dried coffee.

2. Component of cozy gifts

This method of using coffee grounds is especially relevant before the New Year holidays. Waste from the preparation of ground coffee can be filled with scented candles and soap, "age" natural fabrics and paper. Beautifully decorated and packaged handicrafts will not only fill the room with an invigorating aroma, but will also be a great New Year's gift.

In addition, coffee ground soap has a light scrubbing effect. It tones the skin, restores its elasticity and gently removes dead skin cells. You can make such souvenirs from melted old candles or remnants. Another option is to buy a ready-made kit for creativity.

3. Natural fertilizer

Coffee grounds are suitable for feeding garden and indoor plants. The exception is succulents and cacti. It contains many useful trace elements, including potassium and magnesium [2].

To prepare the fertilizer, thoroughly dry and roast the coffee residues in the oven. It is best to store such top dressing in glass containers. To feed home flowers, mix organic matter with soil: one or two tablespoons will be enough for a 1 liter container. Or just sprinkle coffee grounds on top of the soil in the pot. It will repel pests and speed up plant growth. And waste coffee, diluted with water, is well suited for watering.

4. Color restorer

Coffee grounds are great colors [3]. It can be used to mask small scratches and cracks on dark wood furniture. To do this, dip a cotton swab into wet coffee grounds and gently work the surface.

You can also paint over defects on leather and suede items in dark shades: bags, jackets, shoes. Using a toothbrush, apply strong coffee grounds to the damaged area and lightly rub it in. After five minutes, remove coffee residue and dry the surface. So you can quickly and easily restore the color without buying a special paint.

5. Skin Tone

Coffee is a popular cosmetic ingredient. Masks, peels, creams, lotions and shampoos for hair growth are made from it [4]. Caffeine dilates blood vessels, speeds up the metabolism in cells, improves blood microcirculation and makes the skin smooth.

It is easy to prepare an effective anti-cellulite scrub at home. To do this, combine the same amount of coffee grounds and sea salt, adding a few drops of olive oil. If one of the ingredients is not at hand, just add spent coffee to regular shower gel.

6. Hair rinse

Brown women can use nourishing coffee hair masks, natural coffee scalp scrub or coffee brew instead of rinse. Such cosmetics give hair shine and a beautiful shade, make it thick, strong and silky [5].

It is important that the coffee be prepared without additives and aromatic components. Apply warm, fine to medium ground coffee pomace to the hair roots and gently massage into the skin. After that, put on a plastic cap and wrap your head with a towel, and after half an hour rinse your hair with warm water. The effect will be even better if you add a few drops of your favorite hair oil to the coffee grounds.

7. Grease remover in the kitchen

Due to the excellent abrasive properties of coffee, its grounds can be used for washing dishes and sanitary ware. To do this, a little soap or liquid detergent is applied to a household sponge, and sprinkled with coffee on top. This method makes it easy to remove stubborn grease and burnt-on food from pots, pans, stoves and sinks.

However, coffee grounds are a rather delicate abrasive. It does not leave damage on kitchen surfaces and fills the apartment with a pleasant light aroma.