Today's Tip: 7 Genius Ways To Use Old Coffee Grounds

3/28/2016 (Permalink)

Old Coffee Grounds Are Still Good To Use - Here Are 7 Genius Ways

By Sara Schwartz published 3/20/16 in Grandparents.com

Deodorize your fridge 

After your coffee is brewed, put the grounds to work again—this time as a powerful odor absorber inside your fridge. Leaving a bowlful of used grounds in the fridge overnight will rid your icebox of icky odors. Repeat as often as you’d like. If you’re battling particularly potent odors, feel free to leave the grounds in the fridge until the job is done.

Scour pans, tools, etc.

Eliminate stubborn, stuck-on grime by scrubbing with a couple spoonfuls of coffee grounds. The gentle abrasion provides extra scouring power to clean the dirtiest of dishes and pans. You don’t need to mix in soap, just use a thin cloth to get the abrasive action working. However, before scouring the whole pan, test a small area to make sure the grounds don’t stain the surface—and never use on delicate ceramic or non-stick surfaces.

Attract earthworms to your garden

Just like sleep-starved teachers and long-haul truckers, earthworms L-O-V-E coffee. And you know what happy earthworms do to soil? Make it a whole lot richer! Earthworms are attracted to organic material like coffee grounds, and they help distribute it through the soil. A healthy worm population enhances the quality of garden soil by stimulating microbial activity, churning the soil, improve water-holding capacity and water filtration, providing channels for root growth, and burying plant residue. For optimal results, sprinkle your soil with a 1/2-inch-thick layer of coffee grounds.

Clean smelly hands

Rub hands with a scoopful of spent grounds to eliminate odors from fish, garlic, and other strong-smelling foods. There’s no need to mix with soap however your hands may have a coffee smell, but it will remove the more unpleasant odor, and you can wash with soap after rinsing the grounds off your hands.

Cover scratches in wood

The rustic look is all the rage, but not everyone appreciates scratches on their wood floors or furniture. While buffing with a shelled walnut works best for repairing light-stained woods, experts agree that coffee grounds are a better match for darker woods. First, mix used coffee grounds with a few drops of water to create a thick paste. Then rub the paste into the scratches, and let sit for 10 minutes before wiping away the excess.

Exfoliate your skin

Coffee grounds make a great body scrub. They’re the perfect size and shape for exfoliating rough elbows, knees and feet — you get a lot of scrubbing action, but they’re still fairly gentle. Application method: Combine equal parts coffee grounds and coconut oil (for added hydration and easier application), and rub onto rough skin in a circular motion. Rinse away grounds and pat dry. Note, this treatment is not recommended for your face!

Tame fireplace ashes

Sprinkling damp coffee grounds onto fireplace embers can help you sweep up ash without kicking up dust. The damp grounds act as a binder on cool ashes to help contain the dust and particles. Two things to remember: Always let the fire go out completely and don’t dump the grounds from a high distance.