Re-use of coffee grounds
There are a lot of things you can do with used coffee grounds, you just have to know how. Below you can find a few examples, but we encourage you to find more!
For the garden
- Fertilizer: Mix (don't layer!) coffee grounds into soil to add nitrogen and improve drainage. Make sure you don't mix more than 10-20% of coffee grounds into the total volume. Too much will negatively effect your soil.
- Pest repellent: Sprinkling used coffee grounds around your plants works as a natural repellent. It will keep all nasty pests away like ants, slugs, and more.
- Compost booster: Used coffee grounds are very rich in nitrogen, making them the perfect green compost booster!
Skin & hair
- Body scrub: create a natural exfoliator by mixing your used coffee grounds with, for example, coconut oil and sugar.
- Scalp treatment: when showering rub the grounds into your scalp before shampooing to stimulate hair growth.
For cleaning the house
- Scrubbing: The coarse texture of the coffee grounds is perfect for scrubbing greasy surfaces, like pans (do not use on non-stick coatings)!
- Removing nasty smells: Dried coffee grounds neutralize nasty smells—two examples:
- Place dried grounds in a bowl and place in fridge to absorb odors.
- Place dried grounds in a sock and place in shoes or gym bags to absorb sweat odors.
- Drain cleaner: By flushing small amounts of coffee grounds down your sink with hot water, you can remove grime (watch out for pipes that easily clog).
Disclaimer
Please apply used coffee grounds with caution in the examples named above. Not all appliances are backed up by scientific data and are based on general findings by a broader audience.