Super cool things you can do with leftover coffee grounds.
By ALEXIS ROCHESTER
If you are a coffee drinker, then you probably have an abundant supply of leftover coffee grounds being thrown away each day.
Thanks to chemistry though, you can now save those coffee grounds for some handy things around your home.
Coffee grounds are high in carbon, but they also contain nitrogen. Leftover coffee grounds are slightly acidic too which can be utilized for some of these garden tips below.
The physical properties of coffee grounds also make it a handy tool for absorption.
Here are some of the coolest things you do with all those coffee grounds.
Use it for plant food.
Leftover coffee grounds not only help nourish the soil, but they feed plants too. Small amounts on top of the soil of your plants every few weeks will give the plant some added nutrients. We use this to feed roses, and it works great!
Repel certain insects and ants.
Leftover coffee grounds can also deter certain insects from your flowerbeds like ants and slugs. They are turned off by the chemicals and acidity.
Always use coffee grounds that have just been used (not ones that might be a few days old) since the pH does increase over a period of time as it decomposes.
Use it to exfoliate your hands.
With essential oils, fatty acids, and cellulose leftover in coffee grounds, this makes it great to exfoliate with. To do this, set out your coffee grounds to dry, then use about a tablespoon of the grounds in your hand, rub around with some warm water, then rinse.
Make a sugar scrub.
You can also make an all over body scrub like this easy coffee chocolate scrub. This recipe works great with leftover coffee grounds! It smells so good and is great for all over your skin.
Deodorize the air.
One of my favorite things to do with leftover coffee is to absorb bad odors in the air. It works really well for areas like the refrigerator or kitchen. I keep a bowl out and dump the grounds into it. It will work for a few days soaking up odor.
Soak up and scrub grease on pans and pots.
Coffee grounds do such a good job of absorbing materials like greasy substances. One of my favorite ways to do this is after using a baking sheet to cook with.
I will drain any large amounts of liquid to throw away, then sprinkle coffee grounds all over the pan. Scrub and rinse! It really helps clean, scrub, and absorb grease or stuck on food.
Alexis Rochester is an investigative chemist, blogger and founder of Chemistry Cachet. She shares science-based skin care, cleaning, gardening and health tips. She was diagnosed with RA at age 10, so she has a passion for pain management tips and research, along with sharing her journey through this disease. When she’s not writing for Chemistry Cachet, she is taking Pilates or Barre classes, and also received her Barre teaching certification this year! She grew up in Stephenville and recently moved back with her daughter, husband and bulldog. You can find her posting pictures and fun stories daily on Instagram. Also look for Chemistry Cachet on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and LinkedIn.
