Making Good Use Of Your Coffee Grounds

You might be surprised to learn that once you have enjoyed your cup of coffee from your bean to cup automatic machine, the spent coffee grounds that drop into the internal tray can be very useful. Here are some ideas on how to put this waste to good use, saving money and providing natural alternatives. Does anybody have any other tips?

In the garden:
Slugs, snails and ants do not like the smell of coffee so sprinkle your spent coffee around the base of your garden plants to save them keep them from hungry bugs.

Not only does it keep the bugs at bay, but your spent coffee is also a great natural fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulphur. Sprinkle around your plants or add some to your compost.

Still in the garden or for indoor pots, plants that are yellowing due to a lack of the above minerals will be happy with a feed of spent ground coffee. My green thumb friends warn though not to get too carried away with plants that do not like acidity.

As an odour eater:
Dried ground coffee absorbs odours which gives it a myriad of uses. Place dried ground coffee into a container or fabric bag and use in the fridges, cupboards or anywhere a bit on the nose! Don't worry, once dried the coffee does not transmit its smell, so your clothes won't smell of coffee.

This deodorising effect is also good for getting pungent food smells such as garlic and onions of your hands. Just rub the ground coffee on your hands and wash.

Beauty Treatments:
Use as a facial mask for exfoliation and anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant treatment. Actually, use it all over the body! Make a paste using just coffee, or mixed with sea salt and olive oil, or your own creation of natural ingredients. Just take care with how much spent coffee goes down your drain.

Coffee grounds will also act as a conditioner for dark hair for a super shine. Apply to wet hair after shampooing and leave it for a few minutes before rinsing. Note to fair heads, this treatment may colour your hair!

Pet Care:
Rubbed onto pets before washing, ground coffee helps to control fleas as well as being an exfoliant for their skin.

Around the home:
Treat scratches on dark furniture by painting a heavy paste of coffee grounds and olive oil. After about 20 minutes, wipe away the paste. The dye from the coffee will colour the scratch.