15 Simply Outstanding Ways to Recycle Used Coffee Grounds

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OK, everyone loves a good cup, or two, of coffee in the morning. But before you dump those coffee grounds in the trash, take a look at this list of genius ways you can recycle those coffee grounds so you can continue to enjoy them long after that last drop leaves the pot.

1. Repair Furniture Scratches

Simply mix 1 tablespoon of coffee grounds with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Apply this over the scratch with a cotton ball, then wipe dry. Try this first on an inconspicuous area first to be sure you are happy with the color.

2. Natural Flavor Enhancer

No matter what marinade you are making for your meat, adding just a tablespoon of fresh coffee grounds to the marinade will not only tenderize the meat, but it gives it a mild, smoky flavor. Some say that adding a bit of coffee to chili gives it a dynamite flavor as well.

3. Natural Insect Repellent

Sprinkle used coffee grounds around your garden plants to stop destructive pests such as slugs, snails, and ants. In fact some people claim that mixing orange peels with coffee grounds will keep cats from using your garden beds as an open air litter box.

4. Fertilize Your Garden

If you love azaleas, rhododendrons, roses, camellias, hydrangeas, or any acid-loving plant actually, will love you back if you give them coffee grounds as fertilizer. Mix up your old coffee grounds with dead leaves, dry grass clippings, or dry straw and then use this as fertilizer around you plants. Coffee grounds add potassium and nitrogen to the soil as well as a bit of magnesium, which all plants need to be beautifully green and healthy.

5. Make Your Own Wake Me Up Soap!

Your skin absorbs caffeine almost as well as your stomach. Check out the number of sites selling coffee soap and you will see that it must work! Next time you are making up a batch of homemade soap, make a great exfoliating soap that will really wake you up in the morning by adding some coffee grounds to your soap mixture.

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6. Super Rejuvenating Facial

Coffee makes a great facial. Mix together two tablespoons of coffee grounds with two tablespoons of organic cocoa powder. Add three tablespoons of whole milk and top it all off with a heaping tablespoon of raw honey for the perfect alpha-hydroxyl/antioxidant facial you have ever had. Find out other ways how to avoid putting unhealthy petrolium on your face.

7. Caffeine Rush for Your Carrots

If you love carrots and you are plan on putting some in your garden, try this garden tip. Before you put your seeds in the ground, mix them with dried, used coffee grounds. This will give your seeds a huge energy boost from the start. You should get bigger and better carrots than anyone in town! Just don’t give away your secret.

8. Absorb Smelly Odors

Use coffee ground very much the same way you would use baking soda to absorb those stinky smells in your fridge or freezer. Put coffee grounds in an open container and place it in the back of your fridge. Collect more grounds and replace it every 3 or 4 weeks. As an extra bonus, take those smelly old coffee grounds out of the refrigerator and pour them down the garbage disposal to sweeten the disposal and sharpen the blades at the same time. Talk about double duty!

9. Scouring Power

Coffee grounds work great as a scouring cleanser. Just mix equal parts of coffee grounds and baking soda. You can use this to clean grease off pots and pans or scrub the sink when you’re done! Read more about 5 natural non-toxic cleaners that should be in your home.

10. Highlight Your Hair Naturally

If you are a brunette or a dark colored red head, you can really bring out the highlights in your hair naturally by rinsing it with coffee grounds. Steep some used coffee ground in a pot with 2 cups of water for about 15 minutes. You don’t need to boil them, just let the water get really hot. Strain out the grounds and then use this water as a rinse for your hair in the shower. If you want you can pour about 2 tablespoons right into your conditioner and use it that way. Don’t use this if you have blonde or silver hair unless you want some reddish brown highlights!

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11. Doggie Deodorizer

After washing your dog with his regular shampoo, rub in 1 or 2 cups of coffee grounds (depending on the size of your dog) into his fur, then rinse well. This will kill fleas and make the fur super soft after it dries.

12. Gardeners/Fisherman’s Soap

Want to get rid of those smelly, dirty hands? Make your own gardeners or fisherman’s soap by melting a bar of glycerin soap and adding about 1/3 of a cup of coffee grounds. Reshape or pour into a mold as it cools. This is great for removing dirt and stinky smells all at the same time.

13. Natural Cellulite Treatment

Cellulite has a dozen causes, and even more “treatments”. Don’t bother buying those expensive cellulite treatments from your drug store, just use coffee grounds. Mix some coffee ground with warm water and scrub the problem areas for about 10 minutes twice a week. This will take about 4 weeks before you see the benefits, but you will see them, this treatment really does work!

14. Clean Out Your Fireplace

Ok, so coffee grounds aren’t going to do all the work, but they will make things easier and less messy. Scatter some used coffee grounds over the ashes to help weigh them down and stop those huge dust clouds that happen when you remove the old ashes. Keeping down the dust should help stop you from having to dust everything in the room.

15. Exfoliate the Skin

Coffee ground make a great body scrub. Mix some coffee grounds with some coconut oil and a touch of water, and then scrub your body from head to toe to remove all those dead skin cells. Be sure to pay special attention to your feet! This is a great way to get rid of callouses and dead skin.

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