14 Surprising Ways to Use Coffee

Coffee.  It's one of the things we love to love.  I have personally developed an increasing appreciation for the dark brew over the past several years.  Just recently, I learned there are other things we can do with a pot of Joe or the grounds from that pot.  Here are the most useful things from that list:

With the used grounds that can be saved for quite awhile in a container in case you need them:

1.  Erase smells (onion, garlic, etc.) from your hands by rubbing them with used grounds

2.  Compost them - they are considered "green" and a good nitrogen source and they reportedly attract worms, which is beneficial to your compost.  Get a composter here

3.  You can sprinkle damp grounds on your fireplace or wood stove ashes before scooping them out to reduce ash flying everywhere.  This is definitely a negative of owning a wood stove for us.  I have to dust the furniture in our living room all the time because of the floating ash particles.

4.   Take a small handful of used grounds and rub on your face to exfoliate for free!  The caffeine is also good for your face.  It is an anti-inflammatory, which reduces facial flushing and also redness and puffiness around eyes.  Find the article here

5.  Repels ants.  Sprinkle around your foundation and in your garden or greenhouse to reduce ant traffic.  If sprinkled in your garden and greenhouse, it also keeps cats out.  They hate the smell.

6.  Fertilize acid-loving plants with the grounds or the cooled coffee
Find Acid-Loving Plants Here
List of Vegetable Plants that prefer slightly acidic soil click here

7.  Use as a medium to grow mushrooms.  This website has information on growing mushrooms with coffee grounds.

8.  You can rub wet grounds on your pet outside after a bath or on dry fur to repel fleas.  It also makes a marvelous deodorizer.  Who doesn't love the smell of coffee??

9.  The grounds also make the perfect addition for VERMICOMPOSTING


BREWED COFFEE can be used as a natural dye for fabric, paper, hair and eggs.  Learn how to use it for darker, shinier hair.  


STALE BEANS can be used as a lovely addition to the bottom of a vase before adding flowers.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about the different ways you can reuse coffee, grounds, and beans.  It was a pleasurable eye-opener for this frugal, "trying to be more natural" mama who is always looking for better, more inexpensive ways to do things.   I would love to hear your thoughts and ways you've used coffee or grounds that aren't on this list!

Debbie is  Home at Serenity Springs