For those who treat coffee as their lifeline, there are more ways to integrate coffee into your life without actually drinking it and increasing your ever-growing caffeine consumption. You can use it as an air freshener, heck, you can even take a bath with it.
Throwing out the grounds left behind after brewing coffee, is a big no. Here are nine wonderful uses of coffee, old or used coffee grounds and even instant coffee powders which you can try at home.
1 Neutralize Odors
It is better to smell your favorite coffee aroma than bad other like those of spoiled food or perspiration. Coffee grounds also have nitrogen which can naturally help absorb and eliminate foul odors. Put coffee grounds inside sewed fabrics or old socks to make portable air conditioners. You put these inside your car, your bedroom drawers or anywhere else with bad smell. For your fridge, simply place it in a bowl.
2 Fertilize Your Garden
Coffee grounds contain minerals that promote plant growth such as nitrogen, iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and chromium. Simply sprinkle them to the soil and your plants would have better nourishment. Coffee grounds can also attract worms which would have positive effects on the soil.
3 Clean Your Kitchen
When it’s time to do kitchen cleaning, you can use coffee grounds to scrub hard-to-clean surfaces or polish your pots and grills. You can either apply them directly or mix them with your cleaning agents like dishwashing liquid. Coffee has antibacterial and antiviral properties, on the other hand, the grounds are abrasive which can help scrub your cookware sparkling clean.
4 Repel Insects
Why would you need to buy insect repellents which may contain chemicals if there are cheaper and more natural solutions? Some compounds found in coffee like caffeine and diterpenes are very toxic to insects. Old coffee grounds are effective in repelling bugs, mosquitoes, flies, beetles and other pests. You can set them out on bowls near your window or scatter on areas filled with insects on your garden.
5 Rid Your Pets of Fleas
When your pet has fleas, it is certainly a headache. Fleas are not very fond of coffee. You can try scrubbing your pet’s fur with coffee grounds after bathing them. However, this will be less effective than some flea-removal products on the market.
6 Use as Body and Lip Scrub
The caffeine in coffee has antioxidant properties that can help protect your skin. The Coffee grounds can also act as an exfoliating agent to remove dirt and dead cells from the skin. Just mix them with a bit of water or coconut oil and voila!- you have your own homemade body scrub. You can also mix it with honey to have a lip scrub.
7 Wash Your Hair
It turns out, coffee can also make your hair glossy and healthy looking. Just brew an extra strong cup of coffee or use instant coffee for a semi-pasty mixture. Apply it to your hair and keep it for at least 20 minutes before rinsing, you can use it at least once a week for best results.
8 Use as Natural Dye
Coffee can be used as a good natural alternative to chemical-based dyes. It can be used in coloring papers or fabrics. Just wet old coffee grounds or mix instant coffee with water. You can use it for your kid’s art homework or disguise stains on towels and clothes. It can also be used in your hair. It is non-toxic and is cheaper than commercial dyes.
9 Grow Mushrooms
If you have too much time in your hands, what about growing mushrooms? Mushrooms do not grow on ordinary soil but on substrates with nutrients that are suitable for their growth. Used coffee grounds can be utilized in making a good substrate. Just combine it with mushroom spore and sawdust mixture put it in a container with holes and spray water every day to keep adequate moisture.