9 Cool Beans Ways to Reuse Coffee Grounds: NEVER Waste Coffee!

You know how, every morning, you enjoy your amazing cup of coffee and toss the used grounds in the bin? We used to do the same... until we realized how incredibly useful they can be! There are actually dozens of different ways to reuse coffee grounds after you’ve made the most of their flavor. We’ve made sure to include our favorites, as well as something for everyone. Get ready to have your mind blown!

9 practical and creative ways to reuse coffee grounds after brewing them

1. Reuse your coffee grounds as fertilizer

Used coffee grounds add organic material to your soil: you can either sprinkle them directly onto it or mix around half a cup of grounds and warm water in a handy spray bottle. Not only does this improve drainage, aeration and water retention, but it also favors the growth of the microorganisms that are beneficial to your plants. Who needs store-bought fertilizer anymore?

2. Compost more quickly (and without bad smells)

Composting is a fantastic green habit that can help you reduce your environmental footprint. One problem? Sometimes it can stink real bad! Luckily, coffee grounds are impeccable at absorbing odor: while speeding up the composting process by adding nitrogen to your pile and stabilizing its pH level, they will also avoid unpleasant smells.

3. Keep bugs away

Don’t you hate it when you’re trying to enjoy a relaxing evening in the garden with your friends and you spend most of the time fighting mosquitos? Instead of wasting money on irritating chemical solutions, burn coffee grounds in a bowl: most bugs hate that smell (crazy, we know!).

4. Refrigerator freshener

You’ve probably already heard that putting baking soda in the fridge helps keep bad smells under control, but… why waste it when you can use something that you’ve already made the most of? Just collect your used coffee grounds and place them in a bowl or cheesecloth. 

5. Save stinky shoes

The odor-absorbing properties of used coffee grounds mean that they work wonders in lots of different smelly situations… including the stinkiest shoes! Simply fill up a pair of socks or nylon tights with dried used grounds, and leave them inside the shoe for a night or two.

6. DIY coffee scrub

Thanks to their abrasiveness, used coffee grounds are great at removing dead skin cells without causing itchy irritations. Forget about your store-bought scrub or exfoliator! Rub the grounds in the shower and wash them off with cold water.

7. Feed it to the worms

Whether you keep worms to feed your pets or for fishing, used coffee grounds can help keep their farm moist. Plus, worms love them (can you blame them?), which means that they’ll eat them and grow bigger and faster!

8. Give your wooden furniture a new look

Have you got an old piece of furniture that could do with a dramatic makeover? Sure, you can buy some stains, but why bother spending money and putting up with their synthetic odors and sticky mess when you can just make a natural one for free with your used coffee grounds? And if you have an ugly scratch on a wooden surface, they can help hide it!

9. Scour the toughest pots and pans

Burnt food and sticky substances can be pretty tough to remove from the pan that you forgot on the hob or haven’t washed in a day (or two). Have you tried sprinkling some used coffee grounds before scrubbing them? Thanks to their abrasive action, they’re a lifesaver at getting rid of the most stubborn leftover food. 

Do you know any other ways to reuse coffee grounds? Drop them in the comments: we can’t wait to try them!