TOP 5 BEST WAYS TO REUSE YOUR COFFEE GROUNDS
In striving to be more resourceful and less wasteful, I am always looking for ways to reuse anything and everything. Especially products that are naturally found in nature. Everything that comes from the earth has more than one purpose and if you are creative enough you can often find multiple uses for any type of ingredient or product. Like coffee grounds! If you’re like me, I go through coffee like it’s my job. So I am left with lots of excess waste from my used coffee grounds. Rather than just tossing those used grounds into the trash or compost I’ve complied a quick list of other alternatives that can benefit you and the environment by re-cycling those grounds.
AT HOME:
1. DEGREASER- Ditch the brillo pad. Used coffee grounds are great for getting tough gunk off your dishes or grills. It cuts grease and gets the hard stuff off without scratching your favorite china. Add 1 teaspoon of grounds to at least 8 oz of your dish soap or cleaning cloth and scrub away.
2. EXFOLIANT- looking for ways to reduce dry skin or cellulite? Coffee grounds are a great replacement for sugar or salt scrubs. It gently softens and brightens skin. Also creates better circulation on areas applied helping to increase nutrient flow and reduces water retention where cellulite normally forms. I like to add 3 Tablespoons with about 1/2 C- ¾ C of vegetable oil or grapeseed oil for a nice scrub. Or just grab a handful while washing and add it to problem areas. Rinse and reap the benefits.
IN THE GARDEN:
3. FERTILIZER-coffee by nature is slightly acidic, ranging between 6 -6.5 in pH level. Certain plants such as Tomatoes, blueberries and marigolds love acid. Coffee is also full of magnesium, nitrogen, potassium and calcium which makes it a great fertilizer for most plants as well. Sprinkle grounds around the base of roots or directly in soil to help promote growth.
4. PESTICIDE- many annoying garden pests such as snails, slugs and ants will stay far away from any crops that have grounds sprinkled by them. They can’t stand the smell of coffee! Spread grounds around the perimeter of the garden or soil around your plants. Make sure if they are not particularly acid loving plants you keep the grounds sparse and farther away from the root or leaves of crops.
5. SOIL- in order to grow successful vegetables or fruits, soil is the most important part. Intermixing coffee grounds into your compost or soil is extremely beneficial. It helps retain moisture in dry soils, adds organic matter, and attracts beneficial micro-organisms such as earth worms which help make soils richer.
These are just a few of my quick and easy ways to reduce your waste and feel good about our vices, like drinking too much coffee! I love that using my left overs can help in my garden, and help in saving money as I no longer have to spend money on expensive salt or sugar scrubs. My skin feels just as good and I never have to worry about running out. Hope you enjoy!