I absolutely love coffee. Not only is it the perfect energy boost, but it’s also good for your health and can even help with your performance in the gym. What most people don’t realize, however, is that there is a long list of uses for used coffee grounds instead of just throwing them in the trash. I like knowing that I’m doing my part in limiting the amount of waste I produce, so I‘ve done a ton of research trying to figure out how I can get the most life out of pretty much everything I use and buy. And let me tell you, coffee has proven to be a real treasure trove!
While some coffee machines (like the ninja coffee bar brewer) make collecting the grounds easier than others, most coffee machines give you easy access to the used ground after brewing. I promise that after you get through this list, you will never be tempted to toss those used coffee grounds in the trash can again.
Using Coffee Grounds Around the House
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Absorb Unpleasant and Unwanted Odors
Most people know that baking soda works well for removing food odors from the fridge or freezer, but I’ve found that used coffee grounds works just as well, if not better. All you need to do is take a plastic container and fill it with the grounds from the coffee maker, put it somewhere out of the way in the back of the refrigerator and let is sit for a few days. You’ll be amazed as how well this works. And if you feel like stretching it even further, you can take those grounds and toss this into a compost heap as fertilizer.
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DIY Candles
This is one that truly surprised me. Personally, I love the smell of freshly brewed coffee and the thought of a candle that smells like a fresh roast makes me very
happy. The supplies you need are simple: a cup, a pan, some wax and the wicks. Check out any candle making tutorial and have at it!
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All-Natural Abrasive for Cleaning
If you have ever dealt with burnt on food on your cookware, you know how annoying this can be. Well, next time you are wrestling with you pan, just sprinkle the coffee grounds on a cotton cleaning cloth and use it to scrub away those burnt pits and pieces in no time.
Using Coffee Grounds Out in the Garden
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Garden Fertilizer
This one is my favorite and I get the most use out of it on a day to basis. When you mix your grounds with dead grass, leaves and other plant matter, this resulting mixture is a potent source of much needed nitrogen and potassium that your growing plants need. All that’s left to do is sprinkle it in the garden and watch your flowers flourish!
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Save it for Composting
If you haven’t planted your garden yet, don’t fret. You can still use your fresh fertilizer by tossing it into a compost heap. The worms will love the addition and keep your compost churning. Just make sure not to add too much and to keep it balanced so you don’t throw off your compost ratios.
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Garden Pest Repellant
Coffee does a great job of deterring pests and even animals from destroying your garden. Simply sprinkle the used grounds around the base of your flowers and plants and it will create a barrier that most insects wont even try to cross. If you are looking to keep away larger animals, mix it with dried orange peels.
Using Coffee Grounds for DIY Beauty Products
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Skin Exfoliator
Skip the expensive exfoliators and just use your organic used coffee grounds instead! It makes a great exfoliating scrub that you can use on your entire body. Take the grounds and add a small amount of warm water or coconut oil. This scrub works so well that you’ll never go back to it’s overpriced drugstore counterpart.
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Refreshing Facial
Coffee doesn’t just work well on your body. It makes a great base for a facial, too! Take two rounded tablespoons of used coffee and the same amount of cocoa powder. Next, add three rounded tablespoons of honey and one tablespoon of milk for the most perfect, skin boosting facial cream.
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Remove Cellulite
Cellulite is hard to avoid. Even with proper diet and exercise, it can develop. That’s why I was so excited to learn that I could take care of it cheaply and easily with used coffee grounds. The mixture you need is dead simple: used coffee grounds and warm water. Let is sit on the areas with cellulite for ten minutes two times a week. After about a month of consistent application, you should start to notice a difference.
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Lighten and Clean Your Hair
If you use a lot of hair products like I tend to, by the end of the week you can probably feel the residue left behind by all of them. I’ve found that with the help of coffee grounds, getting rid of that inevitable build up is a breeze. Before you shower and shampoo, work a handful of grounds gently into your hair. The natural texture of the grounds is abrasive enough to break up the residue, but is smooth enough to not damage your hair.
The post 10 Genius Ways To Recycle Used Coffee Grounds appeared first on VectorCentral News, Stories and Reviews.
