Easy ways to reuse your coffee grounds
Coffee is enjoyed worldwide, but what happens to the used grounds? Here are some clever ways we repurpose ours, giving coffee grounds a second life. Let’s work together to make the most of every cup!
Coffee body scrub
Makes 1 jar of the most beautiful body scrub
Ingredients
1 cup of used and dried coffee grounds
1 cup of organic coconut oil
3/4 cup of brown sugar or fine sea salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Method
Combine everything in a bowl and store in a glass jar at room temperature.
Apply the scrub all over your body 1-2 times per week. I personally do not apply this to my face as the mixture is a little course for delicate skin areas, such as the face.
Tip: The coconut oil can make the bath and shower area a little slippery, so do take care to clean the area after use.
Coffee grounds in the garden
Did you know that coffee grounds are a great way to fertilise plants? Just another way in which you can reuse your waste coffee grounds. Coffee grounds are said to be full of valuable nutrients and minerals that can help plants grow and thrive. When we compost coffee grounds along with other organic matter and kitchen waste, we reclaim the nutrients those materials contain. Coffee grounds are rich in nutrients essential to plant growth – especially nitrogen. The nutrients they contain can help create compost that will feed your plants.
COMPOSTING WITH COFFEE GROUNDS
Nitrogen is important in a composting system. Often, the materials used in composting are categorised as either nitrogen-rich (green) or carbon-rich (brown) materials. Though brown in colour, coffee grounds are characterised as a ‘green’ material due to their relatively high nitrogen content. Adding nitrogen-rich materials like coffee grounds to a composting system helps the materials to break down more quickly.
Tip: It is better to compost coffee grounds first if you can, as this breaks down the caffeine . Adding coffee grounds directly to soil or base of your plant can inhibit the growth to some species. Composting neutralises the acidity in coffee grounds and reduces its anti-microbial effect to encourage earth worms and fungi growth.
Repel Insects and Pests
Certain compounds found in coffee, such caffeine, can be highly toxic to insects. Because of this, you can use coffee grounds to repel bugs. It is effective at deterring mosquitos, fruit flies and beetles, and they may help keep other pests away too. To use coffee grounds as an insect and pest repellent, simply set out bowls of grounds or sprinkle them around outdoor seating areas…though the latter might be less desirable. We also use it to keep slugs and snails out of our vegetables. Simply scatter coffee grounds around your plants, this creates a barrier that slugs and snails do not like to crawl over.
A Natural Dye
If you’ve ever spilled coffee, you know that it can leave a stain. You can use used coffee grounds or leftover coffee from your pot as a natural dye. By doing this you can create an inexpensive and all-natural dye that can be used to colour material, stain wood (we’ve used this a lot on old pallet wood in the shop to make picture frames), create natural watercolours for paintings, to give paper a vintage look, and so much more. Be as creative as you like!
Tip: If you’ve dyed a piece of fabric that will be worn and will need washing, we recommend you wash it in cold water, with a very mild laundry detergent before using it.
Repair Scratched Furniture
Here at MRAC we have used coffee grounds to cover many scuff marks on old furniture used in the store. It’s simple and free. Make the mixture with used coffee grounds or leftover coffee from the pot. Simply rub the mixture into the scratched area using a cotton bud. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes and then wipe away any excess coffee grounds. Continue this process until you have the desired coverage needed.
