For most of us, coffee plays a very crucial role in our everyday routine: it gives us the hit of caffeine we need to get going in the morning, or to work our way through the afternoon slump. But when we empty the rest of the coffee pot down the drain and toss the brewed grounds into the trash or compost, we're missing out on all the other ways this multitasking drink can work for us. Read on for eight easy ways to put the remnants from that daily coffee habit to work in the kitchen, garden, and even the home spa.
Pour extra coffee left in the pot straight into ice cubes trays. Then, add the frozen cubes to iced coffee drinks to keep them cold without diluting the flavor. Or, blend them up to make homemade cold, frothy iced mochas.
4. Scour Pots and Pans
The coarse texture of coffee grounds is just abrasive enough to scrub stuck-on food off the bottoms of pots and pans without damaging the surfaces. Use a few drops of dish detergent, a healthy sprinkling of grounds, and a scouring pad to get your cookware looking brand-new.
5. D.I.Y. Exfoliating Scrub
There's no need to buy pricey exfoliators when it's so easy to make your own at home. Slough dead skin off your body and face with this yummy-smelling combination: one part brown sugar and one part olive or coconut oil mixed with two parts leftover coffee grounds.
Keep a small bowl of coffee grounds by the kitchen sink and use them to scrub your hands after chopping garlic or onions to help remove those pungent cooking smells.
Add another small, open bowl of grounds to your fridge to absorb and eliminate odors and keep things smelling fresh. (Just make sure the grounds are thoroughly dry since wet ones will mold.)
7. Fertilize Your Garden
Plants take nutrients out of the soil, but sprinkling used coffee grounds on top of garden beds (or turning it into the soil), replenishes the stores of nitrogen, potassium, and magnesium, helping to keep your plants healthy and happy.
This is especially helpful to roses, azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, and other flowers that love acidic soil. Adding coffee grounds can even change the color of your hydrangeas from pink to blue since it changes the pH of the soil.
Coffee grounds can also help do double-duty in the garden by managing pests. Scattering brewed grounds in garden beds or sprinkling them on top of potted plants will keep away destructive pests like snails, slugs, and ants. And they'll attract worms, which are great friends to have in the garden because they aerate the soil and speed up decomposition.
Avoid using coffee grounds on alkaline-loving trees, such as linden, ironwood, red chestnut and arborvitae. Coffee grounds used as mulch or compost inhibit plant growth on geranium, asparagus fern, Chinese mustard and Italian ryegrass.
Avoid using coffee grounds on alkaline-loving trees, such as linden, ironwood, red chestnut and arborvitae. Coffee grounds used as mulch or compost inhibit plant growth on geranium, asparagus fern, Chinese mustard and Italian ryegrass.
Coffee grounds (and brewed coffee) are a source of nitrogen for plants, producing healthy green growth and strong stems. Coffee also contains calcium and magnesium — both of which are beneficial to plant health. To use coffee as a plant fertilizer, you'll need to dilute it. It should look like weak tea.
Coffee grounds are great for pest control. Ants especially don't like them - both grounds and the acids damage their exoskeletons. Use spent grounds to keep ants out of the house by laying down a 2 inch wide line around the foundation and entrances.
Also, you can place coffee grounds in an old sock (clean, obviously) or stockings and tie it off to make a portable air freshener. Place it under the seat in your car or over a hidden air vent in your home to spread the scent.
Coffee grounds are rich in nutrients, especially nitrogen. They also have some amount of other nutrients like potassium and phosphorous. Overall, this means that adding coffee grounds to your garden can work fairly well as a fertiliser. Coffee should be spread in a thin layer, rather than being clumped in one place.
Not only do they repel mosquitoes, but also other insects such as wasps and bees. Coffee grounds are the bee's knees when it comes to staying bug bite free. Most bugs have a very strong sense of smell. Coffee grounds are very potent and even more potent once they are burned.
Coffee grounds have a pungent smell that squirrels hate. Instead of pitching them, you can use your grounds in several ways. You can sprinkle them around your yard, in trees, or in other areas where squirrels are active.
There are some plants that should be avoided when using coffee grounds in your garden. These include lily of the valley, plants that prefer low nitrogen conditions, and those that cannot tolerate acidic soil.
Your old coffee grounds are a no-brainer for the compost bin. They provide nitrogen to your compost content. Use coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable leftovers and lawn clippings along with dry twigs, paper or hay.
Coffee grounds can be a good source of nitrogen in your compost pile or when added directly to the soil in the garden. If added in fairly large amounts, they can raise the acidity level of the soil for acid-loving plants.
Coffee: not only can it be used as an energy booster but also as a fertilizer, insect repellant, meat tenderizer, and household cleaner. Elizabeth Brownfield is a writer and editor specializing in food, cooking, and travel.
Composting. Nitrogen-heavy coffee is a perfect supplement to any at-home compost bin and it's proven by science that a grounds-based compost is actually richer in nutrients than one made with food scraps alone (and also more environmentally-friendly).
Are Coffee Grounds Good for Plants? Coffee grounds contain several key nutrients needed by plants, including nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and other trace minerals. These are all nutrients that plants need to grow. The grounds are particularly rich in nitrogen, making them a great addition to compost.
Introduction: My name is Jeremiah Abshire, I am a outstanding, kind, clever, hilarious, curious, hilarious, outstanding person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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