What To Do With Your Used Coffee Grounds

We all know the essential function of coffee is to be the motivation to get you out of – and keep you out of – bed in the morning. However, what you might not know is, after your favorite caffeinated beverage is brewed, the grounds can continue to be useful to you in many other areas of everyday life. As if coffee wasn’t already great enough!

First and foremost, coffee grounds are a great source of nutrients to add to fertilizer. Not only do they contain key minerals that stimulate plant growth (such as nitrogen, calcium, iron, and potassium), they also help absorb heavy metals that can contaminate the soil. This in turn leads to healthier, larger, more delicious/bright produce, foliage, and blooms! So, the next time planting season comes around, be sure to save your grounds for the ground! Or, better yet, ask the barista at your local coffee shop if they keep a bag of old coffee grounds around, chances are that under their giant espresso machine is a trash bin full of them!

A lesser-known use for coffee grounds is that they help repel various bugs during patio season. How? Compounds like caffeine and diterpenes that are found in coffee can be toxic to mosquitos, fruit flies, and other insects. So sprinkle some coffee grounds on your patio or in your garden to help keep pests out of your outdoor enjoyment! 

Lastly, just in case you haven’t noticed, coffee grounds are super coarse and can act like the scrubbing side of a sponge, but much more natural. I have heard of some people using coffee grounds to scrub their pots and pans to get the griminess off. I’ve also heard of people using coffee grounds to deodorize their refrigerators, unblock their sinks, or even in the shower to exfoliate their skin and remove dirt and dead skin cells. (For more household uses for coffee grounds click HERE).

Long story short, hang on to those coffee grounds instead of tossing them in the garbage! They can be used in so many different ways other than getting you that caffeine jolt to keep you alert throughout the day!

Interested in learning more facts about all of our favorite beverages? Click HERE to read our blog “15 Facts That Make Coffee Cooler!”