Take care of your skin
Coffee grounds work really well as an exfoliating scrub to help remove dirt and dead cells from the skin. Simply mix coffee grounds with a little bit of coconut oil or water and gently rub into your skin before rinsing. It will leave your skin looking and feeling fresh and vibrant. By incorporating coffee grounds into your regular skincare regime, you can even prevent skin breakouts because of the anti-inflammatory properties of caffeine. When applied to the skin for 10 minutes as a face mask, coffee grounds can also reduce the formation of wrinkles and the appearance of dark under-eye circles. It’s a beauty miracle!
Nourish your plants
Coffee doesn’t just wake you up, it helps things to grow. Coffee grounds contain several key minerals which aid plant growth such as nitrogen, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and chromium. What’s more, coffee grounds attract earthworms but repel other pests like slugs, snails and fleas.
Compost it
One of the cleverest things you can do with coffee grounds is composting it. Adding coffee grounds, a rich source of nitrogen, into compost piles helps to maintain heat and moisture. The compost, in turn, can significantly improve the health of your garden plants with one study finding that compost made with coffee grounds showed a higher percentage of nutrient elements than compost made with waste alone. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18752936
Keep pests at bay
Coffee grounds can be used to repel insects such as mosquitos, fruit flies and beetles because certain compounds found in coffee, including caffeine, can be toxic to them. You can keep pests away from your garden by scattering coffee grounds around your plants and sprinkling them around outdoor seating areas. Likewise, sprinkling coffee grounds into outdoor still water can discourage mosquitos from breeding.
Freshen up bad smells
Coffee grounds can help to absorb and eliminate odours. After chopping onion or garlic, scrub your hands with used coffee grounds to remove the smell from your hands. You could place a bowl of grounds in your fridge to neutralise smelly odours or even fill an organza bag with coffee grounds (like you would with lavender) and place it in your shoes, gym bag, car, bedroom drawers or wherever else might deodorising.
Use them as a natural cleaner
If you are environmentally conscious and like to avoid using harsh chemicals, try using coffee founds to scour and remove build up on surfaces. The coarse texture of the grounds makes them ideal for scrubbing dishes clean – especially caked-on food.
Grow luscious hair
Shampoos and other hair styling products can often leave residue behind that dulls and weighs down hair. Exfoliating your scalp with coffee grounds once or twice a week before shampooing can help to remove build up and leave your hair looking shinier and healthier.
Repair scratches in wood
Wooden furniture is beautiful but as a natural material, it can be easily scuffed and scratched. The good news is you can use coffee grounds to conceal the scratch. All you need to do is make a thick paste by mixing used coffee grounds with water, then rub the paste into the scratch and leave it for up to ten minutes before wiping it away with a dry cloth. This should dye the wood a darker colour. Repeat the above process until the desired colour is achieved – and bingo, you’re as good as new.
