12 Unthinkable Eco-Friendly Things You Can Do With Used Coffee Grounds

Coffee could be considered our national beverage with 83 percent of American adults consuming it according to USA Today. Many of us just can't get our day started without that cup, or perhaps several cups, of coffee. Statisticbrain.com tells us that it is an everyday habit for over half of us.What many of us don't realize is that this drink has a lot more potential to brighten our day than just getting those brain cells firing first thing in the morning. If you've already gone to the trouble of fresh brewing some coffee, don't be too quick to just throw away those used grounds.Read on to find a multitude of practical uses for them that will make your life easier.  

Nature's Greatest Fertilizer - If you do any gardening, whether growing fruits and vegetables to eat, or if you just have some flower beds, putting these grounds to work as fertilizer will probably be your most important use for them. It also provides a natural way to accomplish this goal.As pointed out on the website gardeningknowhow.com, these vital and frequently unappreciated grounds also improve drainage, water retention and aeration in the soil. Additionally, the grounds help the growth of microorganisms beneficial to plant growth.

A Powerful and Effective Insect Repellant - In addition to helping with gardening by being a great fertilizer, used coffee grounds also repel those pests that are so antithetical to a thriving garden.Putting them in the soils around plants you wish to protect should ward off slugs, snails and other pests. It also has the benefit of doing so without chemicals for organic-minded gardeners.

Don't Let the Neighborhood Feline Ruin Your Garden - If you are sick of your neighbor's cat walking through and digging up your garden, coffee grounds are the perfect repellent.Combining them with orange peels will be even more effective if a particularly troublesome feline is nearby. It's definitely less hassle than getting a dog.

Attract Worms for a Healthier Garden - Normally, when one thinks of their garden in relation to animals or bugs it is with regard to all the critters you wish to keep away from it. This goes for bugs and animals that eat, dig up or otherwise destroy the fruits of our outdoor labors.Worms, on the other hand, can actually nurture your gardening efforts. As pointed out on this website, worms are like free farm help. Their tunneling through the ground helps aerate the soil and their body processes fertilize it. Luckily for gardeners, they are attracted to coffee grounds.

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Deodorize Your Refrigerator - If your fridge is getting less than fresh smelling and you forgot to buy that box of baking soda while out at the store, don't fret. Coffee grounds, among their many other benefits, also absorb the unpleasant odors that abound in most of our refrigerators.

Kill Those Disgusting Roaches Naturally and Effectively - You will find plenty of home remedies for handling roaches online, but none are more effective than the trap you can create using coffee grounds. You just need the grounds, a can or other container and some double-sided tape.The coffee grounds serve as the bait to draw them into the container that you put double-sided tape in to trap them. It's basically a home-made roach motel that you can be sure those roaches won't be checking out of.

Cover Any Unpleasant Odors With a Smell You Love Waking up To - This one is similar to handling refrigerator odors except that this is for those times when a room or your whole house isn't smelling quite as nice as it should. Fortunately, few things smell as good as a cup of coffee, so it can cover a plethora of unpleasant odors.

Use Them to Clear Snow and Ice From Your Walkway - If you live in an area that gets its fair share of snow and ice in the winter, you may want to put some coffee grounds next to that bag of rock salt for keeping your walkway clear. The grounds provide needed traction. Their acidic nature also helps melt it faster.

Scour Your Pans Clean - If you've misplaced your scouring pad, don't despair. Coffee grounds can come to the rescue again in yet another household use. The abrasive nature of the grounds can remove all but the most caked-on dirt and will do it without scratching your cookware.Be careful to remember that coffee grounds can stain. Make sure to give the pans a good washing with a sponge afterward, and don't use them on ceramic dishes that stain easily.

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They Help Remove Any Puffiness and Reduce Dark Circles Under Your Eyes - While most methods for finding a practical second life for these coffee grounds involve general home or garden applications, this is more of a personal care use. If you've ever tried creams and other over-the-counter remedies for puffiness or bags under the eyes, you may want to give coffee grounds a try instead.As explained in an article on Leaf.tv, Coffee grounds contain antioxidants, and caffeine has natural anti-inflammatory properties. These provide a powerful one-two nutritional punch that will have your eyes looking better in no time.

Create Homemade Soap for the Holidays - With the holiday season approaching, if you are tight on money and not sure what to get a friend or family member, you might try making deodorizing soap by combining basic glycerin-based soap with used coffee grounds.According to Popsuger.com, this is a great way to get more from any small bars of soap you may have on hand from your last hotel stay. It is also the type of personalized gift that will be appreciated.

Get Rid of Fleas - This tip for re-using coffee grounds will be welcomed by the four-legged friend in your life. If your dog has fleas and you're not thrilled at the prospect of using harsh chemicals to handle the problem, then coffee grounds may come to the rescue.After shampooing but before you rinse, rub some of your leftover grounds in. Dogs never seem thrilled when they're being given a bath, but with this tip, they'll be happy later.

How Will You Use This Versatile Resource That We Looked Upon as Trash for so Long?

As you now realize, simply throwing away your used grounds after enjoying your coffee can be quite a waste. Some folks have experienced such success with many of these uses for them that they have taken to YouTube to extol the virtues of what has been considered trash by many.Even if you don't drink coffee, you're not out of luck. Unless you live in the middle of nowhere, you'll have a Starbucks or some other coffee house somewhere near you.They give away used grounds, so either make your own or get some from elsewhere, but start putting those used grounds to practical use today!