Uses for Coffee Grounds

DISCLAIMER

• CAUTION
• All tips, hints and ideas are used at own risk.
• Not all coffees are created equal. In my opinion, some coffees taste like cow-p**s and YES I know what that tastes like - but another story for another time.

Used Coffee Grounds

1. Used coffee grounds have been discarded as trash by millions of people around the world.
2. Is there another use for your used grounds? YES and the more you learn about the used coffee grounds the more sense it makes to use them as a fertilizer.
3. My Grandmother taught me years ago the secret of used coffee grounds. She said that the grounds give your plants more life. I always wondered what she meant by more life. Then as I watched her plants grow I seen some amazing things. Her tomato garden was huge, and much larger than our neighbors. Tomatoes the size of a softball grew in her garden and at a fast pace. When the neighbors would inquire as to her secret she said I have rich soil. She did not lie; because due to those used coffee grounds her soil was rich indeed.
4. Used coffee grounds are a great fertilizer for gardens because of their high nitrogen content. Of all the mineral nutrients in the soil, nitrogen is generally the most difficult for plants to acquire. The reason plants have difficulty is because of the way they acquire the nitrogen. It is primarily thru their roots, which are buried in the soil. Most plants depend on mineral forms of nitrogen in the soil, and this is where your coffee grounds come into place. Your used grounds give your soil the added nitrogen that your plants need.
5. Coffee grounds also contain potassium, phosphorus, and many other elements that aid in plant development.
6. Many rose gardeners report that used coffee grounds aid in their roses development. Reports also add that when used coffee grounds have made their roses more colorful and larger than normal. In fact, when added to a compost pile used coffee grounds compost very quickly.
7. Nitrogen is a component of all proteins, and is crucial to life. In several studies, plants that have a nitrogen rich soil grew faster and larger then plants that grew in natural soil. It is clearly wiser to save those used coffee grounds and use them in your gardens or household flowerpots.
8. I've been told by Master Gardeners (whatever a Master Gardener is) that mixing the coffee grounds with water will speed up the fertilization process dramatically. Now doesn't "coffee grounds with water" sound like leftover coffee? Maybe BAD coffee, but still coffee.
9. So now you know ... what are you going to do with this information? If you are not using your grounds, then you are wasting a great resource.

Other Uses

1. Get rid of cellulite.
   Here is a recipe at DIY Maven:
   
   • Mix 1/4 cup warm, used coffee grounds and one tablespoon of olive oil.
   • While standing over an old towel or newspaper, apply the mixture to your problem areas.
   • Next, wrap the areas with shrink wrap and leave on for several minutes.
   • Unwind the wrap, brush loose grounds off your skin and then shower with warm water.
   • For best results, it is recommended to repeat this procedure twice a week.
2. Soften and add shine to hair. When washing your hair, rub coffee grounds through wet hair and rinse. For brown hair, coffee grounds add highlights.
3. Use coffee grounds as an exfoliant for skin. Pat on skin, massage over skin, rinse.
4. Add coffee grounds to your skin mask beauty routine.
5. Make homemade tattoos (temporary) with henna and coffee grounds.
6. Fertilize plants. Old coffee grounds are nutrient-rich for plants that thrive in an acidic soil.
7. Add used coffee grounds to the pots of indoor plants.
8. Work used coffee grounds into your garden soil before seed planting. After your plants start to emerge, work in coffee grounds near the plants. Used coffee grounds are said to repel snails and slugs as well as adding nutrients to the soil.
9. Increase your carrot and radish harvest by mixing seeds with dry coffee grounds before planting the seeds.
10. Use coffee grounds to repel ants.
11. Keep cats from using your garden as a kitty box by spreading used coffee grounds and orange peels throughout flower beds.
12. Deodorize a freezer. Place a bowl with used coffee grounds in the freezer to remove unwanted odors. Add a few drops of vanilla to coffee grounds.
13. Rub coffee grounds on hands to get rid of smells from chopping or cutting up pungent foods.
14. Make a used coffee grounds sachet. Fill old nylons or cheescloth with dry used coffee grounds. Hang in closets to absorb odors.
15. When you need an abrasive cleaner, coffee grounds can be used. Be careful of any surfaces that might stain.
16. Remove furniture scratches with wet coffee grounds.
17. Got a fireplace? Sprinkle wet coffee grounds over the ashes to keep from becoming engulfed in the plume of dust ashes create when you need to remove them.
18. Dye fabric, paper or Easter eggs. Simply add used coffee grounds to warm water and let sit a bit to create a dye.
19. After you give your dog a bath, rub coffee grounds through the coat of your pet. Coffee grounds are said to repel fleas.
20. Keep bait worms alive by mixing coffee grounds into the soil before you add worms.
21. Grow mushrooms on old coffee grounds.
22. Let your imagination soar ... !!!