Re-Using Your Coffee Grounds

I LOVE coffee, but I might love my leftover coffee grounds just as much. Here are some uses that might even surprise you:

1) Turn Your Hydrangeas Blue: Hydrangeas can be blue or purple depending upon your soil Ph. Acidic soil begets blue hydrangeas. Coffee grounds, when brewed, are acidic. Use them as a top dressing on the soil around your hydrangeas, making sure to scratch the coffee grounds into the soil and you’ll enjoy blue bursts of color.

2) Coffee Grounds in Your Compost: Everyday, we use our coffee grounds as fertilizer. Most people put them in their compost along with their kitchen scraps. They’re a great source of nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur.

3) Coffee Grounds Provide Shine to Your Hair: I haven’t tried it, but word is out that if you work some wet grounds into your hair they’ll help create a beautiful shine. They’ll also give you some great brunette highlights. Be careful though because coffee grounds down the drain can cause clogs!

4) Deodorizer: If your freezer or fridge are smelly, put a bowl or 2 of dried coffee grounds in there and the grounds will absorb the odors. Add vanilla for a different scent.  This also works in vehicles, closets, drawers, and musty basements.  Anywhere that could use a light scent....  as long as you love the scent of coffee!  Just tie some in a bit of old tshirt or tie up one of those socks that is missing it's match and toss them anywhere.

5) Furniture Scratch Remover: Cover up furniture scratches by rubbing them down with wet coffee grounds that match your furniture’s color.

6) Easter Egg Dye: Dye your eggs with coffee grounds for a pretty rust brown color.

photo from Revolution from Home

7) Ant Repellant: Ants don’t like coffee grounds. Sprinkle them along their path.

8) Tool Cleaner: Coffee grounds can help clean up your tools as an abrasive rub and gunk remover.

9) Vintage Wood Stain: Use wetted coffee grounds for a lovely finish on wood furniture.

Get Instructions from What Else Michelle

10) Meat Marinade: Add a teaspoon of coffee grounds to your steak marinade and impress your favorite coffee lover.

11) Secret Dessert Ingredient: Making dessertss for the grown up?  Here are a few coffee-licious recipes from Taste of Home!

Do you know of any great alternative uses for coffee grounds?