I have a fascination…
… with finding ways to save common everyday “cast-offs” from ending up in the trash.
So far, I’ve compiled some big ol’ lists of ways to put your eggshells, leftover whey, and sour raw milk to good use, and I’ve been thinking about coffee grounds for a while now…
Even though we don’t drink a ton of coffee here on the homestead, we still end up with plenty of extra grounds, and I always hate tossing them in the trash.
Come to find out, coffee grounds are pretty amazing! If you aren’t a coffee drinker yourself but would still like to try some of these projects, visit local coffee shops and ask for their spent grounds.
15 Creative Uses Coffee Grounds
(Note: these ideas are all meant to be done with used coffee grounds)
1. Mix them into your compost pile
The simplest way to put spent coffee grounds to good use? Toss them in your compost pile to give it an added boost of nitrogen.
2. Use them as plant food
Coffee grounds are acidic, which makes them a great soil amendment for blueberries, roses, hydrangeas, and other acid-loving plants.
3. Grow ‘shrooms
People love coffee and mushrooms love coffee. Who woulda thought? Give your mushroom growing operation a boost by mixing coffee grounds into the growing medium.
4. Give your worms a buzz
OK, not really… But worms do appreciate coffee grounds–and they actually need gritty substances (such as coffee grounds) in their diet to aid in the digestive process.
5. Deter the creepy-crawlies
Sprinkle coffee grounds in areas where you would like to repel ants, snails, or slugs.
6. Cook with coffee grounds
Use coffee grounds as a meat rub or mix a bit into your next marinade concoction.
7. No more stinky hands
Keep a container of coffee grounds by your kitchen sink and rub on smelly hands after cutting up onions, fish, or garlic.
8. Deodorize the fridge
Place an open container of used coffee grounds in your fridge or freezer to eliminate odors (and possibly make your fridge smell a bit like coffee… but I don’t think that’s a bad thing.)
9. Make coffee soap
Coffee grounds make a wonderful, exfoliating addition to your favorite homemade soap recipe–and they also provide some deodorizing action. Here are three coffee soap recipes to try out:
10. Make a coffee scrub
Mix used grounds into your favorite skin scrub recipe for an extra bit of exfoliating-goodness. Try my simple sugar scrub recipe(I’d probably omit the essential oils if you are adding coffee–otherwise, it might smell funky), or simply mix the grounds with a bit of carrier oil (such as coconut oil or sweet almond oil) to create an impromptu scrub.
11. Make a simple hair-rinse.
Not only does coffee make you happy, but supposedly, it can make your hair happy too. There are many different ideas floating around for coffee hair treatments, but the simplest I’ve found is to massage the grounds into your hair and rinse thoroughly for added shine. You may want to use caution with this idea if you have light or blonde hair (the coffee may stain a bit) and be careful about washing grounds down your drain–you don’t want any coffee clogs. This post has several ideas for you if you think your hair might enjoy a little java.
12. Dye stuff
The tannins found in coffee are lovely for dying fabric, paper, and even Easter eggs a lovely shade of coffee brown. Try steeping the grounds in hot water to create a dye (or just use brewed coffee) or rub the grounds into the surface of fabric or paper.
13. Plant coffee n’ carrots
Many gardeners have found that mixing coffee grounds with their carrot seeds not only makes the planting process easier, but also deters pests.
14. Fill pin cushions
Use dry coffee grounds as a filler for homemade pin cushions.
15. Make coffee candles
Now that I’ve ventured into the world of homemade candles with my DIY Tallow Candle recipe, I’m ready to get creative. This recipe shows you how to add coffee grounds to a simple homemade candle. I think I might try adding grounds to my next batch of tallow candles, too.
What are your favorite ways to put coffee grounds to good use? Share your ideas in the comment section, and I’ll add them to this list!
Maje Scott says
February 14, 2014 at 6:13 amAnother use for used coffee grounds is making clay: Here is the recipe
Coffee Clay Air Dry Recipe
To make air-dry clay you’ll need 2 cups of damp coffee grounds, 1 cup of cold coffee, 2 cups of all-purpose flour, and 1 cup of salt. You’ll also need wax paper, a large mixing bowl, a container with a tight-fitting lid for storing leftover clay, a knife, and items such as empty cans and cookie cutters to cut out shapes, and string or ribbon for hanging the finished clay projects. Alternately the finished pieces can be displayed on a small easel or plate stand.
(After the item is completely dry, I would seal it with a water base acrylic sealer to preserve it)
Jill Winger says
February 17, 2014 at 3:22 pmWow– neat idea!
Darryl C. says
May 9, 2014 at 7:36 amCan U make clay pots for gardening with this recipe?????
Anna says
May 21, 2017 at 4:42 pmHi, yes you can use coffee grounds in clay pieces to be fired in a kiln. It burns out of the clay during firing. And you would not want more than a 50/50 mix of clay coffee grounds.
Cherie says
May 16, 2019 at 2:38 pmThank you
Sylvia Ramos says
February 14, 2014 at 6:21 amHow good is coffee for repelling ants? We have a lot of ants and I’m looking for ways to keep them away from my worms. Do you think coffee grounds would be effective?
Pam says
February 14, 2014 at 6:38 amWe use a mix (several drops!) of spearmint oil and water to repel ants. Spray liberally in door ways, around the perimeter of a room, counters and anywhere the little pests march!! It works for us but we only get seriously invaded a couple of times a year
Sylvia Ramos says
February 14, 2014 at 7:34 amThanks!
Jules Webb says
February 14, 2014 at 1:38 pmYou can also use Diatomaceous Earth. It’s a great chemical free way to prevent spiders and ants from getting in the house.
http://bit.ly/1g53UOj
Sylvia Ramos says
February 21, 2014 at 1:58 amThanks! I’ve tried DE before, but not for ants!
Melinda says
June 2, 2014 at 10:45 pmWe moved to a coastal area in January and the ants here are EVERYWHERE! I’ve found sprinkling cinnamon powder around the entry points works brilliantly to keep them away. It does look a little messy but I can live with that, it sure beats having a pantry full of ants…..
Prairie Wife says
February 14, 2014 at 9:44 amOK you convinced me…this I can do! Thanks and I’ll be sure to let you know how my plants are looking in the Spring…if Spring ever comes to Wyoming!
Christina says
February 14, 2014 at 10:48 amI use a coffee ground exfoliator on my thighs!! It helps reduce the appearance of cellulite!
Jeanine J Cleary says
April 16, 2014 at 11:12 amI do the same but add honey and cinnamon to the mix
maryalma says
February 14, 2014 at 12:15 pmI recently found your site and I love it. We compost our coffee grounds but are thinking about growing mushrooms, so we had thought about this use, now you have given me more ideas. Between that and the uses for eggshells I am learning about, we may run out of compost!
Deborah says
February 14, 2014 at 12:23 pmHow do you store the coffee grounds?! do you dry them out some how or do you just throw them wet in a container until you’re ready to use?!
Darryl C. says
May 9, 2014 at 7:38 amI dry mine out… otherwise they get moldy>>>
liz says
February 14, 2014 at 2:05 pmi have old wood floors i use grounds to get up animal hair and dust…just sprinkle on floor and sweep…
Lyn says
February 14, 2014 at 3:50 pmI use leftover dried coffee grounds to repel mosquitoes. Sprinkle a good layer in an old frying pan when you barbecue and the smoke keeps them away. Just add more if needed.
Jill Winger says
February 17, 2014 at 3:17 pmAwesome idea!
Bill says
February 15, 2014 at 8:16 amI know this is realy out there but you could use coffie grounds to make coffee.
Pam says
February 15, 2014 at 9:36 am**Cringe** Re-using spent grounds to make coffee… that’s something I would only do in desperation, like if there were a sudden coffee shortage (God forbid!). :-O
dougK says
March 8, 2014 at 7:00 amthink he was being cute 🙂
Reggie says
April 16, 2014 at 5:21 pmI know or at least I think that Bill was being cute but I was running short of coffee and saved the grounds to add to fresh until I could get to the store. I don’t recommend it but I’d do it again before I’d do without my coffee.
Lisa @ Fresh Eggs Daily says
February 15, 2014 at 11:59 amGreat post as always! I love these ideas. I’ve been emptying out our K-cups and saving the grounds so I’m ready to implement some of these right away.
Lisa
Fresh Eggs Daily
Jill Winger says
February 17, 2014 at 3:13 pmHey, good idea! 🙂
Cheryl says
April 14, 2014 at 4:34 pmI hate throwing the k-cups out. Thanks
Carla Rayborn says
May 22, 2019 at 11:21 amI ONLY use reusable K cups,much cheaper, easily rinsed and reused
Katie @ Katie's Farm says
February 16, 2014 at 5:19 pmGreat ideas! I love soap-making but have not tried adding coffee grounds yet. It makes sense as a nice exfoliant with a great scent. I’m excited to try your recipes. I also pour my husband’s leftover black coffee into my houseplants and it’s like fertilizer for them.
Katie
Katie’s Farm
Sheryl at Providence Acres says
February 16, 2014 at 6:39 pmGood post! I love coffee grounds in the garden! They make a good mulch for acid loving plants.
I’m going to try dying something with them. Thanks for the tips!
Lana says
February 17, 2014 at 8:35 amFor years we have put used coffee ground around places ants appear to enter. The are gone within a dew hours of putting them down.
You do have to refresh them occasionally. They will also reroute themselves too avoid the coffee so you will need to to be vigilant.
Jill Winger says
February 17, 2014 at 2:47 pmGood to know Lana!
Angela Honea says
February 17, 2014 at 10:54 amIn a spray bottle with water……great glass cleaner……./into a pot with water to soak for stuck on mess…./
Emily Swezey says
March 7, 2014 at 5:04 pmMy grandparents stained their wood counter tops with coffee, it turned out beautiful! I’m also a big fan of using every bit of everything 😉 you can never have too many ways to use something!
cindy says
March 7, 2014 at 6:17 pmHow do you keep them from molding? Store in the fridge?
Kathy Mosebrook says
March 7, 2014 at 7:20 pmYou just let them dry. You can spread them out over a plate if you need them dried more quickly.
Sheila Thomas Ebbett says
March 7, 2014 at 7:27 pmWash them down the drain to reduce the build up of grease on the pipes.
Marie Williams says
September 21, 2016 at 11:26 amI don’t think that dumping coffee grounds down the sink to get rid of grease is a good idea unless you want to pay a plumber to unplug your drain. The coffee grounds only get stuck in the grease and make the clog worse. My plumber father and husband would only say it’ a nasty job but that’s why plumbers get the big bucks. If you do it use buckets full of HOT water to make sure it runs out of the system.
I do everything I can to not let grease go down my drain. It can all end up costing a lot of money. I use white vinegar, soda with plenty of HOT water chaser.
Of course it’s your choice.
Lauren says
March 7, 2014 at 10:23 pmI chuck spent grounds down the drain – it’s a tip I got from my plumber who told me the cleanest drains he’s ever seen are ones where coffee grounds are rinsed down them regularly. Apparently the grounds act as a scrub. So far I’ve had zero blockages and my drains never get stinky 🙂
Pat Whatley says
March 8, 2014 at 12:58 amI mix lint from the drier with coffee grounds in paper egg cartons and then pour wax from used up candles to make fire starters. The coffee grounds burn slower than the rest giving the fire an extra little bit to get going.
mara says
June 18, 2014 at 11:21 pmthat has to be the coolest thing i’ve read all day. mostly because i have lots of old candle stubs lying around, lots of dryer lint, lots of coffee grounds and a need to start a fire in a few days with rather damp wood. thanks champ!
Val says
August 18, 2016 at 6:32 pmBest tip EVER!! I’m going to start making these now so I have a nice stockpile for winter! This one gets the award for tips ?????
Michelle says
April 14, 2014 at 7:27 amMix with an egg white and use as a scrub for the back of the legs and booty. Helps with cellulite by stimulating circulation.
brazos says
April 14, 2014 at 11:55 amworks on fireants as well. Just throw the grounds on top of the mound and water in.
Rebecca says
April 14, 2014 at 12:12 pmDo NOT put down the drain if you are on a septic system. They are a leading cause of build up as they take forever to break down. It can be a costly lesson.
Jennifer says
April 17, 2014 at 6:59 amI was hoping someone would say this! We have a septic tank and were told to never put coffee grinds down the drain because it isn’t good for our septic.
Carla Rayborn says
May 22, 2019 at 11:25 amUh oh, my septic tank gets heavy doses daily?
Allan Niass says
April 14, 2014 at 5:23 pmLikewise, I have been thinking of ways to use spent Coffee grounds because my favourite has a lot.
1. I saw a Canadian Company that produces Mushrooms. They mail a box full of grounds & on opening to air, mushrooms grow.
2. On my land I dig a toilet hole with a hand turned pole hole maker. Rather than replace the soil, I add spent grounds. Each hole gets 3 uses, then I move 2 feet for the next. Slowly the area is becoming fertile & friable with lots of worms.
Thanks for your great postings.
samere tansley says
April 14, 2014 at 5:41 pmFor a pin cushion I’ve always found human hair the best filler as
the oil in the hair keeps the pins and needles from rusting.
mara says
June 18, 2014 at 11:23 pmFAR OUT! i just gave myself a haircut and was gonna throw it in the compost. but this is way awesomer, thanks!
Kathy Kenyon says
April 14, 2014 at 7:33 pmOur local Starbucks has a basket with bags of used grounds… free for the taking. It’s great for the garden.
Patti says
April 15, 2014 at 7:20 amMy ex used coffee grounds for his garden, our dog (i got the kids and he got the dog) died from ingesting coffee grounds.. at least that is what the vet said. Be CAREFUL!!!!!!
Debbie says
April 14, 2014 at 10:00 pmThis winter with all our ice, I used coffee grounds on my walkway for traction.
Carolyn Reis says
April 15, 2014 at 3:20 amIt is an inert substance to humans but is a killer to the fauna it is put on or near. Itkills by suffocating insects, even scorpions. It gets into their breathing apparatus and makes it not function. Just for your info in case it matters to you if you kill or not.
Susan Salzman says
April 15, 2014 at 3:58 amIn the garden, in addition to adding acid to the soil, used coffee grounds help deter critters like cats from digging in your soil and bothering your plants. Roses love coffee grounds.
Julia Long says
April 15, 2014 at 10:40 amTake an empty quart jar, and put used coffee grounds (one pot’s worth after you made the coffee…Not one pot of grounds…just whatever you used to MAKE a pot of coffee) into the jar with the water and place it near the wall near a door if you suspect roaches are coming into your home there and leave it overnight! IT will probably be FULL of roaches the next day!!! Yes, I have done this and it works very, very well!
frugalgardener says
April 15, 2014 at 6:52 pmJust an FYI: Raw milk does not sour. It ferments and becomes something else.
Alejandra Garza says
April 15, 2014 at 9:45 pmI use fresh coffee grounds to destroy any pesky oders . I left a white fresh cheese in my truck and was there for a couple of days and as yu can imagine the oder !! I used all kinds of solutions and the one that worked were coffee grounds in a sock
Jeanine J Cleary says
April 16, 2014 at 11:25 amMy husband had spilled cream in the back of his trunk in the car. I did try putting coffee grounds in a sock to absorb the smell but it did not. I left it for a couple of weeks.
Sue Spicer says
April 16, 2014 at 1:52 pmSorry–but USED coffee grounds do not add acid to your soil. Hot water used in making a cup of coffee removes all of the acid from the grounds into your cup of coffee and decaf coffee also has no acid. Coffee grounds are very, very useful when mixed with any type of soil. I checked with Starbucks and they said, “Sorry, no acid after use of grounds to make coffee.”
Greg says
December 12, 2016 at 7:49 amAs a Starbucks employee I would recommend you listen to a farmer/gardener/scientist ect. instead of a random barista. Great people, many very intelligent, but come on. How many people do you know that talk out of their asses on a daily basis?
Annabelle says
April 16, 2014 at 2:53 pmFor those of you with a Keurig, not only do I use the spent grounds in my gardens, by the cups are reusable too! The have a great mesh net in the bottom that makes these GREAT for seed starters, and with the hole in the bottom from being used, they have built in drainage. I just put them in a casserole dish and the set up is just like something store bought.
Jill Winger says
April 17, 2014 at 2:23 pmAwesome tips Annabelle!
Amanda says
June 3, 2014 at 6:37 amWHAT A GREAT TIP!!!!! THANKS!
hayley wright says
April 16, 2014 at 4:00 pmi love these ideas ! im going to give the soap making a go 🙂
Kathy says
April 17, 2014 at 12:37 amTomato plants love coffee grounds. Every couple of weeks I use a stick to poke holes in the ground around the base of the plant and then mound a spoonful of coffee grounds over each hole.
Jen says
April 17, 2014 at 7:34 amThank you so much for these great tips. I’m in the process of growing carrots and I’m going to give this a try. 🙂
Brandy says
April 24, 2014 at 9:14 amTwo questions!
1) We don’t drink coffee, but we do drink tea…would tea grounds have any similar benefit to coffee grounds?
2) I have Pillbugs that destroy my strawberries…do you know if Diatomaceous Earth is effective on those?
Thanks!
Jill Winger says
April 25, 2014 at 9:06 am1. Not quite the same, but you could still add your tea grounds to your garden or compost!
2. I think it’d definitely be worth a shot!
Brittany Metteer says
April 26, 2014 at 10:14 pmMy mom just started using them to keep the neighbors chickens out of her vegetable garden.
Georgia Funkhouser says
May 12, 2014 at 8:46 amHi Jill, I have used the coffee grounds for facial scrub but I worry about the coffee grounds going down the drain. But I guess if you aren’t using a septic tank it doesn’t matter.
I love your blog .
I also live in Wyoming and our winter is not over yet either. I live in Powell and it has been cold and windy. Ready for some sunny days.
Rebecca E says
May 13, 2014 at 10:52 amWe had a ferrell cat using one of our mulch beds as his toilet, so we put used coffee grounds in the mulch bed as was recommended by a local gardener, and viola! No more cat poop in our garden area! 😀 (FYI- anyone who isn’t a coffee drinker can check their local Starbucks or other coffee house. Most of ours have a ‘grounds for gardens’ program, where they bag up used grounds, and give to whoever wants them.)
Jill Winger says
May 13, 2014 at 12:53 pmWow– now that’s a valuable tip! Hooray for no more cat poop!
GINGER CHILD says
May 16, 2014 at 11:23 pmMy brother had a rental apartment where a man was found dead after several days. After the body removal, they bought cheap coffee, and sprinkled it all through the apartment…alot. After several days, the odor was gone, it was vacuumed up and they didn’t even have to replace the carpet! AND I used to do the same in my car. I sprinkled it on the back floor to remove doggie odors. It worked, and I loved how my car smelled!
Joe Crosby says
June 12, 2014 at 8:59 pmI rip bannana peels one half inch wide .,,cut w/ scissors ,,mix coffee grounds in plastic box ,,,put 2 or 3 tbsp of mix in tomatoe hole ,,add handfull of garden limestone ,,one month before setting plants,,,when mater are half inch add1TBSP Blood Meal and Bone Meal ,,,7feet high PLENTY of FRUIT
vermicomposting says
November 11, 2016 at 10:15 amhey, I recently known about your website from one of my friends. we usually use vermicomposting method to make my coffee grounds make better. This is the one of the best method to make the soil fertility better. keep posting new ideas.
Wendy says
April 28, 2017 at 5:00 amAwesome hints!
Thank you!