5 creative ways to use old coffee grounds

Most of us love coffee. One hot cup of coffee is all we need to make ourselves energised in the morning to get ready for work.

Not only as a beverage, but coffee is also popular for being beneficial for skin and hair as well. Coffee grounds work wonders on the skin when you use them as an exfoliant.

But you might be surprised to know that old coffee grounds are useful for several other purposes. Below are 5 things you can use your old coffee grounds:

1. Fertilize you garden
Coffee grounds contain several key minerals for plant growth — nitrogen, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and chromium. They may also help absorb heavy metals that can contaminate soil.

What’s more, coffee grounds help attract worms, which are great for your garden. To use coffee grounds as fertilizer, simply sprinkle them onto the soil surrounding your plants.

2. Repel insects and pest
Certain compounds found in coffee, such caffeine and diterpenes, can be highly toxic to insects. Because of this, you can use coffee grounds to repel bugs.

They are effective at deterring mosquitos, fruit flies and beetles, and they may help keep other pests away too.

3. Neutralize odors
Coffee grounds contain nitrogen, which helps eliminate a foul-smelling sulfur gas from the air when it’s combined with carbon.

In other words, coffee grounds can help absorb and eliminate odors. You can place a bowl of coffee grounds in your fridge or freezer to neutralize odors from spoiled or fragrant foods.

4. Remove fleas from your pet
Fleas don’t seem to like coffee, and you may want to consider coffee grounds as a natural treatment.

Simply rub the grounds throughout your pet’s after shampooing. Then rinse them off and allow your pet to dry as usual. Some say doing this may also add smoothness and shine to your pet’s coat.

5. Use it as a natural cleaning scrub
Coffee grounds are abrasive and can help remove buildup on hard-to-clean surfaces. They may even help sanitize due to their antibacterial and antiviral properties.

If you like to avoid cleaning with chemicals, used coffee grounds might be worth a try. Use them to scour your sink, polish your cookware or clean your grill.

Just be careful not to use them on any kind of porous material, as they can cause brown stains.