How To Use Your Leftover Coffee Grounds

Ever wondered what to do with your leftover coffee grounds? We’ve put together our top tips for you to try.

Don't empty them into the bin

We’ve been looking into this as we get through quite a bit of coffee here at HQ and thought there must be something we can do with all those used grounds. Hopefully, after reading this, you will find a use that works for you.

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How to use leftover coffee grounds in the garden

With better weather just around the corner (hopefully) get out and in the garden and take those coffee grounds with you. Coffee grounds contain quite a few minerals that help plant growth such as nitrogen, potassium, iron, magnesium and chromium. As plants grow, they absorb nutrients from the soil and by sprinkling your leftover coffee grounds around the base of your plants, you can give them a little caffeine boost.

Some compounds found in coffee are even known to keep insects and bugs at bay. To use coffee grounds as an insect repellant pop some grounds into small pots and dot them around your outdoor seating areas.

How to use leftover coffee grounds around the home

Used coffee grounds make a great natural cleaning scrub as they are slightly abrasive and can help to remove buildup on hard-to-clean surfaces. They may even help sanitise due to their antibacterial and antiviral properties. Try using them to scour your sink, polish your cookware or even clean your grill.

The texture of coffee grounds makes them ideal for scrubbing hard-to-clean kitchen utensils too, here at HQ we use them to clean and remove burnt-on food by sprinkling the grounds directly onto pots and pans and giving them a good scrub. Just make sure to give them a good rinse afterwards.

Be careful not to use them on any pourous surfaces as they may leave behind brown stains.

How to use leftover coffee grounds to restore furniture

If you own wooden furniture, you’ve probably noticed it can scuff and scratch quite easily. There are lots of products on the market that help minimise the appearance of scratches but before you spend a fortune on pricy products why not give coffee grounds a try.

You will need to mix up a thick paste with used coffee grounds and water, rub the paste into the scratch using a cotton bud, allow it to sit for 5–10 minutes and then wipe with a clean cotton rag.

Before you spend a fortune on pricy products why not give coffee grounds a try.

This should help buff out the scratch and conceal it by dying the exposed wood a dark-brown colour. Continue to dab coffee into the scratch using a cotton bud until the desired colour is achieved, waiting a few hours between applications.

How to use leftover coffee grounds in the garden

How to use leftover coffee grounds to restore furniture

How to use leftover coffee grounds on the skin

This one takes a bit more work but is 100% worth it (trust me ladies) leftover coffee grounds make a great exfoliator, again the abrasive nature of the grounds work wonders at removing dead cells from the skin.

Simply mix coffee grounds with a little bit of coconut oil and scrub it with your hands directly onto your face and body. You can also mix the grounds with a small amount of honey and use it as an exfoliating lip scrub.

It is said that caffeine, when applied directly to the skin, can reduce the appearance of cellulite, again mix the grounds with coconut oil and scrub for 10 minutes twice a week on any affected areas.

How to use leftover coffee grounds on the hair

We have all seen the adverts on TV for expensive caffeine shampoo, if you are brewing at home why not have a go at making your own. Shampoos and styling products often leave residue behind that can dull and weigh down your hair, exfoliating your scalp with coffee grounds can help remove this buildup and dead skin cells.

It is also said that caffeine, such as that in used coffee grounds stimulates human hair growth. Before you shampoo, simply grab a handful of coffee grounds and massage them into your scalp and hair for a few minutes then wash and rinse as you normally would. Do this onece or twice a week as needed.

How to use leftover coffee grounds for anti-ageing

The skin surrounding the eyes is extremely delicate and contains very little fat tissue. Because of this, it’s one of the first places you might see signs of ageing. Coffee grounds look to be a promising solution due to their high antioxidant and caffeine content. Studies show that skincare products containing antioxidants and caffeine can help prevent the appearance of ageing and reduce under-eye circles.

Give it a try by adding coconut oil to your coffee grounds to form a paste. Apply the mixture under your eyes and let it sit for about 10 minutes before rinsing. Repeat this process daily or as needed. Do let us know how you get on and if you have any of your own uses that we haven’t covered we love to hear from you.