What to do with old coffee beans and spent coffee grinds

With the amount of coffee I drink, I produce quite a bit of refuse in the form of either stale coffee, or spent coffee grinds after brewing up my 5 morning pots of coffee. This led me to wonder just what I could be using this seemingly unusable waste for. The following methods are tried and true uses for your old coffee……whole bean or ground coffee.

Coffee Composting for Plant food

Many planets such as rosebushes, azaleas, and camellias that prefer acidic soils will appreciate the leftovers from your morning cup. The coffee will change the chemistry of the soil slightly making it more acidic. Coffee grinds and old stale beans can also be composted adding nutrients to your compost bin.

Coffee Pest Deterrent

You can add ground coffee beans to the plant pots in your house. It will help keep flies and other mites at bay and also improve the quality and texture of your soil. Be sure not to mix too much in as excess use could cause mould or other issues. CATS! Yes, keep your kitty away from your vegetable and flower gardens by simply sprinkling coffee grounds around the plants.

Coffee Cleaning Product

Ground coffee is slightly abrasive. These grounds can be used as a scouring agent for greasy and grimy stain-resistant objects. Be sure to use this only on surfaces that won’t be scratched easily.

Coffee Deodorizer

Here is one tip that I thought was particularly interesting. When changing your garbage bags, pour whole, un-ground beans into our trashcan before putting the new bag or liner in. The next time you change out the garbage, dump the old beans into the trash bag and add new ones to the bottom of the bin before replacing the bag. Coffee is also amazing at absorbing foul odours in your fridge or freezer. Dry them thouroughly and then put them in a bowl in your refrigerator or freezer. You can also use coffee grinds by rubbing them on your hands to get rid of food prep smells like garlic, onion or fish.

Cleaning your Coffee Grinder

If you have a coffee grinder at home, you can clean it by grinding minute rice in it. Once you’ve ground the rice, remove it from the grinder and discard in your composter. Next, add some old stale coffee beans to the coffee grinder to remove any leftover residue from the rice that was ground previously.