Make Soap From Used Coffee Grounds

POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff

Don't toss those coffee grounds! Put them to good use, along with your stash of mini hotel bar soaps, with this easy-to-make soap that's a perfect gift for the favorite guy in your life that loves a strong cup o' joe. These soaps are seriously easy to make and exfoliate and deodorize, leaving skin nice and healthy without any froufrou scents. Don't have a stack of minisoaps hanging around? You can find four-ounce unscented bars of glycerin soap at your local grocery or craft store for around $1 each.

What You'll Need:

  • 8 ounces glycerin soap
  • 1/4 cup used coffee grounds
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon powdered milk (optional)
  • Small saucepan
  • Small metal or glass bowl
  • Muffin tin
  • Ladle
  • Butter knife

Directions:

  1. Gather together what you'll need for making the soap. You can use any kind of soap, but we found glycerin-based soaps work the best with really pretty results. Adding the powdered milk gives the soap a bit of substance, but isn't an essential ingredient.
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff
  1. Create a double boiler by filling the small saucepan with one cup water, topping with the metal or glass bowl, and placing over medium heat. Now add the soap to the bowl and let it melt completely with the help of the steam from the boiling water below, which only takes a couple of minutes.
  2. While the soap is melting, lightly grease four rounds of a muffin tin and place a small spoonful of coffee grounds at the base of each. Once the soap has become liquid, turn off the heat, add the vanilla, and add one teaspoon of the coffee grounds. You can also add the powdered milk and give things a stir.
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff
  1. Now carefully ladle the soap into the muffin tin, filling to the top of each round. Allow the soaps to cool for several hours, and then pop them out with the help of a butter knife. Wrap in parchment paper and give to your favorite guy.
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff

The homemade soap cleans with a java-infused lather, but remind your guy to keep his soap on a soap dish or tray to prevent unwanted coffee stains.

Along with making homemade soap, here are a few more uses for used coffee grounds.