15 Uses For Old Coffee Grounds

If you enjoy making cups of coffee for yourself at home, then you'll find yourself with an endless supply of old coffee grounds. It's best to not let them all go to waste. Here are a couple things you can do to recycle used coffee grounds.

01
Soap
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff

Soap

Since coffee is a good deodorizer, it makes sense to have it as an ingredient in soap — particularly if you're fond of the scent. Make your own coffee soap with this recipe.

02
Beauty scrub
POPSUGAR Photography | Benjamin Stone

Beauty scrub

Mix honey with coffee grounds to create a scrub that you can use for your face or body to keep your skin feeling smooth and to help it glow. Or try this DIY coffee eye serum. It can help with puffiness and dark circles, and it gives a youthful glow to the skin.

03
Hair mask
POPSUGAR Photography | Maria del Rio

Hair mask

Rub the grounds into your hair before shampooing and conditioning. Leave them in for a while before washing them out, and your hair will be glossy and shiny. You might want to avoid using this mask on light-colored hair.

04
Fertilizer
POPSUGAR Photography | Sheila Gim

Fertilizer

Add the coffee grounds to soil, and they will act as fertilizer. You can also mix warm water with the grounds then use the mixture as a fertilizing spray or feed for some of your house plants. Coffee grounds will be a good addition to compost, as well, since they are very rich in nutrients.

05
Deodorizer
StockSnap | Anastasia Zhenina

Deodorizer

Put coffee grounds in a bowl, and place it in a room in your house or your refrigerator when there's a lingering odor you want to get rid of. You can even rub your hands with the grounds to get rid of any smell on your skin, or you can dump some in your trash can to minimize the smell of the garbage.

06
Furniture stainer
StockSnap | Freestocks.org

Furniture stainer

Mix coffee grounds with warm water, and rub the mixture over the scratches on your wooden furniture. Then wipe the mixture off after letting it sit for a while. The coffee stain will help to cover up the scratches. Get more directions here.

07
Cleaner
StockSnap | Pawel Kadysz

Cleaner

Use coffee grounds to clean things like your pots and pans when they are extremely dirty. Scrub the surface with the grounds, and make sure whatever you're cleaning won't get stained by the coffee.

08
Healthy carrots
POPSUGAR Photography | Jae Payne

Healthy carrots

Mix coffee grounds with carrot seeds before planting, and it'll make it easier to sow. It'll also repel root maggots, insects, and other pests.

09
Pest repellant
POPSUGAR Photography | Mark Popovich

Pest repellant

Sprinkle coffee grounds around the areas where you don't want pests. Insects and animals are repelled by the strong smell of the grounds. It's a good way to keep your cat out of the garden!

10
Candles
POPSUGAR Photography | Sarah Lipoff

Candles

Make a candle using coffee grounds to add a faint coffee smell to your home when you burn it.

11
Brown dye
StockSnap | Patryk Dziejma

Brown dye

You can take old coffee grounds and turn them into a natural dye for easter eggs, fabric, or paper. Get more instructions on how to make your own dye.

12
Dust stopper
POPSUGAR Photography | Blake Smith

Dust stopper

When you're taking out the ash from your fireplace, scatter wet coffee grounds on top to prevent the dust from rising.

13
Cellulite, begone
POPSUGAR Photography | Benjamin Stone

Cellulite, begone

14
Worm-life lengthener
StockSnap | Dominik Martin

Worm-life lengthener

Mix coffee grounds into soil for your bait worms to live in. The worms will live longer when nourished by the powerful nutrients in coffee grounds.

15
Perfume testing aid
POPSUGAR Photography | Mark Popovich

Perfume testing aid

Sniff coffee grounds to clear your nose after smelling perfume, so the smells won't merge together and confuse you.