If you’re a coffee enthusiast and love to brew fresh cups of coffee throughout the day, you might wonder whether there’s a cost-effective way to do it.
Can you reuse coffee grounds? And if so, what’s the safest way to do it?
Let’s find out.
How Many Times Can You Reuse Coffee Grounds?
If you’re passionate about the flavor of your coffee, you may not want to reuse coffee grounds.
The second cup of coffee won’t have nearly as much flavor and aroma as the first cup.
But, if you don’t mind a coffee with less flavor and adding creamer and milk, you might not mind reusing coffee grounds.
When reusing coffee grounds, it’s important to never use the grounds more than twice.
The coffee will not taste very good after the second time the grounds are reused.
Reusing the same coffee grounds should be done within the same day.
Coffee grounds become soggy and saturated, which is where bacteria, fungus, and mold thrive, which you don’t want in your coffee.
Unless you are thoroughly drying the grounds in between uses, make sure to reuse them on the same day.
10 Best Uses For Used Coffee Grounds
Other than reusing coffee grounds for a second cup of coffee, there are many other great ways to put them to use.
Here are a few ideas if you’re looking to reuse your coffee grounds for something other than a second cup of coffee.
1. Neutralize Odors
Coffee grounds are great at absorbing odors which is why they can be used for absorbing and removing unpleasant odors.
You can place a bowl of used coffee grounds into the fridge to help remove any odors, or in an area in your home that needs it like near a litterbox.
2. Fertilize Your Garden
Coffee grounds have several minerals that encourage plant growth including calcium, iron, and magnesium.
Used coffee grounds will also help attract worms, and absorb heavy metals that may be in the soil which will help your garden grow.
3. Exfoliate Your Skin
If you need to upgrade your skincare routine, coffee grounds could be the solution you’re looking for.
Coffee contains coarse particles that work as an exfoliating agent which help remove any dirt and dead skin cells from the skin.
Mix the used coffee grounds with a bit of water, coconut oil, or honey and use it as a gentle face scrub.
4. Use It As A Natural Cleaning Scrub
If you’re looking for a natural way to clean your home that doesn’t involve chemicals, coffee grounds are a great option.
Coffee grounds are abrasive and can help clean tough-to-clean surfaces.
5. Scour Pots And Pans
The abrasive and coarse texture of coffee grounds is the perfect combination to scrub hard to clean pots and pans.
6. Boost Your Houseplants
Since coffee grounds help encourage plant growth and are used as fertilizer in gardens, you can use them for your houseplants as well.
Add some used coffee grounds to your houseplant pots to nourish your plants.
7. Compost It For Later
If you want to save your coffee grounds for later, you can compost your coffee grounds to use them as fertilizer at a later date.
Simply add your coffee grounds to your yard compost to use for later.
8. Repel Insects And Pests
Coffee contains compounds like caffeine that can be highly toxic to insects which is why coffee grounds work so well to repel insects and pests.
Coffee grounds can be used to repel insects like mosquitoes, fruit flies, and beetles.
Place used coffee grounds into bowls and set them outside, or scatter them around your plants and garden.
9. Stimulate Hair Growth And Remove Build-Up
Not only can coffee grounds be used for your skin, but they can also be used to strip away residue and build-up left behind by shampoo and other hair products.
Exfoliate your scalp before shampooing with used coffee grounds to remove the buildup, dead skin cells and to promote hair growth.
10. Grow Mushrooms
Another great way to utilize used coffee grounds is to grow mushrooms. Coffee grounds are filled with nutrients that mushrooms thrive in.
Adding used coffee grounds to your mushroom fertilizer will help you create better conditions for mushrooms to grow.
How To Reuse Coffee Grounds For Plants
Coffee grounds contain organic sources of nutrients for plants that help them grow and thrive.
To reuse coffee grounds for plants, sprinkle them onto your soil or into the pots of your houseplants.
You can also add them to your compost pile for later use.
Which Plants Like Used Coffee Grounds?
There are plants that thrive in acidic soil and would benefit from adding used coffee grounds to their fertilizer.
Plants that like used coffee grounds include blueberries, carrots, roses, radishes, hydrangeas, cabbage, lilies, azaleas, rhododendrons, and hollies.
Which Plants Do Not Like Used Coffee Grounds?
Although certain plants thrive in acidic soil, there are plants that do not grow well in the acidic soil that used coffee grounds create.
Plants that do not like coffee grounds include rosemary, sago palm, orchids, pothos, century plants, yucca, and lavender.
How To Store Used Coffee Grounds
To preserve used coffee grounds and keep them as fresh as possible, they must be stored properly.
To store used coffee grounds, place them into an airtight container or metal container and keep them in the fridge to avoid mold build-up.
Final thoughts on reusing coffee grounds
Coffee grounds can be reused in an endless list of ways.
It turns out that coffee grounds are useful for more than simply making a second cup of coffee.
The next time you brew yourself a fresh coffee, consider saving the used coffee grounds for one of the many ideas listed here.
