26 extremely creative ways to reuse old coffee grounds
This post is about what to do with old coffee grounds! Enjoy your morning cup of coffee whilst reducing waste.

Over the past few months, I’ve noticed how many cups of coffee we drink at home! I’m not a big coffee drinker but my husband loves it. So, I started to think of practical uses for whole coffee beans and ground coffee and ways they could be repurposed.
There are many creative ways to repurpose old coffee beans and fresh grounds that reduce food waste and give your delicious coffee a new life. Old coffee grounds contain valuable nutrients and antioxidant properties that can be beneficial in various ways, such as skin care, gardening, and household cleaning.
Whether you use a French press, coffee filter or stovetop, this post is for you!
So, let’s get into the 26 useful ways to repurpose your coffee!
What to do with Old Coffee Grounds: 26 Creative Ideas

1. DIY coffee ground body scrub
There are so many benefits to coffee scrubs but the best thing is that you can make it at home! I love making DIY coffee body scrubs with my leftover fresh coffee grounds and brown sugar. Coffee grounds act as an excellent natural exfoliant so will remove dead skin cells and leaving the skin smooth and soft.
Remember to keep your scrub in an airtight container in the fridge and use the mixture within 2 weeks.

2. Make a coffee face mask
A coffee-ground face mask can be a great way to exfoliate, brighten, and rejuvenate your skin while enjoying the natural benefits of coffee and other nourishing ingredients. However, it’s important to remember that everyone’s skin is different, so it’s always a good idea to patch-test any new products or ingredients before applying them to your face.
Coffee contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, such as chlorogenic acid, which can help to reduce redness and inflammation. The caffeine in coffee can also help increase blood flow to the skin and improve blood circulation giving your complexion a healthy, rosy glow.
3. Reduce the appearance of cellulite
The caffeine in coffee has been shown to increase blood circulation, which can help reduce the appearance of cellulite and make the skin look more youthful and radiant.
Check out The Best Homemade Coffee Scrub Recipe with Coconut Oil for more information.

4. Used coffee grounds deter pests
Coffee can be used as a natural pest deterrent in the garden in a few ways. The caffeine in coffee is toxic to snails and slugs, making it an effective natural deterrent.
To use coffee as a slug and snail repellent, sprinkle coffee grounds around plants or create a barrier around the garden bed.
If you want to deter ants from entering your garden sprinkle the grounds around the ants’ entry points, and they will avoid the affected area due to the scent.
Coffee grounds can also protect plants from pests such as aphids, mites, and other insects whilst the caffeine in the coffee will kill the pests and help protect your plants. To use coffee as a natural insecticide, mix coffee grounds with water and spray the mixture onto plants.
It is important to note that while coffee can be an effective natural pest deterrent, it should be used in moderation. Overusing coffee grounds can affect plant growth, so use small amounts at a time.
5. Create a coffee-ground body oil
Coffee contains natural oils and nutrients that can help to nourish and hydrate the skin, leaving it feeling soft and smooth. There are also aromatherapy benefits to using this type of body oil which is great. The aroma of coffee can be invigorating and energising, providing an additional boost to your mood and mental clarity.
You can use coffee and sweet almond oil to create this nourishing body oil.

6. Remove fleas from your pets
Similarly to most insects, fleas do not like coffee. If you bathe your pet in used coffee grounds it may help keep fleas away.
Dry rub the coffee grounds throughout your pet’s fur after shampooing.
7. Make a coffee ground lip scrub
Coffee lip scrub can be a great way to exfoliate, hydrate, and rejuvenate your lips. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and exfoliates dead skin.
The ingredients used in a lip scrub tend to include coffee, cacao powder and grapeseed/hemp oil. Some recipes also include sugar but this can sometimes be a little abrasive for some people.
8. Use your old coffee to treat under-eye circles
Caffeine in coffee can help to brighten the skin and reduce the appearance of dark circles and puffiness around the eyes. The best way to achieve this is by mixing coffee and honey and using it as a paste underneath your eyes.
I would patch test first as the skin on your face could be very sensitive.
9. Nourish your hair
You can use coffee as a natural hair dye! I haven’t tried this as I have ginger hair but apparently, it is a great alternative to the traditional dyes we use at the salon. The results will depend on your natural hair colour and the length of time you leave the coffee mixture on.
It is important to note that excessive use of coffee on your hair can cause dryness and damage so if you use this method regularly remember to use conditioner.
Not only can coffee dye hair, but it can prevent hair loss and also stimulate new hair growth.
Applying coffee grounds that have been crushed to powder on your hair, prevents hair loss, stimulates hair follicles, and triggers stronger hair growth. Try this with a DIY hair mask.
10. Make a coffee ground body butter
Coffee contains natural oils and nutrients that can help to nourish and hydrate the skin, leaving it feeling soft and smooth.
Adding your used coffee grounds to a homemade body butter is an excellent use for your latest pot of coffee.
11. Clean dirty dishes and surfaces
Coffee grounds make an excellent abrasive scrub for those stubborn stains on your greasy or grimy pots and pans.
Get a handful of coffee grounds and a scourer and start scrubbing!
12. Use coffee as an insect repellent
Insects like mosquitos or wasps hate the smell of coffee! Although the smell of burnt coffee isn’t the best, you’ll probably hate getting bitten by those pesky bugs more.
Try burning some coffee to keep them away.

13. Use coffee grounds in fridge for smell
Used coffee grounds can be a natural deodorizer, absorbing unwanted odours.
Place an uncovered bowl of coffee grounds into your fridge and let the coffee do the rest.
14. Create a DIY air freshener with old coffee beans and essential oils
You can add coffee beans and essential oils to a mesh bag or old sock and they will absorb any unpleasant odours while the essential oils provide a fresh, pleasant scent.
If you don’t like the strong smell of coffee, experiment with different essential oil combinations to find the perfect scent for your home.

15. Make a coffee-scented candle
You can make DIY coffee candles using old coffee grounds, the leftover wax from used candles and old glass jars.
16. Make a coffee-infused soap for a unique fragrance
You can make a DIY coffee soap with your old coffee and enjoy your bath or shower with your unique fragranced soap.
17. Make a coffee ground bath soak for relaxation
Instead of throwing out your used coffee grounds, another good use is filling your bath with hot water and adding your old coffee. You can also save the coffee grounds and mix them with some natural oils like coconut oil, olive or jojoba oil.
Rub it over your body to remove the dead skin cells and enjoy your espresso bath!
18. Create a natural dye for fabrics
If you have ever spilt coffee on your clothing, you’ll know how hard it is to remove the stains! This is why coffee is the perfect natural dye for clothing and can create a beautiful tan colour on your old white garments.
19. Create a natural wood stain
Coffee is a brilliant natural alternative to store-bought wood stains. If you have coffee and cold water, you have all you need! Natural wood stain isn’t flammable, it’s natural and it’s cheap to use and doesn’t blotch like other wood stains might do.

20. Create a homemade coffee liqueur
I don’t know about you but my husband is obsessed with coffee cocktails, he loves to make a lot of coffee-based cocktails like espresso martini or coffee liqueur.
If you think that could be something you would also like try making your own too!
Why not garnish your espresso martini with some stale coffee beans instead of throwing them away?
21. Compost your old coffee beans
Throw your old grounds, stale coffee beans and instant coffee into your outdoor compost bin. The grounds help to stabilise the pH level and degrade food quickly, plus they also deodorise the compost bin.
Putting coffee on your compost pile will also help attract worms, which help speed up the process of turning food scraps into compost.
The good news is you can even use old coffee filters if they aren’t made of wholly synthetic materials.

22. Fertilise your garden
Coffee is an efficient way to fertilise your lawn and is also good for the worms. It isn’t the caffeine that stimulates healthy grass growth, but rather the high nitrogen content, phosphorus, and trace minerals that the coffee grounds contain.
These nutrients are released slowly, which benefits the grass more naturally than your usual synthetic fertilisers.
23. Create a coffee ground face toner
The fine particles in coffee grounds can help to gently exfoliate the skin on your face, removing dead skin cells and revealing a smoother, brighter complexion.
Coffee can help to tighten and tone the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
24. Use coffee grounds as a natural deodoriser for shoes
Sprinkle a handful of dry coffee grounds into your shoes for a few hours and then remove. Your shoes will smell fresh and the unpleasant smell will be eliminated.
Please remember to use dry grounds as wet coffee will cause your shoes to get damp and this is probably not the result you were looking for!

25. Chocolate covered coffee beans
A great use for your coffee beans is to create chocolate-covered espresso beans. These sweet treats can be made from whole, old beans and stale beans!
Buying chocolate-covered coffee beans can be expensive so why not make your own?
26. Create a coffee ground foot soak to soothe sore feet
This is similar to the bath soak, fill a bowl or bucket with hot water, and add your coffee. You could also scrub your feet with a coffee scrub and remove the dead skin cells before you soak.

What to do with Old Coffee Grounds: 26 Creative Ideas
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EASY 3 INGREDIENT DIY COFFEE SCRUB RECIPE
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