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20 ways to reuse coffee grounds, tea leaves
It's unlikely that coffee or tea is growing in your garden, so after you finish that cup, put the grounds to work with these clever ideas.
Mon, Nov 19 2012 at 6:07 PM
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Photo: eclectic echoes/Flickr
It takes a brave and hearty (and spartan) soul to give up coffee and tea in the name of food miles. Many do, but morning caffeine is the guilty pleasure that whispers in a voice too alluring for many to resist. One thing is for sure: it's generally a long journey for beans and leaves to travel from exotic climes to the kitchen counter — so we may as well honor them with some extra chores before condemning them to the trash. For those who add their spent dregs to the compost bin, you can still do so in many of these applications once their mission has been accomplished.
What to do with coffee grounds
1. Soften skin
Exfoliate with a body scrub made of coffee grounds, coconut oil and a little brown sugar. Gently massage it on in the shower, rinse, be soft.
2. Please the flowers
Use coffee grounds as mulch for acid-loving plants — roses, azaleas, rhododendrons, evergreens, hydrangeas and camellias. They like coffee grounds for the natural acidity and nutrients they add to the soil.
3. Sadden the ants
Sprinkle coffee grounds around areas of ant infestation to deter them.
4. Deter gastropods
Used grounds are said to repel snails and slugs, so sprinkle them in problem areas.
5. Simplify fireplace cleaning
Before cleaning the fireplace, sprinkle with dampened used coffee grounds, which will weigh down the ash and thus eliminate clouds of smoke-flavored dust.
6. Make a sepia dye
Soak used grounds in hot water and use as a dye bath for Easter eggs, fabric and paper for a lovely, soft brown tinge.
7. Keep cats at bay
Keep kitties out of the garden with a mixture of orange peels and used coffee grounds distributed around plants.
8. Encourage the carrots
To boost a carrot harvest, mix seeds with dried coffee grounds before sowing. The extra bulk makes the wee seeds easier to manage, while the coffee aroma can nourish the soil and help repel pests.
What to do with tea leaves and tea bags
Photo: A Girl With Tea/Flickr
Some tips call for dried leaves, here’s how. When you’re finished brewing tea, place the leaves into a large strainer or colander. Press out as much moisture as possible, and then spread the leaves on paper. Let the leaves dry thoroughly, turning over several times in the process. Also note that wet tea leaves stain, so if you are using wet tea leaves on or near a porous surface, be sure to test in an inconspicuous place first.
9. Tame stings and burns
Cool tea bags can bring relief when applied to bug bites and minor burns, including sunburn. For overall skin irritation, put spent tea leaves in a bath and soak.
10. Soothe your eyes
The tannins in tea have anti-inflammatory effects, which is why cool ones are often employed on puffy eyes. (The chill also helps with swelling.)
11. Feed the garden
Use tea leaves as food for garden plants — green tea is high in nitrogen, and as a bonus, the leaves can ward off pests and insects. This is also good for houseplants, so add old tea leaves to their water.
12. Boost potted plants
When potting plants, place a few used tea bags on top of the drainage layer at the bottom of the planter before adding soil. The tea bags will help to retain water and will also leach some nutrients into the potting medium.
13. Quell the cat box smell
Sprinkle used, dried tea leaves in litter boxes to help reduce the smell.
14. Eliminate other pet odors
Sprinkle dried, used green tea leaves on your pet’s pillow, bed, in the doghouse, or other smelly spots to eliminate odor.
15. Freshen the carpet
Sprinkle dry tea leaves onto the carpet, crush them lightly and let sit for 10 minutes, then vacuum. This will refresh the carpet and deodorize your vacuum cleaner and bag. (Especially helpful if you have pets.)
16. Treat the dog
As an extravagance, loose leaf gunpowder tea is a treat for dogs to roll around in. It’s great for the aroma and luster it adds to the coat.
17. Freshen mats and beds
It is common in Southeast Asia to wash straw sleeping mats in tubs of water to which tea has been added. The tea works as a deodorizer, so you can apply this method to yoga mats and air mattresses.
18. Save the fridge
If you’re out of baking soda, place dried, used green tea bags or leaves in a small open bowl in your refrigerator to help absorb odors.
19. Wash your hands
Rid your hands of food odors (garlic, onions, etc.) by rubbing them with wet green tea leaves, an instant deodorizer.
20. Deodorize kitchen surfaces
Rub wet tea leaves on cutting boards and counters to remove food odors.
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This story was originally written for Treehugger. Copyright 2012.
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Tea poltices made from tea leaves make a great way to draw the infection out of your gums. I was told to do this when i had a toothache and it drew out the soreness and infection. Wonder if it would word for other parts of the body, say a scratch or bruise or strain.
dried, used coffee grounds (free at Starbucks) mixed with saved candle ends and/or beeswax (melted over low heat) make great firelogs
Probably the best use wasn't mentioned. Down in Louisiana its a common use. If you have standing water any where throw in coffee grinds and you won't have mosquitos.
Please be careful if using coffee grounds in the shower, if enough grounds get in your drain it will block it.
The fireplace idea is *very* clever...thanks for posting this list.
Wow, I never really thought of using coffee beans or tea leaves for anything... besides you know, drinks :). Definitely will take some of those tea leaf suggestions into account the next time I brew a cup
When I patch my roof with tar-like roof repair goop, I use spent coffee grounds (espresso grind) as an oily abrasive to clean my tools and my skin. The grounds pick up the tar from surfaces, but do not stick to each other, while depositing a bit of oil to prevent re-adhering of the tar. Also good for cleaning adhesive goop from tools.
As a Master Gardener I can tell you- ask any knowledgeable gardener, coffee grounds do not create an acidic environment for plants. The acid in the is water soluble- it is leached out in the brew. From a university website: "Coffee grounds are close to pH neutral (between 6.5 - 6.8 pH)."
This may be the ultimate cheapskate trick. I use the bags from the previous two cups of tea to make the third. Still plenty of flavor and nutrients left.
I do this, too! Definitely still tastes the same as cups one and two!
Coffee, as a natural protein is also an excellent organic way to rid yourself of ants. Because it is a protein,almost all ants view it as a food source and will take it home with them. It grows a mold that is harmless to humans and the environment, but lethal to ants. May use fresh or used grounds. Sprinkle or make small piles in or along the ant zone and it will disappear in no time. As will the ants.
Wrapped in a muslin clothe and tied up into a ball with string, we've found grounds can be an excellent air freshner. This is especially true for Arabic coffee - such as our Riyadh blend - which quite fragrant with cardamom.
Do you dry out the grounds before making a packet out of them?
Yes, sorry forgot to mention that bit. From your cafetiere, scoop out the grounds and spread them thinly over a tea towel or muslin cloth (which is on top of a flat board or baking tray). Then place the tray in a warm place over night. This should give you the perfect little air freshener... especially good for the kitchen or hall way (everyone love the smell of fresh coffee when they enter a home!)
every day I use them in my garden. dont even need to compost coffee grounds. but you do have to shell out a couple bucks for a reusable coffee strainer. even greener is the siphon type coffee makers. coffee isnt really green at all unless somebody delivers it from bolivia or columbia on a solar powered bike. but at least we can reuse it.
For those who are freaking out over the ph of coffee, try Yerba Mate. Guayakí Yerba Mate has the “strength of coffee, the health benefits of tea, and the euphoria of chocolate" all in one beverage. http://guayaki.com/mate/130/Yerba-Mate.html
I always compost coffee grounds. For filter coffee we only use the unbleached paper filters and chuck the whole lot in the bin. I also have an expresso machine which is even better! No paper:)
Every few months I use coffee grounds for hair conditioner--makes it feel silky smooth! It is a bit messy however. Also, if i have old coffee left over from the morning I rinse my hair with it, which very slightly darkens the color.
Oh - I so wanted to use my old coffee grounds to exfoliate (I know - the things that get me exctied!), but my beloved insisted that they clog the drains..what to do?
See above - he's absolutely right.
Love the article! Question though; I mostly drink black tea (Earl Grey, English Breakfast, etc). Will the tips that call for green tea work with black tea but just not as effective?
Fantastic ideas. I have used the grinds for my compost but never put them in the garden. I also love the idea of green tea to rid the onion and garlic odour. Ask around at your local coffee shops. If they are for the environment they will often save them for customers to use as indicated above. http://livingreenyoga.blogspot.com/
My Mum used damp tealeaves to freshen carpets. Sprinkled on and brushed off, carries off the dirt without dust flying and leaves the colours wonderfully bright, like new.
Multiple studies show that used coffee grounds are not acidic. The acid washes off in your coffee - the remaining grounds are ph neutral. See, among others: http://arlingtonheet.org/2011/11/fast-urban-compost-saving-energy-outsid...