It turns out that those coffee grounds that you fill your drip coffee maker with every morning can do more than just jazz you up in the A.M. They also make excellent beauty remedies, pest control substances, and even craft supplies. If you’re into a zero-waste lifestyle and you want to also get the maximum benefit from your coffee grounds, the three tips in this article count as excellent places to start.
1. Reduce the Appearance of Cellulite
The caffeine in your coffee has an astringent effect that works wonders on beauty issues, like cellulite. Using a scrub made from coffee reduces the appearance of cellulite for a time, making coffee grounds your new favorite natural beauty product.
To tighten your skin and rid it of the appearance of cellulite, mix together the following ingredients:
Ingredients:
1/4 cup of sea salt
1/4 cup of used coffee grounds
2 TBSP of coconut oil
Instructions:
In a small bowl, mix together the salt and the used coffee grounds.
Add in the coconut oil. The oil can be melted or used straight out of the jar for this.
Optional: Scented essential oil of your choice
Mix everything together
When you are in the shower, massage the coffee/ salt scrub into your skin where you have cellulite. Do this up to 3 times a week.
Put the scrub in the fridge between uses.
2. Keep the Buggies Away
Insects hate coffee probably in direct proportion to how much you love it. Good thing, too. When it comes to keeping bugs and snails away, you have a couple of options open to you if you do drink a lot of java.
First, you can spread about a half-inch pile of coffee grounds around your home’s foundation for some general bug protection. To protect your patio and other open areas, set out bowls of your recycled coffee grounds. Pests like snails and slugs don’t like the texture of coffee, and that ant colony detests the smell.
You can also create a protective spray for your plants by soaking your grounds for 24 hours. Put the “coffee water” in a spray bottle and treat your plants with it. This will rid your plants of caterpillars and many other leaf-loving pests.
3. Dye for Your Craft Projects
If you make espresso coffee at home, be sure to save those dark-colored grounds for some cool craft projects, like dyed fabrics and lovely Easter eggs.
To make a pretty, natural dye for fabrics, like cotton, linen, and rayon, wet down the coffee grounds you want to recycle: You can create a warm coffee bath by brewing coffee in your drip coffee maker and then soaking the material in it.
If you’re dying your fabrics, then start by dousing the fabric for an hour. Be sure to check it periodically to ensure that it turns the shade that you want it to. The stronger the coffee, the darker and richer the resulting color will be.
Coffee makes an excellent natural dye for your kids’ Easter eggs, too. Making these coffee-colored eggs is super simple. Place a single layer of eggs into the pot. Pour one quart of coffee water into the pot. Then, add enough water to cover the eggs completely. Allow the eggs to sit in the coffee dye for at least a half an hour.
Be sure to wash both the fabric and/ or the eggs before you dye them with the coffee grounds. In both cases, you can reuse coffee grounds that you’ve already brewed. Doing so allows you to develop lighter dyes.
Concluding Thoughts on Recycling Coffee Grounds
Chances are good that you have already heard of some of the ways you can reuse your coffee grounds, including as fertilizer and compost. However, if you want to explore using your used coffee grounds in some unexpected ways, then you would benefit from trying these projects. Used coffee grounds are great as a beauty aid, as a bug and snail repellent, and as a natural dye for your fabric crafts and Easter egg projects.
These coffee ground reboots allow you to make the best use of your coffee throughout the stages of its life, from the first sip of espresso from your personal cappuccino machine to the last drop of dye you put on your Easter eggs. These recycling tips appeal to those who want to lower their carbon footprint as well as those who want to avoid all of the chemicals that come with some commercial products.
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