I know we are living through a coffee-obsessed generation that is perplexing to many, but as a wife and mother of two who runs a business from home, let me just say: I am here for it!
Whether you’re on board with this coffee craze or not, I am sharing 10 of my favorite things to do with coffee besides drink it.
- Make coffee ice cubes! We usually consume every drop of freshly-brewed goodness in our house, but in the event that the coffee pot somehow goes off and brews an entire pot at 12 am and you wake to find cold coffee {yep, it happened} don’t dump it down the drain! Pour that coffee into ice cube trays and use it for DIY iced coffee. As the ice melts, your cold coffee won’t get watered down.
- Make a body scrub or soap with the leftover grounds. I will spare you the details of the process, but you can find so many DIY ideas online and they are simple and luxurious!
- Make a face mask. This is pretty much the same idea as above, but for your face. Face masks and scrubs can be so beneficial to Michigan mamas when the cold weather starts leaving our skin dry and flakey. Plus, they smell heavenly.
- Use it as a fertilizer. Show some extra love to your acid-loving plants {hydrangeas, lilies, azaleas, blueberries, etc.} by sprinkling unused coffee grounds right around the plants. Used grounds are considered neutral and can be sprinkled on your soil to improve drainage, water retention, and aeration.
- Use it as compost. Adding coffee grounds to your compost pile increases the amount of nitrogen, which is beneficial for your plants. Trust me, they will thank you for this.
- Repel insects {and some animals} with it. I am all about those Michigan springs and summers, but I am NOT about the Michigan pests or garden destroyers. Coffee grounds are great for deterring snails, ants, and fleas. They can even keep bunnies and deer out of your gardens.
- Use coffee to neutralize odors. You can take used coffee grounds and spread them on a baking sheet. Bake them at 250 degrees until they are dry, then put the grounds in a jar. Move the jar to any room in your home that might need some deodorizing and be amazed at how well the grounds absorb the odors.
- Clean with it. Coffee grounds can be used to scour stainless steel pots and pans and sinks. They just give you that extra “umph” to get past those tough stains.
- Use it as a natural dye. You can use coffee to dye papers, clothing, and even hair. {Yep, another idea you will want to Pinterest.}
- Hug it. Love it. Thank it. Really, the world is a better place because coffee is in it. So, if you haven’t done so lately, thank your coffee today.
