Looking to be more sustainable in the new year? Try a few of these tips to recycle your coffee grounds:
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1. Use As Fertilizer
It’s true, even your plants can’t resist good java. Adding coffee grounds into your plant’s soil improves water retention and aeration and helps beneficial microorganisms thrive. Fresh grounds are also great for acid-loving plants, as they raise the pH levels of the soil. While used grounds are a great source of nutritive nitrogen.
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2. Repel Pests
Sprinkle coffee grounds about two inches wide around the perimeter of your plants to keep out pesky pests like slugs and snails.
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3. Use In Compost
Coffee grounds will add extra nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus to your compost, helping the plants convert sunlight to energy and retain moisture. Add coffee grounds to your compost with an equal amount of a carbon source, such as dried leaves.
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4. Tenderize Meat
Damp coffee grounds just became your game-changing barbeque secret. Due to their natural acidity, coffee grounds make an excellent meat tenderizer. Simply coat your raw meat in the damp grounds and place in a plastic bag. Put the bag in the fridge to sit for at least three hours (or better yet, overnight). You can wash the grounds off, or leave them on for a subtle smoky flavor.
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5. Use As A Natural Abrasive
Do you have that stained pot or pan that you just can’t clean no matter how hard you scrub? Coffee grounds are here to save the day. Simply sprinkle the grounds onto the pan and using steel wool or a pot scrubber, scrub off the stain.
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6. Repel Your Dog’s Fleas
Simply bathe your dog as usual, then scrub them down with coffee grounds and rinse. IMPORTANT: Make sure they don’t eat any of the grounds because caffeine can be toxic to your furry friend if ingested.
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7. Exfoliate Your Skin
Dry skin? Breakouts? Coffee grounds make the perfect natural exfoliator to clear away dead skin. Simply dampen the grounds and rub them onto your skin, or combine with honey, coconut oil, or tea tree oil.