10 Unexpected Uses for Coffee

Did you know coffee has a life outside of being a tasty, healthy beverage? It can be used for a variety of other purposes as well. Below are 11 unusual uses for coffee!

1. Palate Cleanser

Perfume counters at department stores sometimes have a small dish of coffee beans nearby to cleanse your olfactory palate. When testing out powerful aromatics it can be hard to discern one scent from another. The strong odor of coffee beans can cleanse your olfactory palate and allow you to smell the next scent better.

2. Pet Repellant

If neighborhood pets are hanging around your flowers, sprinkling coffee can keep these pets away. Most animals have a much greater sense of smell than ours, and coffee that smells great to us may be very unpleasant to animals. Mix the grounds with orange peels for an inexpensive deterrent.

3. Aromatic/ Fridge Deodorizer

You can easily make your own coffee air freshener by filling a pair of doubled-up ladies’ stockings with coffee beans, then tying it. Leave one of your coffee bean sachets in the fridge to absorb refrigerator odors and food prep smells, like onions or other strong smelling food.

4. In the Garden

Coffee grounds can be used as compost or fertilizer. Used grounds mixed with lye make a great composting agent, and you can even throw in the filter. Worms like to eat the bacteria that grows on the grounds and it helps them to digest better. Small amounts of grounds can be added directly to topsoil, especially to plants that like acidic soil like azaleas or roses. Since coffee is high in nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and other trace minerals, slowly releasing them into the plants. Make sure to be aware of which plants like acidic soil and which do not.  Finally, coffee has a strong odor which many insects and animals do not like. It has been suggested that mosquitoes, ants, and maggots all dislike the acidity of coffee and tend to stay away.

5. Meat Rub

We all know coffee is great for breakfast, but what about dinner? Try a coffee rub on your next steak for a unique flavor. Toast coffee grounds under a hot broiler for 30 seconds, shaking to prevent burning. Then add to steak spices and rub in to marinate a few hours in the fridge. Cook steak as desired.

6. Fabric Dye/Wood Stain

Coffee’s dark color makes it a good choice for giving fabrics or wood a worn look. It’s not going to be a very dark stain, but will be a unique, weathered look. Depending on the number of applications and type of material, this can produce some effective results.

7. Paint

Artists and crafters have used coffee and tea as a form of “paint” for ages. Regular brewed coffee can be brushed onto cardstock and will dry with a faded, brown, textured look. With repeated applications you can build up your image to create depth.

8. Cleaning Abrasive

Used coffee grounds can be used to clean your next dirty pot or pan before hand washing. The absorbent grounds are perfect for greasy pans and the small jagged edges of each ground help in cleaning the dirtiest dishware.

9. Facial Exfoliant

Coffee grounds are abrasive enough to scrub with, but soft enough to be used on your face. Gently massage a small amount of used grounds onto your face and skin is left feeling smooth.

10. Breath Freshener

Out of gum? Popping a whole coffee bean in your mouth for a few minutes can help freshen breath.