7 innovative uses for coffee

When you hear the word coffee, the first thing that comes to mind would probably be the steaming hot beverage. It may come as a surprise then, that the aromatic brown bean has a world of uses not tied to the kettle. Check out our favourite ideas below.

1. Get rid of bad smells

Probably the most well known benefit of coffee (besides it’s delicious taste), is its aromatic scent. Coffee beans have such a strong smell that bad odours (or even pleasant ones) are overpowered. Pop a jar of coffee beans in your fridge to neutralise bad smells, keep a few on hand when sampling different perfumes, or try to inhale the aroma of coffee when dealing with the waste from pets and your bad smelling situations will be a breeze.

2. Clean stubborn dishes

Place a few teaspoons of ground coffee into a thin rag, and scrub those stubborn pots clean!

3. Erase scratches on wood

This one is simply a miracle – just mix a few teaspoons of instant coffee with water to make a thick paste, and dab onto the scrape with a cotton bud. Let the paste dry completely, then buff away with furniture polish. Test on a small, inconspicuous area first!

4. Repel garden pests

Draw a small ring around a plant with ground coffee to keep away land based pests like grubs and ants – this also works on the neighbours pesky cat!

5. Compost faster

Make a cup of coffee and pour over your compost pile to increase bacteria growth and help the plant matter to break down quicker.

6. Keep ashes contained

Sprinkle a burnt out fire with damp coffee grounds to minimise the spread of airborne dust and ash.

7. Exfoliate

Coffee’s makeup means that it’s coarse enough exfoliate dead cells, but soft enough that it won’t damage your skin.

Do you prefer to drink your coffee, or to garden with it? Let us know your best uses for coffee in the comments below!