My love of coffee grounds

Where ever I am living in Australia, I love asking for free coffee grounds at local cafes. I take a bucket and ask around. A lot of places only throw them in the bin and are more than happy to reduce their waste.

So why do I collect them?

• I use them on my plants. Coffee grounds contain minerals for plant growth - calcium, iron, potassium, nitrogen and magnesium.  They help attract worms. I put them around the base of my plants to ward off pests. My plants absolutely love them! Free fertilizer!
• I use the grounds as a deodoriser to reduce odours. I keep a cup in my fridge and one in my shoe cupboard.
• I use them to scrub my sink. They are a great abrasive!
• I keep some in the kitchen for when I’m chopping garlic or onion. I wash my hands with a handful of grounds and, no more garlic or onion smells!
• If I’ve scratched some wooden furniture, I use coffee grounds and a bit of water (made into a paste) to reduce the visible sign of the scratch.
• I’ve also been known to rub coffee grounds on my legs to exfoliate and add a slight tan.

They really are marvellous and there isn’t much that comes for free these days!