After preparing coffee, over 70% of people globally usually throw away the coffee grounds but this should not be the case. The grounds can be used in various ways among them being plant fertilizer.
Pest Repellent
Sprinkle used coffee grounds around your plants to protect them against destructive garden pests like ants, snails, and slugs. It has even been said that old grounds mixed with dried orange peel will keep away some small mammals like cats (though Felix can be a tough customer. If coffee and orange peel doesn’t work, try rosemary oil instead!)
Fertilize Your Garden
The Coffee grounds can be used as garden fertilizer. Mix your old grounds with dead grass clippings, brown leaves, or dry straw to neutralize some of the acidity, the spread them around your plants. Used coffee grounds add nitrogen and potassium to the soil (the first and third numbers in the fertilizer formula: N – P – K) as well as a boost of magnesium which all plants need to stay healthy.
Compost It for Later
Coffee grounds make excellent “green” matter as they are rich in nitrogen. Also, beneficial worms may be attracted to your compost with the addition of old coffee.
Absorb Food Odors
Used coffee grounds can be used much like baking soda for absorbing food odors in the refrigerator and freezer. Just load up a small open container with your old grounds, place it in the back of the fridge, then forget about it for a couple of weeks while you collect more grounds. As an added bonus, after you remove smelly old grounds from the refrigerator or freezer, you can then toss them on the compost pile or use them for fertilizer!
Clean Out the Fireplace
Used coffee grounds can make the process of cleaning out your fireplace much easier and less messy. Gently scatter old used coffee grounds over the ashes to weight them down and prevent the huge clouds of smoke that often arise when performing this arduous task. Not only will shovelling the ashes be easier than ever before, you also won’t have to wipe down every horizontal surface in the room when you’re done.
Hide Furniture Scratches
Dip a cotton swab into steeped grounds and dab on scratches in dark wood furniture to minimize them. Just test in an inconspicuous area first.