According to this article, Brits drink 95 million cups of coffee a day, with 65% of that being consumed at home. So what do you do with those leftover coffee grounds from all those cups of coffee?

Consider some of the following creative and resourceful options for putting those grounds to good use before throwing them out next time.

14 Creative Ways to use up Leftover Coffee Grounds

#1 Fertilize Your Garden

When gardening, most soil does not contain the proper nutrients for growing fruits and vegetables. Most gardens need to be fertilised to ensure that plants have the nourishment they need to survive.

Coffee grounds are important for plant growth because they include some important nutrients such as nitrogen, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and chromium.

If there are heavy metals in your soil, the coffee grounds can help absorb thatl, which helps your plants flourish. All you need to do is sprinkle the grounds around your plants and it will also act as a fertilizer.

#2 Eliminate Odors

If you notice a foul odor coming from your refrigerator or from your garbage can, used coffee grounds can help eliminate those odors from spoiled or fragrant foods.

Coffee grounds contain nitrogen, which helps eliminate sulfur gas from the air (which can smell really nasty) when it’s combined with carbon.

If you want to create portable air fresheners, simply fill old socks or pantyhose with coffee grounds. Then tie them off. You can use these in shoes, gym bags, under your seat in the car, in your bedroom drawers, or anywhere you need to deodorize.

#3 Great for Fishing

If you love to fish, try starting a worm bed (worms are some of the best bait to use when fishing) and then add in some coffee grounds! A great worm bed mix is to use aged horse manure and coffee grounds.

Not only that, but worms are great for your garden beds also — so make sure and really sprinkle those used coffee grounds around.

#4 Composting

Coffee grounds will add nitrogen to your compost bin — which is a great way to make your soil rich in nutrients. Just pour them in to start decomposing.

If you want to help the soil in your yard to hold onto more nutrients and water, be sure and add some compost to it. It will help to improve the health of your plants.

#5 Insect Repellant

Certain compounds found in coffee, such as caffeine can be a highly sought after insect repellent. If you want to use coffee grounds as an insect and pest repellent, all you need to do is grab some bowls and fill them fulll of coffee grounds or sprinkle them around outdoor seating areas.

#6 Cleaning Abrasive

If you have caked on food or your pots and pans get rusty, coffee grounds can help you get them clean again. If you really want to scrape away the caked on dirt, add a few coffee grounds to a rag and use it as an abrasive.

If your dishes stain easily, I would not use it on those, but for cast iron or stainless steel cookware, it makes for a great abrasive.

#7 Use it as a Dye

Coffee when wet gives off a very beautiful golden colour. Coffee grounds can even be used to dye Easter eggs or deepen the colour of dark hair.

Used coffee grounds are the perfect alternative to traditional dyes, and the best part is that they are non-toxic. Simply re-wet them and use them to dye paper or fabric, or whatever you are trying to dye.

#8 Remove Fleas from Your Pet

Are fleas bugging your pet? All you need to do is add a few scoops of coffee grounds to your dog’s shampoo to create a natural flea repellant.

Simply rub the grounds throughout your pet’s fur after shampooing. Then rinse them off and allow your pet to dry as usual.

#9 Flavour Enhancer

Using coffee as a spice for a meat rub will tenderize it and add a smokey flavour. For the perfect dry rub, add used coffee grounds to your favorite rub recipe and apply the rub to the meat about two to three hours before you cook it.

The grounds will get cooked onto the meat and form a dark, crispy crust.

Alternatively, you can rebrew used grounds to make coffee, allow it to cool and use it to marinate meat in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before cooking

#10 Clear Up Acne

Coffee grounds can be repurposed into an exfoliating scrub for your face and body. They help remove dirt and dead skin cells and promote overall skin health.

The coarse particles in coffee grounds work as an exfoliating agent to help remove dirt and dead cells from the skin.

Simply mix coffee grounds with a little bit of water or coconut oil and scrub them with your hands directly onto your face and body.

#11 Homemade Candles

If you have leftover used coffee grounds, you can mix that with one cup of wax candle remnants(think of all those used candles you have lying around the house) and you can create a delicious smelling candle.

For detailed instructions on how to do this, click here.

#12 Coffee For Your Hair

Exfoliating your scalp with coffee grounds can help remove buildup and dead skin cells.

Before you shampoo, simply grab a handful of coffee grounds and massage them into your scalp and hair for a few minutes. Then wash and rinse as you normally would.

Do this one to two times per week, or as needed.

#13 Fight Cellulite

When you apply caffeine to you skin, especially in places where you have cellulite, it can help to break down the fat and increase blood flow to the area.

Simply mix grounds with water or coconut oil and scrub for 10 minutes twice weekly on any areas affected by cellulite.

#14 Freshen Your Laundry

Add a pot of freshly brewed coffee and the grounds to a load of wash, toss in any brown clothing and walk away. The coffee stains the material and keeps dark colours looking great.

Finally

Most people throw away all the grounds left behind after brewing coffee. However, there are so many awesome ways to reuse them.

Next time you brew yourself a cup of coffee, consider re-purposing the grounds using one of the ideas in this article.