If you’re a coffee lover (read: addict), you’ll no doubt be familiar with all the different variations of drinking it. You have the casual but cool latte for the cafe setting, the DIY filter coffee for those early mornings where you feel like treating yourself (read: living the intro to Dexter) and the black as tar, 3am gravy coffee when you’ve convinced yourself that going to sleep will somehow break the pact you’ve made with the gods of the internet.
But, what if I told you there were some not-so-crazy uses for coffee that you hadn’t thought of that were entirely eco friendly? Thanks to Brewsmartly, there is a plethora of unique suggestions for you to get the most out of your beans.
1. Flavour your food
Ground coffee beans can be added to any dry rub for flavouring food. Just add a couple of tablespoons to your dry rub for a smokier flavour for meats, such as chicken, pork, and lamb.
2. Add to baking
Coffee makes a great addition to cakes and other sweet treats. It is a particularly good accompaniment to chocolate and of course we can’t forget the popular coffee and walnut cake.
3. Unclog your drains
This is a cheaper alternative to expensive drain cleaners and has the same results! Pour half a cup, along with dishwasher salt, into your drains. Then pour a full kettle of boiling water down the drain. It’s as simple as that and no chemicals are needed.
4. Clean your hands
You can use wet coffee grounds to effectively remove odour by rubbing them on your fingers, then rinsing. It can be used after cutting vegetables, garlic or anything that leaves a strong odour.
5. Repel insects
Coffee’s properties make it a great natural insect repellent. All you need to do is sprinkle some into the cracks in walls or anywhere you don’t want insects. You can even rub it on yourself to protect you from insect bites.
6. Exfoliate your skin
Coffee grounds work well as a face scrub because their texture helps exfoliate the skin and remove dead skin cells. Gently massage ground coffee into your skin and rinse. This technique can be used on your face and body.
7. Enrich your compost bin
Coffee is rich in nitrogen which is a great addition to your compost bin. For an extra potent mix, add one part coffee, one part leaves and one part freshly mown grass. Mix together then add to the pile.
8. Protect your dog from fleas
A good alternative to a chemical flea repellant. Rub coffee grounds into your dog’s fur after giving them a bath then rinse. It will also make your dog smell nice, if you like the smell of coffee!
9. Give your flowers a special glow
Coffee grounds will reduce the pH level of the soil around your plants, which can bring out their colour. Just be sure that your plants aren’t in need of more acidity. Blueberry bushes would hate coffee grounds.
10. Cleanse your palette for perfumes
Sniffing coffee beans between smelling scents will make it possible to smell each perfume like it’s the first one. This way you won’t experience scent overload.
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