Things to Do With Leftover Coffee Grounds And Tea
No matter how many awesome and creative DIY projects we run into, there are just some items around the house that are extremely hard to find a second use for. Old furniture, bottles, boxes – sure.
But what about leftover consumables like coffee grounds and tea?
It seems such a waste to throw these in the trash, but after you brew your morning cup they may appear quite dull and useless.
On the contrary, most coffee and tea can actually be reheated two or more times and still contain many beneficial properties that can be taken advantage of.
Even those sad, dry coffee grounds and tea leaves can find a purpose in the ground or (can you believe it?) in your hair!
They may not taste fabulous after the first use, but not to worry – none of these creative DIYs will be used for drinking anyway.
Coffee grounds and tea both have excellent uses in the garden, particularly as compost and wonderful pest repellants.
If you’re getting your garden started early in the season, it is always a great idea to make sure your soil is providing the best possible nutrients directly to your plants.
Tilling the soil or starting with a prepackaged organic soil is a marvelous way to start. However, adding in some live compounds will give your soil an extra little boost.
Mix up some used coffee and/or tea grounds into your soil. As the grounds begin to decompose, they will release nitrogen into the soil.
Nitrogen is the building block for strong amino acids, which help plants to become as large and strong as possible.
It also helps plants to grow more quickly than if they had not had that little boost.
After brewing a cup of coffee or tea, let your leftovers sit in a nice, dry place (outside in the sun works nicely) until they become hard and coarse.
Sprinkle these on top of your soil around the base of your plants and around the edges of your entire garden. Many bugs and small animals do not like walking over crunchy material.
Adding in some crushed-up eggshells can really help deter pests as well. The smell is not appealing to most intruders and they won’t dare walk over those sharp edges.
It’s no secret that green tea has been used for its medicinal properties over the years. However, the extent of what this astonishing plant can do for your body might be surprising.
As you may have heard, green tea has tons of hardworking antioxidants inside its leaves.
In addition, it contains a compound known as EGCG that works to fight against the production of certain chemicals in the body that contribute to inflammation, specifically around the joints.
What’s more, green tea actually helps to stop disintegration of cartilage around the joints, which causes joint pain and arthritis.
Both coffee grounds and tea leaves can be used as a blissful hair treatment. Adding a little bit to either your shampoo or conditioner can give your scalp and hair a much-needed lift.
Coffee grounds and tea are best used around the scalp if you’re experiencing some dry, flaky skin. Gently work the grounds into the roots of the hair and massage for about 30 seconds.
Rinse, shampoo, and condition as usual after the grounds have been worked into the scalp.
As an added bonus, giving the scalp a bit of extra exfoliation will make hair look and feel fuller and shinier. It smells heavenly in a steamy shower as well!
If your hair is really looking dull, try sprinkling some coffee or intea to a small amount of avocado oil or coconut oil and massage that into the scalp and hair.
Leave this mixture in the hair for about 15 minutes, then shampoo hair very well in the shower and condition if it feels necessary.
This type of hair mask will provide some much-needed moisture as well as additional cleansing and exfoliation – leaving the hair shinier and softer than ever before.
This mask can be repeated up to two times per week for seriously dry locks.
Okay, so we have discussed many uses for tea and coffee that are great for food, inflammation, and beauty, but how about some good ol’ DIY around the house? Coffee and tea leftovers can be used as a quick and cheap furniture polish.
If you happen to have an old piece of wood furniture that is looking quite dry and cracked, try brightening it up with some coffee or tea.
Brew a pot of leftover black tea or coffee and soak a rag in the liquid when it is done brewing – after about 10 minutes.
Wring out the rag and let the liquid dribble all over the dryest parts of the wooden furniture. Allow the liquid to soak in for just a moment then thoroughly sweep the brew all over the chair.
Add more liquid as needed and repeat. Although this may not be the ultimate option for restoring a beautiful piece of antique furniture, it can surely brighten up an old accent wooden chair in no time.
Now you can see that reusing the smallest of items can be extraordinarily beneficial to our bodies, skin, homes, and food. Recycling items is always a fantastic way to cut down on unnecessary waste.
Yet, even reusing items doesn’t ensure that the products being used are to be reused without caution. Purchasing organic materials in the first place will support healthy growing operations and prevent nasty chemicals being put into our bodies.
Furthermore, using organic products to begin with will guarantee that pesticides and preservatives aren’t being placed into the ground or on our skin when we use them a second time.
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