In putting together this week’s newsletter, I came across a tidbit about coffee grounds that was published in the Fall 2005 Gardens of Oak Hollow website. So I decided to recycle that tip and add a few tips from Margaret Boyles published in the April 2021 Farmer’s Almanac. Enjoy.
Improve garden soil
If you have old coffee left in the pot from your morning breakfast, use it as a liquid fertilizer pouring it on interior plants. Coffee grounds provide low levels of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium and many trace minerals. As a side bonus, the coffee grounds also help repel slugs.
Deodorize your hands
If you have cut up an onion or garlic, keep a small bowl of fresh coffee grounds on hand to add to your soap while washing your hands. After scouring your hand, they will be clean and refreshed.
Deodorize closets, car interiors, fridge, and microwave
To remove stale or musty odors fill an empty butter tub with coffee grounds, punch holes in the cover and set the tub under sinks, in the fridge and freezer, and in your closet. Alternatively, tie up a cup of spent or fresh coffee grounds in a pantyhose leg and hang on a hook in a closet or pantry.
Hide scratches in dark wooden furniture
Use a Q-Tip dipped in strong black coffee to swab small scratches in dark-stained wood. For larger areas, make a paste of finely-ground fresh beans or instant coffee and a little hot brewed coffee, brush paste over area, let dry, brush off excess.
Remove stubborn stains.
Use a wet coffee filter and a few spent grounds to scrub the stains from ceramic coffee or tea cups. Sometimes a few coffee grounds and a stiff scrub brush will clean up burned-on food or grease from pots and pans.