Coffee grounds have uses around the home

David Howells

24/01/2012 14:21:26

Those who throw their used coffee grounds in the bin after use could be missing out on a few extra uses, shannandesh.com reports.

Once the need for caffeine has been suppressed, many coffee machine owners throw their spent grounds straight in the bin; believing them to be good for nothing else. However, researchers have found that there are two ways in which they could prove extremely useful.

Dark wooden furniture can often show up scuffs, scratches or marks. Applying coffee grounds to the affected area, however, could remedy this. If coffee grounds are dabbed onto furniture scratches then left for ten minutes before wiping off, the coffee colour dyes the wood and covers up the scratch marks.

The garden can also benefit, with coffee grounds providing great nutrition for soil. When added to compost, coffee grounds give the soil an acidity that will work especially well for blueberry plants, hydrangeas and strawberries.

Writing of the process, coffee expert Mike Cooke told worldcoffeenews.com: “Aerate the soil first, by turning over the earth.

“Next it’s time to add the compost - and this is where the coffee comes in. Of course you can buy good organic compost, but did you realise that you can also scatter coffee grounds on your beds? About an inch will do. Finally, add mulch.”