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10 Unexpected Ways to Use Coffee Grounds

The scope of application of coffee grounds is multifaceted: from use as a fertilizer for plants to the elimination of cosmetic defects and stimulation of hair growth.

Below we have given 10 scientifically based ideas on how to use coffee grounds in everyday life.

1. Application as a fertilizer in the garden

Coffee grounds contain many valuable substances for plants and can be used in gardening. According to experts , it is rich in nitrogen, calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and chromium.

Also proven that the "coffee concentrate" absorbs a large range of heavy metals and other toxic substances from the soil, which can pollute the soil and be extremely toxic to the human body.

Coffee grounds attract worms that loosen the soil and make it more suitable for growing any plant crops.

To realize all the described effects, it is simply necessary to evenly scatter the remains of coffee on the ground around the plants.

Coffee grounds are a valuable fertilizer in the garden at the cottage or in a private house, which supports plant growth, neutralizes a number of harmful substances in the soil and attracts worms.

2. Top dressing of domestic plants

Coffee grounds can also be used for fertilizing indoor plants.

According to Malaysian scientists, you can make compost from banal kitchen waste (leftovers of organic food from the table) and coffee leftovers from the bottom of the dishes. Such a mixture contains significantly more macronutrients necessary for plants than ordinary organic humus.

To improve the properties of compost, you can additionally add grass, tree leaves, crushed eggshells, fruit and vegetable trimmings to it. It is not recommended to include fish and meat waste, dairy products, oils and fats in the nutrient mixture.

The resulting composition can be fed to almost all domestic and garden plants.

On the basis of coffee grounds and organic waste, you can prepare a valuable fertilizer that promotes the growth of domestic plants.

3. Getting rid of insects and pests

Coffee contains a number of compounds that, according to scientists , may be toxic to insects. These include: caffeine and diterpenes.

Also coffee grounds Potentiates The effect of pesticides used in household and industrial crop cultivation.

Foreign experts have established that coffee (due to its color and smell) is attractive to many mosquitoes, fruit flies and beetles. When using such a product, insects usually die.

In order to limit the number of pests, you can place coffee cups in crowded places or treat the ground around plants with coffee grounds (within a radius of 5-15 cm).

Thus, coffee grounds can be used to reduce the number of insects and "garden" pests.

4. Removing fleas from pets

Fleas are extremely dangerous parasites that can infect most pets and humans. They not only cause independent diseases (pulicosis, sarcopsillosis), but can also be carriers of extremely dangerous pathogens. Due to infected fleas, the following pathologies may develop: plague, salmonellosis, brucellosis, listeriosis, endemic typhus, trypanosomiasis, etc.

Flea breeding is an extremely difficult task, often requiring significant time and financial costs. Most of the remedies available on the market against these pathogens contains a lot of aggressive chemicals , capable of causing symptoms of poisoning and allergic reactions.

Fortunately, fleas have a negative attitude to the aroma of coffee. The banal wiping of the pet's fur with thick from the coffee maker and its subsequent rinsing will help get rid of parasites.

Some claim that coffee makes the skin of animals smoother and shinier, but no scientific research has been conducted on this fact.

In no case should you give coffee to animals inside. Caffeine, even in small doses, is extremely toxic to dogs. The product should be used only externally!

Applying coffee grounds to pet hair helps to get rid of fleas. With external use, the development of side effects is practically excluded.

5. Neutralizing unpleasant odors

Coffee concentrate contains nitrogen, which helps to remove unpleasant-smelling hydrogen sulfide from the air. The mechanism is scientifically justified .

To eliminate an unpleasant odor, it is enough to put a cup of coffee grounds in a room, refrigerator or freezer.

You can also put it in old things (socks, tights, etc.), tie them up and use them as an air freshener in closets or places requiring deodorization.

The mixture can be used to treat hands. It neutralizes the smell of garlic and onions, as well as tobacco.

Coffee grounds absorb and eliminate a wide range of unpleasant odors.

6. Use for cosmetic purposes

It is noteworthy that coffee grounds can be used in cosmetology to improve the condition of the skin. Below we will describe some of the main ways to use it.

Cleaning scrub

Coffee particles are an abrasive. Solid particles in contact with the skin remove small keratinized epithelial cells, black dots and other small impurities. The product also has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, prevents the development of infectious and inflammatory diseases from the skin and subcutaneous fat. Similar data were obtained during research in Japan.

Coffee is a natural ingredient. Its use prevents the influence of many toxic substances contained in modern scrubs.

General skin improvement

Caffeine, according to scientists from Poland , has high biological activity and easily penetrates the skin barrier. The substance helps to improve microcirculation, increase the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to all skin cells of the face.

Coffee is the strongest antioxidant. It reduces the harmful effects of ultraviolet solar radiation, prevents skin aging and the manifestation of oncological diseases (for example, melanoma).

Getting rid of cellulite

Cellulite is an extremely common cosmetological problem caused by structural changes in subcutaneous fat. Pathology occurs in 90% of women over the age of 35.

According to experts, caffeine prevents excessive accumulation of fats in cells, activates the processes of lipid breakdown. The effect is observed when coffee grounds are applied topically to defective areas (hips, buttocks).

The ideal mixture for treatment is as follows: coffee grounds, water, coconut oil in equal proportions. Frequency of use: 2 times a week. The duration of application is 10 minutes, then the composition is washed off with ordinary water.

Recall, taking coffee inside also helps to lose weight .

Eliminating circles under the eyes

Dark circles under the eyes occur during exposure to a large number of factors. The most common are: decreased elasticity of blood vessels, deterioration of microcirculation, changes in the course of metabolic processes in skin cells (severity proportional to age).

Iranian studies demonstrate that caffeine reduces the severity of dark circles under the eyes, eliminates wrinkles, and prevents dehydration of the skin.

Positive effects, to a greater extent, are realized by stimulating blood circulation and normalizing metabolism in adipose tissue. Antioxidants make an additional contribution – depress free radical mechanisms that slow down aging.

Thus, the caffeine in the thick is an extremely valuable product for cosmetic use. When applied topically, it helps to improve the overall health of the skin, remove dead epithelial cells, prevent wrinkles and reduce the severity of dark circles under the eyes. It is effective in the treatment of cellulite.

7. Stimulation of hair growth

Most modern shampoos and other hair products remain on the surface of the head even after thorough rinsing and have a negative effect on the hair: they slow down hair growth and make them more brittle, destroy the structure of hair follicles.

German studies have shown that caffeine has an effect on hair follicles (at the molecular level), which leads to accelerated hair growth and increased strength and elasticity.

Animal experiments demonstrate that coffee also improves blood flow to hair follicles and potentiates hair growth.

It is recommended to massage a handful of coffee grounds into the scalp for 3-5 minutes, then rinse with water and only after that apply shampoo. The frequency of such a procedure is 1-2 times a week.

Coffee grounds improve the condition of the hair, stimulate its growth, prevent destruction.

8. Use as a natural dye

The repeated addition of water to coffee grounds allows you to create an environmentally friendly natural dye that can be used to color things and objects made of paper, linen, viscose, cotton and cellophane. Similar recommendations are given by French specialists.

The coffee mixture can also be used to color Easter eggs and hair.

A distinctive feature of such a dye is the absence in the composition of many chemicals that cause cancer, which are present in commercial analogues.

Coffee is a natural dye that can be used to give a brownish hue to Easter eggs, fabrics, paper and even hair.

9. Cleaning of various surfaces

Coffee grounds, as already mentioned, are an abrasive substance. It consists of many small particles of coffee beans.

Due to this, it can be used for cleaning and polishing ceramic surfaces (sink, wall tiles), dishes (pots and pans), grill, as well as individual interior items (fireplace).

Using grounds from a coffee machine diluted with water (ratio 2:1) It is possible to eliminate scratches on furniture. To do this, the resulting paste must be rubbed into the scratch for 5-10 minutes with a cotton swab, and then wiped with a dry cloth. It is suitable only for eliminating defects on dark brown surfaces.

Coffee grounds can be used to clean and polish most surfaces available in the household, as well as to eliminate scratches.

10. Softening of meat

Meat is rich in muscle and connective tissue fibers, as well as a number of proteins that give it a rigid structure. In certain categories of persons (against the background of senile sarcopenia, with various diseases of the teeth and gums, digestive disorders ) it may be difficult to eat meat.

However, coffee contains a number of natural acids and of enzymes , contributing to the destruction of "strong structures" in meat. They make it softer.

To improve the properties of meat products, apply coffee grounds to their surface and leave for 2-3 hours. Then rinse with plain water and start cooking.

Coffee is rich in natural acids and enzymes that soften meat and improve its flavor properties.

Is it safe to eat the grounds?

Coffee has a lot of useful properties for the human body (reducing the risk of developing diabetes mellitus, weight loss, prevention of fatal cardiovascular complications, prevention of malignant cell proliferation, etc.).

In the absence of contraindications (acute inflammatory diseases of the digestive system, persistent hypertension and symptomatic arterial hypertension, tachyarrhythmias), the use of coffee grounds or application it is completely safe to apply it to the surface of the skin.

All the positive properties of the product are provided due to the content of caffeine and a number of other substances (antioxidants, macronutrients, vitamins (K2)).

But in any case, it is better to give preference to freshly brewed coffee.

Coffee grounds are an almost harmless product. Although taking it inside does not make much sense.

Conclusion

Thus, coffee grounds have great potential for use in everyday life.

It perfectly eliminates many cosmetic defects (cellulite, dark circles under the eyes, wrinkles, black dots, etc.), is an ideal fertilizer for plants, destroys many insects and pests of plant crops.

Using coffee grounds, you can also clean and sand dishes and ceramic surfaces, as well as mask scratches on furniture.