Skip to Content Skip to Navigation Accessibility Policy Click to login to your Account
Buy More, Save More! $5 off $50 | $10 off $65+ | $20 off $100+ | $40 off $150+ Shop Now
Bulletproof Bulletproof is a food and beverage company, known for Bulletproof Coffee and products that fuel your mind and body.
Menu
Shop
Shop
Coffee
Ground Whole Bean Single-Serve Pods The High Achiever™ Starter Kits Creamers & Mix-Ins Build Your Coffee Routine View all
MCT Oil
Brain Octane Oil MCT Oil View all
Proteins
Collagen Peptides Protein Bars Collagen Protein Plus Support View all
Supplements
Greens Gummy Vitamins Daily Wellness Immune Support Stress & Sleep Gut & Digestive Health Energy & Brain Health Bone & Joint Support Build Your Wellness Routine View all
Other
Tech Coffee Mugs & Bottles Books View all
Shop All Products
Looking for a personalized product line up?
Take the Quiz
Health Upgrades
Health Upgrades
Guides
Immune Boost Sleep Hacks Brain Upgrades Weight Loss & Diet Anti-Aging View all
Supplements
Greens Gummy Vitamins Daily Wellness Immune Support Stress & Sleep Gut & Digestive Health Energy & Brain Health Bone & Joint Support Build Your Wellness Routine View all
Bulletproof quiz find the right products for you
Product Quiz
Customize your routine

Personalize your product lineup in minutes. Plus, score 20% off!

Take The Quiz
Looking for a personalized product line up?
Take the Quiz
Recipes
Recipes
Recipes
Snacks Breakfasts Main Dishes Beverages Desserts Keto Paleo View all
Shop All Products
Bulletproof Coffee Recipe
FEATURED RECIPE
BULLETPROOF COFFEE: THE OFFICIAL RECIPE
VIEW RECIPE
Beginner keto cookbook
Free eCookbook
21 Easy Recipes to Fuel Your Keto Journey
Download Now
Looking for a personalized product line up?
Take the Quiz
Learn
Learn
Where to Start
Take the Product Quiz About Bulletproof Bulletproof for Beginners Bulletproof Coffee: The Official Recipe What makes Bulletproof Coffee Beans Different? What are MCT Oils? What is Collagen Protein? Starter Kits Newsletters & Guides
Keto Kickstart
Keto Beginners Guide Calculating Carbs Alcohol Guide Keto Foods List Dirty vs. Clean Keto Weight Loss Troubleshooting Keto Recipes
Bulletproof Blog
Diet Recipes Coffee Supplements Sleep Gut Health Lifestyle View all
Books
Game Changers The Bulletproof Diet Bulletproof The Cookbook View all
Shop All Products
Looking for a personalized product line up?
Take the Quiz
Subscribe & Save 20%
Deals
Deals Take the Product Quiz Subscribe & Save 20% expand/collapse Store Locator Account Cart
Deals Take the Product Quiz Subscribe & Save 20% expand/collapse Account Cart
Search

Share

product
https://www.bulletproof.com/diet/ways-to-reuse-coffee-grounds/ article-43852 Can You Reuse Coffee Grounds? Here’s 11 Ways How, From Skincare to Gardening https://www.bulletproof.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/why-You-Should-Put-Bulletproof-Coffee-in-Your-Hair_Coffee-ground-hair-mask-for-exfoliation-and-hair-growth-300x160.jpg 1 USD InStock Coffee Coffee VE01-00001 BEV01-00002 BEV01-00003 CDK01-00001 BEV01-00004 BEV01-00005 CDK01-00002 CDK01-00004 CDK01-00017 CDK01-00016 CDK01-00003 CDK01-00018 CDK01-00005 CDK01-00015 CDK01-00025 KIT12-00006 KIT12-00016 KIT12-00047 KIT12-00048 KIT12-00046 KIT12-00050 KIT12-00051 KIT12-00052 KIT12-00054 KIT12-00055 KIT12-00057 KIT12-00053 KIT12-00056 BEV01-00012 CDK01-00032 BEV01-00013 BEV01-00011 CDK01-00036 CDK01-00035 CDK01-00039 CDK01-00041 CDK01-00040 KIT12-00097 KIT12-00098 KIT12-00099 KIT12-00101 KIT12-00102 KIT12-00103 CDK01-00026 CDK01-00050 CDK01-00027 Coffee Beans Ground Coffee CDK01-00002 CDK01-00004 CDK01-00016 CDK01-00018 KIT12-00045 KIT12-00050 KIT12-00051 KIT12-00052 KIT12-00057 CDK01-00036 KIT12-00098 C DK01-00050 article
Home / Coffee
|July 16, 2021

Can You Reuse Coffee Grounds? Here’s 11 Ways How, From Skincare to Gardening

By Molly Apel
Reviewed by Emily Gonzalez, ND for Scientific Accuracy

Can You Reuse Coffee Grounds? Here’s 11 Ways How, From Skincare to Gardening

  • Here’s a great way to reduce waste: With a little effort, that pound of coffee grounds you dump in your garbage each week can be easily reused and recycled.
  • Abrasive and absorbent, coffee grounds contain caffeine and nutrients, making them a useful tool for multiple household uses.
  • Put your used coffee grounds to work as a body or dish scrub, a hair, clothing and furniture dye, a useful garden tool or a household air freshener.

Each morning, we dump a lump of coffee grounds in the garbage. Shouldn’t there be something we can do with all that waste? As a matter of fact, coffee grounds are one thing that’s easy to reuse and recycle. The coarseness of the grounds, their residual caffeine, their pigment and their nutrients still offer lots of potential uses.

Table of Contents

  • How to reuse coffee grounds
  • Can you reuse coffee grounds to brew coffee?

Brew up a pot of clean coffee and save the grounds. Below, you’ll find ways to put them to good use and finally put an end to the question of “Can you reuse coffee grounds?”

How to reuse coffee grounds

Hand holding portafilter with espresso coffee

When the brewing process is complete, many coffee drinkers simply discard the grounds that just created the perfect espresso or cold brew. However, a true barista understands the power of what’s left behind when you’re brewing coffee.

Here are 11 useful ways to reuse coffee grounds right at home.

1. Make your own coffee scrub

Coffee grounds are a natural exfoliant. They’re easy to mix into a face or body scrub that gently removes dead skin cells. Plus, caffeine has antioxidant properties.[1]

Mix 1 cup coffee grounds from freshly brewed coffee (you can’t go wrong with Bulletproof Original Coffee), 6 Tbsp. coconut or jojoba oil and 3 Tbsp. sea salt or white sugar into a jar. Combine until everything is thoroughly incorporated. Apply to your face (like a mask) or anywhere you’d like to exfoliate. Then gently rub the grounds into your skin.

Note: Unless you like clogs, avoid washing coffee grounds down the drain. Place a fine mesh sieve over the drain to catch the grounds and toss them in the trash. You can even use the grounds for composting, as they are an excellent nitrogen source.

2. Scrub-a-dub pots and pans

How can you reuse coffee grounds so they do the work for you? Dry, used coffee grounds are abrasive and acidic, giving them the power to scrape the burnt-on gunk from pans. Soak pots, pans and dishes in hot water for 30 minutes. Then, gently rub coffee grounds onto the surface to grind off the stains and residue.

Note: You don’t want to use any abrasive cleaners on glossy or nonstick surfaces. Avoid scrubbing with enough force to damage your cookware. Use coffee grounds in situations when you’d feel comfortable using steel wool, like gunky baking sheets and grill grates.

3. Take a coffee ground bath

The residual caffeine left in your coffee grounds can activate your body’s own processes of repairing cellular damage.[2] This makes the bath a great place for a second use of your coffee grounds.

Here’s how: Place 1 cup of used grounds in a nut milk bag, or wrap it into a cheesecloth pouch and secure with a string or rubber band. Draw a bath and place your “coffee ground bath bomb” in the warm water. Add ½ cup epsom salts for extra relaxation.

4. Get rid of puffy eyes

Studies have found that caffeine can help reduce the puffiness around your eyes.[3] To try this at home, apply used coffee grounds to the area beneath your eyes and gently wash it off once it’s dried. As a bonus, a study also showed that caffeine applied to the skin helps eliminate the dark circles that appear under your eyes and make you look tired.[4]

5. Make a hair rinse

Some say coffee can add a deeper, richer tone to your hair. To try this, soak your hair in a bowl of wet coffee grounds until thoroughly damp. Wrap hair on top of your head and put on a shower cap. Wait until your hair is almost dry before you rinse. Besides the rich color, you’ll also notice increased shine because the acid in the coffee grounds can also strip hair of buildup.

More From Bulletproof

Person brewing coffee with pourover method
The Ultimate Guide to Coffee Brewing Methods
The High Achiever Coffee bag next to a pour over
Enhanced Coffee: What is it and Why Should I Drink it?
Bulletproof The Original coffee, Brain Octane Oil and butter on countertop by cup of black coffee
Bulletproof Coffee Guide: Tips, Tricks, Recipes & More
Bulletproof Ground Coffee product line on counter with cup of hot coffee
Coffee Anatomy 101: How Are Coffee Beans Made?

6. Tint clothes and fabric

Want to add a sepia tone to a light or neutral top? Coffee stains cotton, as many of us have discovered on our way to work while wearing a crisp white shirt. Dyeing any light fabric with coffee adds a beautiful antiqued look to any fabric (when it’s intentional).

To do this, soak your cotton item in water in a pot. Add enough leftover coffee grounds to make the water opaque. Bring to a boil, turn off the heat and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Wash in the washing machine before wearing.

7. Hide furniture scratches

Small scratches tend to leave light streaks on wood furniture. The color of coffee can hide these scratches and bring back the beautiful, uniform color to wood. Simply apply wet coffee grounds to the scratch, being careful not to leave them on unscratched areas or they may be dyed a darker color than you want. Keep applying coffee grounds and wiping them off until the wood turns the rich, wood brown you want.

Pro tip: It’s always a good idea to try this out on a less visible patch first to make sure you can get the tone you want.

8. Toss them on plant roots

Acid-loving plants thrive with your coffee grounds. Plants such as lily of the valley, blueberries, carrots, radishes, hydrangeas, rhododendrons and azaleas will love when you leave coffee grounds on the soil at their base. Be careful where applying them because coffee grounds can actually inhibit growth of some plants. Ask your nursery plant specialist about your specific plant needs.

9. Compost your grounds

An abundance of nutrients makes coffee grounds an incredibly valuable addition to your compost bin. Over time, microorganisms will go to work turning your grounds into super rich and nutritious soil for your garden. Sunset Magazine offers a full explanation of how coffee grounds break down to add nutrients to your soil, as well as instructions on how to put them to use.

10. Repel slugs, cats and rabbits

Seattle grocer Puget Consumer Coop suggests that if you sprinkle coffee grounds in your garden, you’ll have fewer slugs. If you’re growing lettuce, spinach or even strawberries (some of the slug’s favorite foods), this is definitely worth a try. More good news for your garden: Some also say that the smell of coffee grounds will repel cats and rabbits as well.

11. Eliminate smells

Save your baking soda for that next batch of cookies. Food & Wine recommends baking your used grounds to dry them, then keeping a cup of them in your refrigerator to absorb smells and act as a deodorizer. You can also use them to eliminate odors in other areas of your home. One idea is to put them in a low, flat plastic container with several small holes in it. Leave the container inside your garbage can beneath the garbage bag, or under a seat in your car.

Can you reuse coffee grounds to brew coffee?

Hand pouring coffee grounds

When you’re prepping for the next pot of coffee, it can be tempting to use the old coffee grounds. In reality, that second time around isn’t going to give you the same flavor, aroma, or caffeine content that you’re used to. The brewing method doesn’t make a difference, either. 

Regardless if you use a coffee maker, French press, or Bulletproof Original Coffee Pods in a drip brewer—reusing coffee grounds will make your next cup of coffee taste like water with a hint of coffee flavor. Fresh coffee grounds are always the way to go in order to get that perfect cup of joe. Fresh grounds = fresh coffee!

We’re all trying our best to find ways to reuse and recycle. Try these tips and feel even better about your morning cup of coffee. Next, find out how to choose coffee beans that taste delicious.

Join the Bulletproof Revolution

Sign up for early access to sales, product launches, the latest Bulletproof news and more!

Statements made on this website have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Products sold on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Information provided by this website or this company is not a substitute for direct, individual medical treatment or advice. It is the responsibility of you and your healthcare providers to make all decisions regarding your health. Bulletproof recommends that you consult with your healthcare providers regarding the diagnosis and treatment of any disease or condition.

About Molly Apel

Molly Apel writes about health and business-tech trends from an island near Seattle, WA. Her work appears on sites like Bulletproof, Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Microsoft and Amazon. She is a cancer survivor, aspiring health nut, free-range mother and an organic farmer. She is usually outside, in the rain, exploring the outdoors.

References

[1] https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/343174
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6276298/
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4924417/
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4924417/

TAGS

CoffeeCoffee BeansGround Coffee

Related Bulletproof

Person brewing coffee with pourover method
The Ultimate Guide to Coffee Brewing Methods
The High Achiever Coffee bag next to a pour over
Enhanced Coffee: What is it and Why Should I Drink it?
Bulletproof The Original coffee, Brain Octane Oil and butter on countertop by cup of black coffee
Bulletproof Coffee Guide: Tips, Tricks, Recipes & More
Bulletproof Ground Coffee product line on counter with cup of hot coffee
Coffee Anatomy 101: How Are Coffee Beans Made?
Sign up today & save 15%
SHOP
  • Coffee
  • MCT Oils
  • Proteins
  • Supplements
  • Other
  • All Products
Learn
  • Bulletproof for Beginners
  • Recipes
  • Newsletters & Guides
  • Bulletproof Blog
  • Books
CUSTOMER CARE
  • Contact Us
  • Shipping Policy
  • Return Policy
  • Accessibility Policy
COMPANY
  • About Us
  • Press
  • Careers
  • Customer Reviews
  • Rewards
  • Give $15, Get $15
PARTNERS
  • Store Locator
  • Wholesale
  • Ambassador Program
  • Affiliate Program
Discover What Better Feels Like
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

†Statements made on this website have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Information provided by this website or this company is not a substitute for individual medical advice. | ©Bulletproof 360, Inc. 2013–2023

  • Privacy Policy|
  • Terms|
  • Reseller Policy|