<p>They are very good as de-odourizers, we use them in the kitchen and sometimes in a small perforated plastic container in the footwell of the backseats in our car.</p>

<p>The fragrant smell lasts a long time also surprisingly.</p>

<p>Also it seems to be useful in <a href="http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20593892_21157301,00.html">fridges</a> too.</p>

<p>That <a href="http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20593892,00.html">link</a> lists the following:</p>

<ol>
<li>Deodourize fridge</li>
<li>As a scouring agent</li>
<li>A cheap varnisher</li>
<li>Dye for paper</li>
<li>Promoting Hydrangea health</li>
<li>Ash absorber</li>
<li>Exfoliant</li>
<li>Cockroach trap</li>
<li>Fortifying plants</li>
<li>Compost</li>
</ol>

<p>So the above is quite a good list of uses that could be applicable for your situation</p>

<p>I just found <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicaprobus/amazing-things-you-can-do-with-coffee-grounds#.ti79OEBK3G">34 uses here</a> too, I have to say though that using ground coffee as a method for salting a path didn't work for me.</p>

<p>Additonal uses:</p>

<ol start="11">
<li>slug killer</li>
<li>mushroom grower</li>
<li>carrot and radish feed</li>
<li>worm attractor</li>
<li>cat deterrant (this didn't work for me)</li>
<li>play doh dirt</li>
<li>make a pin cushion</li>
<li>garbage disposal cleaner</li>
<li>drain cleaner</li>
<li>add weathering to wood</li>
<li>meat tenderizer</li>
<li>make energy bites</li>
<li>egg dyeing</li>
<li>coffee candle</li>
<li>make fossils</li>
<li>treasure stones</li>
<li>paint</li>
<li>flea bath</li>
<li>remove build up from hair</li>
<li>eye bag remover</li>
<li>deodorizing salt</li>
<li>salt scrub</li>
<li>face mask</li>
<li>path/road ice melter</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-10T03:46:36.763Z
Yes, cockroaches are attracted to coffee grounds. 
Geremia
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-28T21:06:59.120Z
Anecdotally, #15 cat deterrent has been working wonders for me. (We have a stray cat problem, but since I started sprinkling the grounds in strategic spots, they've been preferring my neighbor's yard.) Also worked great for some of our plants, but simply *magic* for my pomegranate tree - fruits have never been this sweet and succulent.
AviD
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-28T21:07:20.750Z
@Mayo cheers I thought it'd be useful to add what I've actually used from this list too rather than just only repeating what's on the link also, reproducing it avoids link rot
EdChum
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-28T21:08:01.883Z
@AviD maybe I'm using the wrong roast ;)
EdChum
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-28T21:09:15.153Z
@EdChum maybe I'm using the wrong cats ;-)
AviD
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-28T20:14:36.473Z
2015-01-28T20:32:27.423Z
2015-01-28T20:32:27.423Z
EdChum
<p>Roaches love coffee. For someone living in a city a roach trap seems like a good solution (but I wouldn't recommend it from personal experience). I wouldn't use coffee grounds as fertilizer in house plants either for the same reason (see below).</p>

<p>I live in NYC and roaches are a problem. The last thing you want is for roaches to tell their friends in neighboring apartments that YOUR apartment is a good place to find yummy things.  You may be killing them but you'll be attracting them faster than you can kill them. </p>

<p>It didn't work for me. It may, however, be an excellent solution in a single family detached house in which one brought roaches in with the groceries. In that scenario you have a given amount of roaches and when they're gone - the problem is gone.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-28T20:29:22.253Z
2015-01-28T20:29:22.253Z
Mayo
<p>This may sound a bit insane, but I've known ladies who will take the old grounds and, with the help of plastic wrap, apply them to cellulite trouble areas.  It's only a temporary fix, but if it's something that bothers you, it's good for at least a night out.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-13T13:19:12.453Z
Oh wow. Welcome to Coffee SE!
Ivan Kapitonov
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-13T13:35:56.950Z
Thanks!  I just throw them on my plants as a fertilizer, but that only takes care of _some_ of them given the amount of coffee I consume daily.
Liss
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-13T12:22:47.517Z
2015-10-13T12:22:47.517Z
Liss
<p>I'm aware that coffee grounds can be great for composting, but living in a large city makes that more difficult than I'd prefer. </p>

<p>With every cup of coffee comes a bunch of soggy grounds that I normally throw away shortly after. Are there any constructive uses for spent grounds, be it culinary, cleaning, or scent related?</p>

<ground-coffee>
Use for old grounds?
LowlyDBA - John M
# Use for old grounds?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-01-28)

I'm aware that coffee grounds can be great for composting, but living in a large city makes that more difficult than I'd prefer.

With every cup of coffee comes a bunch of soggy grounds that I normally throw away shortly after. Are there any constructive uses for spent grounds, be it culinary, cleaning, or scent related?

**Tags:** ground-coffee


---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-01-28. Score: 14 | Accepted answer

They are very good as de-odourizers, we use them in the kitchen and sometimes in a small perforated plastic container in the footwell of the backseats in our car.

The fragrant smell lasts a long time also surprisingly.

Also it seems to be useful in [fridges](http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20593892_21157301,00.html) too.

That [link](http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20593892,00.html) lists the following:

1. Deodourize fridge
2. As a scouring agent
3. A cheap varnisher
4. Dye for paper
5. Promoting Hydrangea health
6. Ash absorber
7. Exfoliant
8. Cockroach trap
9. Fortifying plants
10. Compost

So the above is quite a good list of uses that could be applicable for your situation

I just found [34 uses here](http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicaprobus/amazing-things-you-can-do-with-coffee-grounds#.ti79OEBK3G) too, I have to say though that using ground coffee as a method for salting a path didn't work for me.

Additonal uses:

11. slug killer
12. mushroom grower
13. carrot and radish feed
14. worm attractor
15. cat deterrant (this didn't work for me)
16. play doh dirt
17. make a pin cushion
18. garbage disposal cleaner
19. drain cleaner
20. add weathering to wood
21. meat tenderizer
22. make energy bites
23. egg dyeing
24. coffee candle
25. make fossils
26. treasure stones
27. paint
28. flea bath
29. remove build up from hair
30. eye bag remover
31. deodorizing salt
32. salt scrub
33. face mask
34. path/road ice melter

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Anecdotally, #15 cat deterrent has been working wonders for me. (We have a stray cat problem, but since I started sprinkling the grounds in strategic spots, they've been preferring my neighbor's yard.) Also worked great for some of our plants, but simply *magic* for my pomegranate tree - fruits have never been this sweet and succulent.  
> **username_1**: @username_4 cheers I thought it'd be useful to add what I've actually used from this list too rather than just only repeating what's on the link also, reproducing it avoids link rot  
> **username_1**: @username_3 maybe I'm using the wrong roast ;)  
> **username_3**: @username_1 maybe I'm using the wrong cats ;-)  
> **username_2**: Yes, cockroaches are attracted to coffee grounds.   

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-01-28. Score: 5

Roaches love coffee. For someone living in a city a roach trap seems like a good solution (but I wouldn't recommend it from personal experience). I wouldn't use coffee grounds as fertilizer in house plants either for the same reason (see below).

I live in NYC and roaches are a problem. The last thing you want is for roaches to tell their friends in neighboring apartments that YOUR apartment is a good place to find yummy things. You may be killing them but you'll be attracting them faster than you can kill them.

It didn't work for me. It may, however, be an excellent solution in a single family detached house in which one brought roaches in with the groceries. In that scenario you have a given amount of roaches and when they're gone - the problem is gone.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2015-10-13. Score: 2

This may sound a bit insane, but I've known ladies who will take the old grounds and, with the help of plastic wrap, apply them to cellulite trouble areas. It's only a temporary fix, but if it's something that bothers you, it's good for at least a night out.

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: Oh wow. Welcome to Coffee SE!  
> **username_5**: Thanks!  I just throw them on my plants as a fertilizer, but that only takes care of _some_ of them given the amount of coffee I consume daily.  

---

