The Frugal Duchess: Recovering My Frugal Groove: Fertilizer from Starbucks, Cheap Anti-Cellulite Cream & Other Uses for Coffee Grounds

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Fertilizer from Starbucks, Cheap Anti-Cellulite Cream & Other Uses for Coffee Grounds

Who Knew? Coffee grounds are good for home repairs, gardening, and beauty. Here are a few tips that I've collected, including tips that I've tried or heard about from a friend.

My latest ode to coffee was inspired by the October 1, 2007 issue of First for Women magazine.

1. Plant food: Dump used coffee grounds on plants. A grandmother of one my friend's always did this with her old coffee and tea grounds. Used grounds "refreshen soil elements," according to First magazine. A thin coat over dirt helps to fertilize your garden and "precipitation will release nitrogen from the coffee grounds into the soil," the magazine reports. This also enhances new plant growth.

You can also get free used grounds from some Starbucks cafes.

2. Meat tenderizer: First offers a recipe that calls for coffee grounds as a "tasty marinade."
I eat mostly vegetarian, but I will try this recipe when we have steak.

a. Mix in a bowl: 1/3 cup of coffee grounds and 1/3 cup of pepper (coarsely grounded)
b. Lather steaks in olive oil
c. Dip steaks in coffee mix
d. Refrigerate steaks for half-hour before grilling.

The reasoning behind the seasoning: "The tannic acids in the coffee break down tough muscle fibers to make the meat more tender," the magazine reports. Also the coffee beefs up the flavor in the meat

3. Hair dye: Yes, I have tried this and yes, it sort-of works. Cooled coffee, when poured over the hair, actually deepens hair color. After my coffee treatment, my hair was richer, darker and java-scented.

Here's is the First recipe:

1/4 cup of coffee grounds
3 cups of hot water
steep the coffee in the water
Let it cool!
Dump the coffee (strained?) over your hair
Let it sit for a few minutes
Rinse your hair with warm water

Here's how it works: The "tannins" in the coffee serve as a natural hair dye: "This dark dye also conceals gray hair between touch-ups."--source: First magazine.

4. Prevent clogged drains. (Disclaimer: This procedure is not recommended for pipes that are fully clogged or backed up.)

1/2 cup of used coffee grounds
4 cups of warm water
pour the grounds into the drain
use this procedure once a week to prevent clogged sink pipes.

The process: "As the grounds move through the tubes, friction against the internal walls dislodges stuck food to keep the pipes clear and running smoothly." source: First

Other uses for coffee grounds:

eliminates/reduces odors in refrigerators: On a bottom shelf, leave a bowl of filtered coffee grounds in your frig over night.
furniture repair: Mix 2 tablespoons of coffee grounds in four ounces of hot water. Let it sit for five minutes. Using a cotton swap, apply the coffee mix to nicks in dark furniture. "The tannins in coffee act as a dye to darken scratches, making the marks less obvious," First reports.
cellulite cream: apply this mixture to dimpled skin: 1/2 cup of used or fresh coffee grounds and 2/3 cup of olive oil. Massage this coffee-olive oil paste into your cellulite patches for 2 minutes before rinsing with warm water. For tight skin, take this action twice a week. The How: The coffee with caffeine "dehydrates fat cells." The rough texture exfoliates the skin! Hmmmm?