Tuesday's Tip! Other uses for Coffee Grounds!

 Coffee! Though I don't drink the stuff, most people depend on it to get their day started, but what happens to all those coffee grounds?  When we throw coffee grounds into the garbage they break down and release methane.  Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 20 times more powerful than CO2. Lucky for us there are lots of ways to put them to good use and keep them out of landfills.  Coffee grounds can be useful for beauty, cleaning, and even in the garden.  Here are a few ideas on how to reuse coffee grounds.

TIP: If you plan on hanging on to the grounds for a little while before using them you want to dry them out so they don't get moldy. To do this just spread a thin layer on a cookie sheet and place in a sunny spot 

• Of course you can compost them.
• Use as fertilizer for acid-loving plants such as tomatoes, carrots, roses, azaleas & blueberries.
• Try storing them in your refrigerator and freezer instead of baking soda to eliminate odors.
• Keep out ants by sprinkling some grounds where they enter.
• Fill an old sock full of dried coffee grounds & insert into a smelly pair of shoes to eliminate of the stink. 
•  After dicing onions and garlic you can scrub your hands with old coffee grounds to get the smell off of your skin. 
• You can mix them with mashed avocados for a organic facial mask. 
• Keep those pesky neighborhood cats out of your garden by sprinkling a small amount around beds or pots.
•  For those of you with dark hair, you can massage them into your scalp to prevent dandruff.
• You can use them to exfoliate your skin.
• Use them as a chemical free way to scour away grease on your pots and pans.
• Steep them in hot water to make an all natural brown fabric dye
• If you are crafty you can give paper an “aged” look by dipping it in water that has soaked overnight with coffee grounds.
• You can make an at home anti-cellulite scrub using 5 tsp. ground coffee, 1 tsp. sugar or salt & 2 tsp. essential oil. Apply with your hand or a loofah in a circular motion, leave on five minutes and then wash off.

Tip: You can dry out used coffee grounds and mix them with fresh grounds to make coffee with them one more time!

Do you have more ideas on how to reuse coffee grounds?