If you are like the rest of us- the avid coffee fanatics out there- then I am sure that you are dealing with a pile up of old coffee grounds every day after you polish off your morning cup of Joe. What you may want to know, however, is that there is a way to make use of all of the old coffee grounds that you are throwing out every single day as remnants of your coffee. Here are some creative tips on how to be an eco-friendly coffee drinker and start using and making the most out of your coffee leftovers.

1. Plant food: If you happen to be an expert gardener, then you will be happy to know that your garden can benefit from the coffee grounds that you normally dispose of. Feel free to dump your coffee grounds all over rose bushes, evergreens, and azaleas that will enjoy the acidity in the soil and the nutrients that your coffee grounds can give to them.
2. Insect repellent: If you are having issue with ants in your yard or any other area, then you can sprinkle old coffee grounds in that specific problem area and find that you be keeping the bugs away. It has also been shown that used coffee grounds are a wonderful protectant against snails and slugs- again, probably due to the acidity of the coffee grounds themselves.
3. Cleaning product: As you may have already noticed, coffee grounds are actually slightly abrasive so they can be a great method that you can use to scour areas where you are having issues with grease and grime. If you are dealing with a stubborn stain you cannot seem to get out, tapping into the exfoliating properties of coffee grounds will do just the trick for you.
4. Flea dip: It is one of the worst problems to have when your little pooch gets covered in fleas. To make sure that you are getting the most out of your dog’s flea shampoo, you can also rub him down with coffee grounds post-shampoo so that all fleas will flee immediately. The bonus is that your dog’s coat will fill soft to!
5. Cellulite reducer: This may seem like something that is too good to be true, but you must know that caffeine is actually a vasodilator which means that it constricts your blood vessels and tightens your skin. This may be an issue for you when you overdo it with caffeine as far how it affects your facial skin, but when you actually put used coffee grounds onto your areas of concern, you will see the difference. Basically all that you need to do is mix a small amount of warm coffee grounds with a little bit of olive oil and wrap up your problem area with plastic wrap so that the grounds can sit for several minutes. This is a delightful home remedy that will not let you down!

These are just a few of the great uses for recycling your daily coffee grounds and gaining a little more from the java that you so love. I find it amazing that coffee is not only something delicious that we all crave to drink, but it’s something that we can use for our everyday lives to give us that extra little help we need.