5 ways to clean your house using coffee grounds

How to re-use your coffee grounds for spring cleaning 

Remember all of the house cleaning projects you said you'd tackle in the spring? Well, sorry to break it to you, folks — spring is officially here and it's time to literally dust off your spring to-do list. And while we can't help with procrastinating said to-do list, we have some tips to make it a little easier.

After you've finished your morning cup of coffee, think twice before throwing your coffee grounds away — instead, consider using them as a natural solution to cleaning some of the messiest kitchens. 

Lemon juice and vinegar are top of mind for those looking to use more natural products while cleaning, and coffee grounds are another great option for a way to keep your kitchen clean (and smelling great). 

Below, we outline a few cleaning tips about using coffee to clean your kitchen. 

[Photo credit: Nathan Dumlao via Unsplash]

Cleaning surfaces

Turns out strong coffee grounds are just as resourceful as downing a cup of strong coffee before a long day. Using coffee grounds to remove tough stains from tiles or other surfaces is easy — mix a few teaspoons of used grounds or instant coffee with warm, soapy water and use as a surface cleanser. 

PRO TIP: Be careful of what kind of surfaces you use on — especially if you have white tiles or materials that easily stain. This method works best on cleaning dirt, grime and stains out of tiles. 

Scrubbing pans 

We've all left a pan in the sink to "soak" — sometimes overnight or even days at a time — and it literally never makes it easier. Instead of scrubbing until your arms give out, try a few teaspoons of ground coffee with warm, soapy water and scrub with a soft sponge. The coarse texture of the grounds (and the fact that coffee is a natural de-greaser) will have your pans clean in no time. This method is also much better for the environment than using abrasive sponges (and will prevent ruining your pans).

Ridding kitchen smells

You know when you shop for candles you see tiny jars of coffee to help "cleanse your nasal palate"? It's because coffee is a fantastic absorber of odors. You can easily rid of lingering smells in your kitchen by drying out used coffee grounds and placing the grounds in a small bowl. Place that bowl in your fridge to limit odors there, or add some grounds to an empty garbage bag. Does this count as throwing your grounds away? Technically... yes. But placing dried grounds will help absorb odors as you fill your trash. 

You can also use fresh coffee grounds or whole beans for this, but... save that for brewing, duh.

Unblocking your sink

If your kitchen sink isn't draining, try pouring a few coffee grounds into the sink, followed by liquid dish soap and boiling water. The coarse texture of the coffee grounds, and their degreasing powers, will help remove tough blockages and remove odors at the same time. 

Disclaimer here: If you're on a septic tank system, we don't recommend this option. Please don't call us if your septic system backs up, because we warned ya. 

Cleaning your oven and grill

Coffee grounds can help remove dirt, grease and other grime from your grill and oven grates. Soak your grill grates for about an hour in a solution of warm water and a few spoonfuls of used coffee grounds. The stains should "melt" off, but make sure to lightly scrub and rinse at the end. 

Cleaning your house with used coffee grounds is a great way to limit coffee waste and to keep harsh chemicals out of your kitchen. Give these a try and let us know what you think! 

[Featured photo credit: Andrea Tummons via Unsplash]