Don't Toss Those Coffee Grounds! Use Them To Fight Stubborn Kitchen Grease Stains Instead

Whether you are obsessed with your French press or are a drip coffee purist, odds are you throw away a lot of coffee grounds. While this isn't exactly an environmental hazard — covering your lawn in coffee grounds is actually a great fertilizer hack — these aromatic little granules are good for much more than just producing your morning cup of joe. In addition to the aforementioned hack to get a green and healthy lawn, there are many clever ways to reuse coffee grounds all over your home, including getting every part of your kitchen squeaky and sparklingly clean.

In particular, coffee grounds are an incredible degreasing agent because they're slightly abrasive. This is great news for avid home cooks, because if there's one thing all well-used kitchens have in common, it's grease. From oily stains on your oven backsplash and stovetop burners, to oils that migrated to your countertops and cabinets, kitchens are paradoxically places that are in a constant state of mess, but need to be clean to keep you safe from foodborne illness. 

Fortunately, coffee may also have antimicrobial properties, meaning you can use grounds to scrub away the stains while making your kitchen a bit less germy, as well. Just mix them with a touch of water to make a paste and use a soft sponge to work them into a stain or grimy spot. After some firm, steady elbow grease, the grounds should dissolve the oily mess enough that you can simply wipe everything clean.

Despite reports of coffee's possible germ-killing properties, you should always follow up areas and items cleaned with coffee grounds with kitchen-safe antimicrobial cleaners. The grounds themselves may eradicate some germs, but likely aren't strong enough to get rid of everything, so it's better to be safe than sorry. Following up with sprays or soaps also helps rid the area of any lingering gritty coffee grounds and wipes away any remaining oily residue. This helps prevent dust and grime from building back up in your kitchen too quickly.

Though making a pot of java every time you want to clean may provide a helpful pick-me-up, you can also save coffee grounds for future use, as long as you dry them out properly. Air-drying them or simply stuffing them in a container will cause them to mold, which is gross and destroys their usefulness. Instead, spread them out in a thin, single layer and dry them out in a warm oven or air fryer to ensure all moisture is evaporated before storing them in an airtight glass container.

Of course, once you've cleaned up all the greasy messes in your kitchen, you may find yourself with an overabundance of used coffee grounds. Fortunately, they also make a great body scrub to get your skin silky smooth, especially when mixed with coconut oil. You can also use spent coffee grounds to make delicious granola, sprinkle them around the foundations of your house to repel bugs and mice, or add them to homemade odor-eating sachets along with some baking soda.