Giving Grounds

Salt Spring Coffee • 02 December 2011

Next time you stop into one of our Coffee Houses, we want you to take home a little something coffee-related for your garden (or home) too: our used coffee grounds.

For a handful of years (and free of charge) we’ve been sending used coffee grounds home with our employees, customers and with green thumbs who want to put our leftover grounds to good use in their homes and gardens. And now, you can too!

No need to bring your own container either. The coffee grounds come pre-packaged in upcycled Salt Spring Coffee bags.

Here's a few tips on how you can you make the most of our used coffee grounds:

• Tip 1# - Add the coffee grounds to your compost. Coffee grounds help speed up the decomposition process and add trace minerals, like calcium, that may not have otherwise been present in your pile.

• Tip #2 - Used coffee grounds are a great all-natural fertilizer. Sometimes our gardens #needalift. Used coffee grounds are chalk full of nutrients like nitrogen, calcium and magnesium – which are great all natural, environmentally friendly fertilizers.

• Tip #3 - Keep pesky pests out of your garden. Put used coffee grounds around the perimeter of your garden (and potted plants) to help keep cats, slugs and ants away.

• Tip #4 - Fuel for your earthworms. To earthworms this stuff is about as good as it gets.

No garden? No worries. Coffee grounds can also be used in a number of cool 'do-it-yourself' home concoctions.

• Tip #5 - Deodorize the all-natural way. Rub a small amount of dry coffee grounds between your hands to get rid of food prep smells left by onions and garlic. Or, place dry coffee grounds in a bowl to deodorize your fridge or freezer.

• Tip #6 - Mask scratches in wood and dark leather furniture. Steep the coffee grounds in warm water (a French Press is perfect for this) and dab a bit of the coffee-infused liquid onto wood or dark leather furniture to help conceal scuff marks and scratches.

• Tip #7 - Scrub your tub. Used coffee grounds are slightly abrasive and work well as an earth-friendly, biodegradable cleaning agent. When it comes to tackling bathtub, sink and stovetop grease and grime used coffee grounds work like a charm.