September 13, 2013 | SharkAdmin Coffee is MAGICAL! Okay, that may be a little bit of an over statement, but I think it’s safe to say though that coffee is a staple of the morning ritual for many of us! But did you know that coffee can do so much more than just wake you up and jumpstart your day? Coffee grounds (and tea leaves) in their used “spent” form have a multitude of useful purposes around your home and office. Here are just a few: Sprinkle some used coffee grounds into the soil of your acid loving plants—roses, azaleas, rhododendrons, evergreens, hydrangeas and camellias are all acid-loving plants. The grounds add natural acidity and nutrients to boost their health and growth. Coffee grounds can make it simpler to clean your fireplace. Sprinkle the fireplace ashes with dampened coffee grounds before cleaning. This eliminates the clouds of dust by weighing down the ashes. This whole mess can then be tossed into your compost pile! Keep cats out of your garden by sprinkling a mixture of orange peels and used coffee grounds around your plants. No more kitty messes in the garden! Encourage carrot growth in your garden. Although it may be a little late in the gardening season for this one, you can boost your carrot harvest by mixing seeds with dried coffee grounds before you plant them. The bulkiness of the coffee grounds and seeds makes it easier to manage the tiny seeds of the carrots and the coffee repels pests and nourishes the soil. You can soften dry skin. Make an exfoliating body scrub by mixing together coffee grounds, coconut oil and a little brown sugar. Scrub, rinse, ahhhh..enjoy the softness. “But what if I don’t drink coffee in the morning and enjoy tea instead?” you ask. Well, don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about you tea drinkers. Used tea bags and tea leaves have a multitude of uses after you’ve enjoyed their elegant aroma and flavor in your morning cup. Cooled tea bags can relieve bug bites and minor burns. For overall skin irritations, soak in a bath of spent tea leaves. Movie stars of bygone eras put cool tea bags on their eyes to look more vibrant on the big screen, and with good reason! The tannins in tea have anti-inflammatory effects and can help to reduce puffy eyes and swelling after late nights of filming (or working or studying). Green tea is especially high in nitrogen and can ward off pests and insects in your houseplants. Add old tea leaves to the water when you hydrate your plants. When potting plants, add some used tea bags on top of the drainage layer at the bottom of the planter before adding soil. The tea bags will help to retain water and will also leach nutrients into the potting medium. You can also use dried spent green tea bags or leaves in a small open bowl in the refrigerator to absorb odors if you’re out of baking soda. So, remember to save those sacred grounds and leaves the next time you are enjoying your morning cup of joe or…tea (I don’t know any slang for tea) and try one of these easy ways to put them to good use! Contributed by NVC Staff Sabrina Carey
