Why It Pays To Keep Used Coffee Grounds In Your Garage

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In our homes, we are all about reusing and recycling to decrease consumption and save money. On that note, who knew that our morning ( ... and/or all-day!) cup of joe could gain new life in several ways? You can use leftover coffee to make yummy overnight oats, but wait, there's more — you can also strategically place your used coffee grounds in your garage to soak up everyday icky stench. Less stink in our parking and storage space? Sign us up!

Coffee grounds contain nitrogen, which is nature's perfect deodorizer. You need not even waste fresh grounds on this hack; instead, you can spread your used ones on a baking sheet at 200 degrees to dry them out again. Then, place them in an open bowl or tie them up in an old nylon sock to stash as a sachet anywhere you might encounter gross odors like trash, wet dog, sweaty cleats, or motor oil. Think of them as a zero-cost equivalent to the baking soda box you keep in the back of your fridge. If you don't want to physically place the grounds in your garage, you can put them in a plastic spray bottle with water and squirt the resulting liquid anywhere that you have noticed less-than-savory smells, kind of like an all-natural Febreeze. And just in case you aren't completely sold on the magic of old coffee grounds, know that you might also be able to use them in your garage for basic pest control.

While it seems unlikely that you can repel ants in your kitchen with coffee grounds, you need not entirely give up on the idea of using them as a rudimentary garage insect deterrent. The strong smell of coffee, which is the same quality that sleepy humans adore, can be a major turn-off for bugs with a keen olfactory sense, like mosquitoes. The caffeine and diterpenes in coffee may be additionally useful in killing small bugs that make their way into your garage when it's open. Furthermore, insects with tender bellies may get irritated by physically crossing a barrier of coffee grounds, so they might turn away slugs or snails. 

Some users have found more success when they burn the coffee grounds to really heighten their aroma. Dry them out in a low-temp oven just like you would when it comes to odors, but allow them to begin to char. Then, you can scatter them along doorways or windows in your garage that are likely entry points for creepy crawlies.

Using coffee grounds around your home may seem too good to be true, but you have practically nothing to lose by trying it out. You already have the used grounds from your percolator and, worse case scenario, they don't work for you and you sweep them into a dustpan or throw away your bowl or sachets. If all else fails, coffee grounds are still the secret weapon to a better lawn.