Chances are, you are one of the millions of Americans who consume coffee every day. Perhaps, you get up every morning to grind your coffee beans for a smooth, delicious taste. Maybe you want to eliminate all the fuss and simply rely on your coffee maker to produce your golden brew. Both ways are great options and will make equally tasty beverages. However, either way, if you make a cup or pot each morning, throughout the week you are bound to collect enough grounds to feel a little guilty tossing them.

Whether you are striving to make green household changes or you simply want to find ways to cut down on household products and save on costs, reusing your grounds is a great way to do both! You just have to know what they are good for and how to use them for their different purposes.

Here are 15 different ways to reuse those old grounds around your house and yard. By learning these new uses and tricks, you will cut down on waste and the need for harsh chemical products. The latter will lead to both a healthier home environment, and cut the costs of cleaning and gardening products.

For the Garden

Your old coffee grounds needn’t be tossed out! Your morning’s coffee grounds are great for your flowers, plants, and veggies. Here are ways to use them in your garden:

1. Turn your blooms blue.

Some plants, like hydrangeas, change color depending on the pH level of the soil. Adding coffee grounds will reduce the pH level and turn the blooms bright blue.

2. Keep the slugs away.

Slugs and snails will not cross the ground if there’s coffee around. It is poisonous to them, so your old grounds will keep them from munching on the plants in your garden.

3. Increase your harvest.

If you plan to plant carrots and radishes in your garden, adding coffee grounds to the soil will not only keep away pests, but also increase the harvest.

4. Bring the worms on.

All gardeners know that worms are good for your soil. They fertilize it and turn the soil. Worms are attracted to coffee grounds, so add them to your garden beds and attract these helpful little creatures.

5. No cats allowed.

If a neighbor’s (or maybe you’re own) cat walks through your flowers, just put down coffee grounds and orange peels where you don’t want them to walk.

6. Naturally repel bugs.

Not only do the grounds keep slugs and snails off your plants, but if you sprinkle dry grounds along your home’s foundation or leave some on the porch or deck, you will keep the bugs away for the season.

7. Make fertilizer at home.

Mix ½ cup of grounds and warm water in a spray bottle. Use the mist, along with a sprinkling of the grounds in the soil, and you will have an all-natural fertilizer!

8. Amp up your compost pile.

If you have a compost pile, adding coffee grounds will give it much needed nitrogen to decompose.

Around the House

If you don’t have a garden, don’t worry! There are still plenty of uses for your old grounds around the house. Here are few tricks that are great for the kitchen, bathroom, and other areas of the house:

1. Wash your pans.

Have pots and pans that have tough, cooked-on stains? A few coffee grounds on a rag can help scrape those off. Just be sure to avoid using them on ceramic or other dishes that stain easily.

2. Clean your fireplace.

Sweeping up the ashes in your fireplace can become troublesome when the ashes form a dusty cloud. If you add some damp coffee grounds to the pile, you are able to sweep away without that cloud of dust.

3. Eliminate odors from onions and garlic.

When you chop onions and garlic, your fingers can carry that smell for some time. Keep a little cup of coffee grounds under or around your sink and rub a handful on your hands after chopping your garlic cloves or other smelly foods. The grounds will take away the odor.

4. Eliminate odors in your fridge and freezer.

Instead of baking soda, use a box of used coffee grounds to absorb those interesting fridge and freezer smells.

5. Unclog the drain.

Have clogged sinks and shower drains? With coffee grounds, boiling water, and a small amount of dish soap, you can unclog your drains.

6. Tenderize meat.

Using coffee grounds as a spice for a meat rub will tenderize it and add a smoky flavor. Just save the grind from your morning brew to help make dinner that night.

7. Remove scratches.

With just some oil, coffee grounds/instant coffee and Q-tips, you can mask those pesky little scratches in almost any shade of wood.