Banish Kitchen Odors With Your Leftover Coffee Grounds

Food waste and unwanted odors are two of the most common kitchen problems that home cooks face. We can't help you completely eliminate food waste (though we do recommend that you start a home compost), but there is a way to reduce it while also dealing with the odor issue: Instead of throwing away your used coffee grounds, repurpose them to fight stinky smells. Caffeine has nitrogen, which has been proven to effectively absorb odors. And since coffee emits a pleasant fragrance of its own, it simultaneously eliminates bad smells and gives your kitchen a delicious aroma.

The best part is that you don't need fresh coffee for this method to be effective. After all, you don't want to waste food just to get rid of certain smells. This is why used coffee grounds are perfect. All you have to do is dry them and place them in a bowl. If you're not pressed on time, you can leave them in a warm place or under direct sunlight to dry. Otherwise, spread them in a baking sheet and put them in the oven until they have no moisture left. Once dried, place the grounds on a bowl or a lidless jar that can go in the corner of your fridge, near the garbage can, or in other places that are susceptible to less-than-ideal smells. You'll only have to replace the grounds every couple of months, making this method easy and convenient.

There are also ways to use coffee grounds in other spaces in the kitchen. For instance, they're great for doing away with persistent smells that stay in your microwave even after you've cleaned it. It wouldn't be practical to constantly have a bowl of coffee grounds inside of your microwave. Instead, you can fill half a cup with water, add two tablespoons of coffee grounds, and heat the cup in the microwave for about a minute. This should be enough to neutralize odors. If you find that the smell still clings to the inside of your microwave, try using this technique for a little longer, or do it several times throughout the day.

Home cooks can also take advantage of coffee's odor-eliminating properties to get food smells off of their hands. When you're cooking fish, garlic, or other smelly foods, rub your hands with coffee grounds as you're washing them. You'll find that you no longer have to stay the whole day with stinky hands. As a plus, the grounds will also exfoliate your hands and leave them feeling smooth. It's a win-win situation! There really is no reason for coffee grounds to ever be wasted. They're one of the most effective solutions for even the worst smells in your kitchen.