Every green gardener knows that coffee grounds infuse your soil with nutrients, but with the amount you drink, more ends up going to waste than being salvaged. Fortunately there are plenty of other ways to save your grounds from the dumpster!

You know that fancy exfoliating scrub you’ve been hankering after? Don’t bother shelling out cash to scrub away dead skin cells. Just massage your face with coffee grounds instead for a radiant glow.

Speaking of overpriced beauty products, coffee grounds can also be used in place of costly conditioning treatments for soft and shiny locks. Just work them into wet hair and rinse.

This grooming method can be applied to your pets, as well – and coffee is known to keep fleas away from your furry friends.

Skip the day spa and mix coffee grounds with egg whites for an inexpensive skin-tightening facial mask.

To avoid wasting electricity, you retrieve refrigerator and freezer items with record speed. Or maybe it’s because of that unknown odor emanating from within. If that’s the case, just stash a bowl of dried coffee grounds inside to eliminate the mystery stench.

Unpleasant smells aren’t limited to your freezer – your gym shoes have been known to do a number on your closet after a vigorous workout. Allow coffee grounds to dry, pour them into a satchel made from snagged nylons and hang this recycled deodorizer in your closet to neutralize the soggy stink.

You have a tongue for bold flavors and a penchant for preparing exotic meals. But, the pungent aroma of these zesty dishes tends to linger on your hands long after they’ve been digested. No problem! Just scrub them with coffee grounds.

Sometimes, a sponge and a little elbow grease isn’t enough to scrape food remnants off your dishes, so scour them with some coffee grounds. This resourceful method can be used to clean surfaces as well.

You can even make your own homemade brown dye for paper and fabrics. Similar to making tea, all you have to do is boil a pot of water, take it off the burner, pour in coffee grounds and let them steep.

This process can also be used to cover up scratches on wood furniture. Use a cotton swab to apply this quick fix liquid with more precision.

If you have an ant infestation, scatter coffee grounds around problem areas to repel them naturally.

Instead of inhaling or wearing the majority of the ashes you clear out of your fireplace, sprinkle a layer of coffee grounds over them first to reduce the mess.

For more ways to reuse your coffee grounds, visit Green Daily.

Image: Ayelie