The end of summer is here, and in all seriousness, I have officially begun planning my winter moisturizing regimen. Which is to say that, in conjunction with the single, beautifully variegated green-to-red leaf I saw on the ground today, I have to accept that winter is, at the very least, lurking in the distance.
I’m decidedly not a cold weather person and prefer to spend December through February in another climate, or else, inside with my windows plastic-wrapped. But in my quest to figure out how to have the mildest winter possible, I stumbled on a piece of advice that’s clever enough to make me look forward to putting on my winter coat and boots—that is, for as long as it takes me to try out this new winterizing technique.
Okay, here goes. You know how everyone says your leftover coffee grounds are great for composting and gardening? Well it’s true, plus they’re perfect if you’re looking for natural way to scour something greasy, whether that’s a kitchen pot, or your hands after changing the oil in your car. But once winter hits (and you know it's coming!), you should be saving your coffee grounds—so that you can throw them on the icy ground.
While your leftover coffee is no replacement for rock salt (or ice melt, which are two different things), your used-up grounds are good for adding extra traction to slippery sidewalks and steps. And though one pot’s worth of grounds might not seem like enough to make a difference, you can probably amass a decent supply of useful grit after a week or so of brewing.
Like sidewalk salt or sand, the coarse texture of ground coffee provides a safer surface to walk on than slippery ice. It also happens to be an existing part of your grocery list—which means that this cold weather utility won’t cost you any extra.
I should note that some sources would like to have us believe that the coffee grounds actually help the ice melt faster, which would be amazing, but this has sadly been debunked. Still, don’t let that stop you from using your leftover coffee grounds this winter instead of throwing them directly in the trash!
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Written by: Karen Lo
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65 Comments
A better use for grounds is sprinkling them on garden beds, even throughout the winter. I have a problem with slugs eating my plants and they hate the gritty grounds and strong smell. My plants love it too!
P.S. My compost area is fenced to keep my pets and wild animals out.
A cup of coffee grounds added to pot plants feeds them and perks them up.
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