Can coffee really work for cleaning? Professional cleaners reveal everything you need to know about this all-natural solution

You might have heard professional cleaners touting coffee grounds as a brilliant, natural way to clean, but how effective are they?

In a time when we're all looking to be more sustainable and seeking out ways to reuse and repurpose common household items, you've likely come across tips for reusing coffee grounds in the garden, but less so about repurposing them indoors.

Here, I spoke to professionals for their cleaning tips on getting more out of your morning brew.

How to use coffee grounds to clean around the home

1. Scrubbing pans

One of the main spots where coffee can come in handy is when cleaning a kitchen. For example, says Karina Toner, cleaning expert and operations manager at Spekless, suggests that you can reuse coffee grounds to clean pans, which works as a natural degreaser.

Simply mix two to three teaspoons of coffee grounds with warm, soapy water, and scrub the pans with a soft sponge, such as the Great Value Non-Scratch Scrub Sponges available at Walmart. She explains, 'Coffee grounds are mildly abrasive and help scrub away stuck-on food without harsh chemicals.'

While this hack works well, it doesn't perform as well as the tried-and-tested baking soda and vinegar method of cleaning burnt pots and cleaning burnt pans.

2. Banishing bad odors in the kitchen

'The strong aroma of coffee grounds can help neutralize unpleasant odors in your kitchen,' explains Mimi Nguyen, founder of Cafely. 'I like to place small bowls of used grounds in areas like the refrigerator, freezer, or even in closets and drawers to absorb unwanted smells.'

We suggest using a small, decorative bowl for this, such as the Kori Ramekin available at Anthropologie, for a stylish solution that won't interrupt your decor.

You can also use coffee combined with salt to deodorize a fridge, which works in a similar way to the baking soda hack for closets. Just make sure that any coffee grounds are thoroughly dry, to avoid them becoming a breeding ground for mold and mildew.

3. Cleaning surfaces

You can also remove stubborn stains and clean kitchen tiles or clean tile floors with coffee, by mixing a few teaspoons with soapy water and applying it directly to stains with a soft sponge or cloth, such as the Great Value Multipurpose Microfiber Cleaning Cloth available at Walmart.

'The grit in grounds helps lift grease from stovetops or counters, but avoid on porous or easily scratched materials,' advises Karina. This would include natural stones such as marble.

4. Cleaning wooden furniture and reducing scratches

You may have seen some videos circulating online claiming that coffee grounds can be used to clean furniture and reduce the appearance of scratches on wood surfaces, notably wooden countertops and dining room tables. It's not an urban myth.

The method is straightforward: Apply moist coffee grounds to the scratched area and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes. Buff them away with a cotton rag, and once the area is fully dry, apply a layer of clear wood sealant such as Wood Master's Secret from Walmart.

While this doesn't remove scratches, it will do a good job of naturally staining the area, so that you barely notice them. 'When rubbed into small scratches, damp grounds darken the wood, making marks less noticeable,' says Karina, and it works well if you prefer to thrift vintage furniture for your home.

The only caveat is that this won't work very well on light wood – in those instances, you're better off using a professional stain, or lightly sanding and resealing the area to remove surface-level scratches.

What to shop

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

FAQs

Can you pour coffee grounds down the sink?

In general, it's advised against pouring coffee grounds directly down the sink or garbage disposal, says Mimi from Cafely.

'While small amounts may not cause immediate issues, larger quantities can potentially clog pipes or accumulate in the disposal over time. Instead, I recommend composting them or incorporating coffee grounds into your houseplant soil to enrich the nutrient content,' as coffee grounds are good for plants.

Meet the expert

Karina Toner

With extensive contributions in Homes & Gardens, Real Homes, The Spruce, and many more, professional cleaner Karina has extensive knowledge of both commercial and residential cleaning. She also loves using natural cleaning solutions in her own home. Spekless is based in the Washington D.C. region.

There are a number of other kitchen items you should never throw out, instead reusing them, such as glass jars and old towels.