Do Coffee Grounds Remove Odors? Why and How to Use It

by Editorial Staff | Updated on April 26th, 2023

When we get a hint of a foul smell that leaves our nose hair stinging, we all know the feeling or the drop in our stomach.

Table Of Contents

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Used coffee grounds to eliminate odors; does it work?
Why use perfectly good coffee?
How do you use coffee grounds as a deodorizer?
It reminds us of a simpler time
Conclusion

We might quickly grab a candle or use a spray that hides the odor instead of removing it. But, under the fragrance of lavender or pumpkin (or whatever candle you have), the horrible smell still lies in your wake, only waiting at any moment for a breakthrough.

The good news is that you no longer have to worry about simply masking the smell. You can easily remove foul odors. Apart from being one of the best drinks in the world after water, coffee grounds can also help eliminate those bad odors that cause us (mainly our nose) to reel.

From cigarette smoke to the vile smell of rotten eggs, coffee grounds have proven to be quite effective in ridding your home of those not-so-nice odors. It is powerful enough to neutralize the air and eradicate the tough odors from garbage cans or foods due to the strong scent that coffee omits.

Used coffee grounds to eliminate odors; does it work?

Have you ever heard the saying, strength in numbers? The same goes for using coffee grounds. To get out a bad smell, some people place their coffee grounds on dryer sheets (double-dose fragrance).

Putting the coffee grounds on the dryer sheets overnight is recommended for soaking up the odor. Then, the following day, the smell will be long gone, and your house will be back to smelling heavenly again.

Scientists have also found that it’s strong enough to fight off the scent of raw sewage while carbonizing coffee. In research to develop a novel, eco-friendly filter to remove toxic gases from the air, scientists at The City College of New York (CCNY) found that a material made from used coffee grounds can sop up hydrogen sulfide gas. This chemical makes raw sewage stinky.

Coffee is enriched with caffeine, which contains nitrogen, too. The nitrogen element cranks up the ability of carbon to absorb sulfur, a scent often associated with being foul and unbreathable, which can make your coffee grounds remove odors. It’s incredible to think that coffee is not just a beloved drink but one that can also be used to fight some of the worst odors on earth.

Why use perfectly good coffee?

You might wonder, why do you use perfectly good coffee grounds when there are products to combat bad odors specifically? Like Baking Soda or charcoal?

For one thing, it’s much cheaper to use coffee than to buy a cleaning product. In this case, coffee has dual purposes: a repellent for drink and odor. So why go out and buy something if you can take coffee? It can save you money and the trouble of using a product that may not work as you would like it to.

The best part is that they will do any coffee grounds. They should do the trick from Folgers to Maxwell House to remove leftover unpleasant odors.

You may hate breaking into a bag of your Starbucks coffee to get rid of a smell, but leaving a bag open for odor absorption shouldn’t hurt the flavor of the coffee grounds unless you spread it over a dryer sheet. You can also use coffee grounds from your fridge and microwave to neutralize bad odors.

How do you use coffee grounds as a deodorizer?

Here are a few ways to use coffee grounds to remove odors:

Don’t like wasting coffee? After you drink your coffee DIY Air Freshener

You can use used coffee grounds as a deodorizer. Spread the wet coffee grounds on a baking sheet in a thin layer once you’ve got your morning cup of Joe, and place them in a 250-degree oven until dry.

When done, you can store them in an open jar and place them anywhere there may be unpleasant odors (kitchen cabinets, refrigerator, toilet, next to the litter box). Then, let the grounds hang out and marvel at how much smell they consume!

Remove odors from your hands after cooking

Don’t you hate when you prepare something good to eat, but your hands stink of onions or garlic? Place some used coffee grounds in a sealed jar in your kitchen and brush over your hands when you’ve done cooking.

Coffee grounds are natural odor eliminators and will soon eliminate the odor. In addition, it acts as an exfoliant, leaving your hands feeling soft and smooth.

Use coffee grounds to get rid of the smell in your refrigerator

I’m Korean, so the refrigerator smelled like fermented death. I was always embarrassed to bring my non-Asian friends to my house because of this smell. Coffee grounds contain nitrogen, reducing heavy odors.

You can place a bowl of used grounds in your refrigerator to fight food odors.
Note: When your coffee grounds are moist, food smells will be replaced with a very intense coffee smell. The grounds will dry in the freezer, and the coffee scent will slowly disappear, leaving you with a fresh-smelling refrigerator.

Use coffee grounds for the smell to freshen up your drainage

Their odor-reducing qualities make used coffee grounds a special drain deodorizer. Use a teaspoon and put it down the drain, then add some boiling water afterward.

Note: NEVER use your coffee grounds to unblock drains. If your drain is blocked and you throw some ground into it, you’ll probably make things worse. Also, it’s not recommended to do so more than once or twice a month to stop blocking the drains.

Remove odor in your car

Have you ever stopped at a fast-food restaurant, and the next day, the smell lingers in your car? As much as I love a good burger, I hate smelling it long after I have eaten it the following day.

Just place some open coffee grounds in a level spot within your vehicle before running to pick an air freshener for your car. The coffee will absorb the smell of your fries and burger and replace it with a more neutralized smell, which is much more pleasant to those who enter your car.

If you go to a fragrance store, you’ll notice that most stores have coffee beans next to the colognes and perfumes. It helps cleanse your palate so you can try different fragrance samples and tell the difference between them.

Carpet deodorizer for pet odors

Please place them in a coffee filter using the dried coffee grounds in the oven. Then take a rubber band and tie the top closed, so the coffee grounds don’t spill. Depending on the pet stain’s size, making several “coffee filter balloons” would be beneficial to cover the whole area.

Then place the balloons in the coffee filter over the pet stain, let them sit overnight, and work their magic! You can throw them in the trash, or your compost pile, when you’re done.

Deodorize your carpet with coffee grounds

If the method above doesn’t work, try this method. Homes with kids or pets will recognize a filthy carpet. When you regularly vacuum, but the smell persists, it may be time for deeper cleaning.
Until splashing out on an expensive carpet cleaning unit, you should try the odor-removing powerhouse spent coffee grounds.

Here’s how to use coffee grounds to smell

You first want to dry the grounds by putting them in the fridge or freezer. Damp coffee grounds will make more mess, potentially staining the carpet.
When the used grounds are dry, sprinkle them on the carpet, especially in extra-smelly areas.
Let the coffee grounds work their magic for a few hours (or overnight, if possible), then use a strong vacuum cleaner to scrape them.

Your carpet will now be odor-free, aside from a time-fading coffee scent. Like other coffee cleaning processes, do not use dark grounds on light-colored carpets, even if dried. Your carpet is too risky to stain, so using another form is safer.

The kitchen and kitchenware: pots, pans, dishes, countertops

Coffee grounds are abrasive, so it’s naturally an excellent pot scrubber. Just place a few teaspoons of the grounds on the pan base and clean gently with a rag. The grounds agitate any burnt food and encourage removal.

The same applies to stubborn food trapped on plates and cups. However, be careful not to scratch the paint.

You can make a natural pad with your leftover coffee grounds. Just put the grounds in your cloth center and grab all four corners. Now, tie the corners with a rubber band. Voila, you now have an easy-to-make homemade scrubber to make light work on food.

Please remove your countertops by brushing them with used coffee grounds without chemicals. Then, use the method above to cover your kitchen surfaces.

Note: If you have light-colored countertops, check this method on a low, unseen area. Coffee grounds can stain any surface they touch. So check first unless you like a brown-stained work surface!
You should NOT do this on porous or absorbent products unless you want a coffee smell!

It reminds us of a simpler time

Using coffee to help with odors is an old-school method that resonates with those who like a homemade recipe versus an item purchased in the store. It takes you back to how they used to do things, making it from scratch using household items of everyday use.

If you want to try other notable household items that have also proven to be instrumental in facing repellent odors, check the following items in your cabinets: vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, and oats. All these items were highly spoken of when confronted with terrible lingering odors.

Conclusion

Most people are aware that coffee works to remove those unpleasant smells from our homes. It’s inexpensive, easy to use, and can still be used to brew your favorite beverage in the morning. Coffee once again shocks me with its countless applications.

“You’re a jack of all trades,” as the saying goes.

Coffee indeed exonerates this phrase in showing that one object can be used for multiple purposes. Try adding a few grounds to the soil. You can compost any extra ground. See what else you can do with leftover coffee.

Editorial Staff

The editorial staff at Crazy Coffee Crave is a team of coffee enthusiasts & Baristas who enjoy the one thing we all think about as soon as we get up in the morning. Trusted by thousands of readers worldwide.