I don't mean that you take your cup of coffee and sip it in the toilet room. I mean having coffee grounds in that place.
There is this cafe in Baguio City where I go to take a break in between my errands. One reason why I like this particular cafe is because it is in a mezzanine so the street noise is negligible. Aside from that, they provide wi-fi service for free. It is like Starbucks where you can "work" in there for as long as you want and they won't get your attention about it.
One thing that I noticed in this cafe is their toilet. Every time I used it, there was this container of brown powder on the toilet tank. I did not care at first but the last time I went there, my curiosity caught me. I pinched a little and rubbed between my fingers. I cannot make the texture. I smelled my fingers: coffee. The powder was fine so I thought it was instant coffee powder. What is this doing in a toilet? Why are they wasting coffee powder?
When I was about to leave, I had a quick chat with one of the crew members who was standing by the stairway to greet or thank incoming and outgoing customers. To start the conversation I asked what the brown powder in the toilet is.
She said coffee grounds. Coffee grounds are the granules or powder left-over after brewing coffee. By default, I thought these are nothing more but waste. I was wrong.
I asked why the grounds are in the toilet.
"To absorb bad odor, ma'am."
"Oh, yeah? The coffee grounds can do that?"
"Yes, ma'am. It is actually good at it."
I did not answer. She must have noticed that I was trying to absorb what she said. She continued.
"You can also put it in your room especially these rainy days. It will help absorb moisture to avoid molds from developing, especially when drying clothes."
"I can do that? Even for molds?" I asked. She confirmed.
I came home and searched the internet about coffee grounds. Indeed, it has many uses as I captured a summary on this photo.
Compost
The coffee grounds promote nitrogen which is good for plants. Just add the grounds on your compost pile.
Exfoliation
The caffeine in the coffee is said to be a stimulant that helps skin cells and promotes tighter skin. I need to try this!
Insect Repellent
Coffee is said to have diterpenes which is toxic to insects. You can sprinkle the grounds in your garden to drive insects away.
Fertilizer
Aside from the promotion of nitrogen like with the compost, sprinkling and mixing coffee grounds onto your garden soil can help improve aeration, drainage and water retention.
Cleaning and Deodorizing
The abrasive texture of the grounds can help in cleaning stains on pots, pans or other surfaces. The nitrogen content of the coffee is also highly effective in eliminating bad odors in a room, refrigerator, or even smelly shoes. So there is where those grounds in the toilet come in!
Natural Dye
Coffee has strong color which can be used as natural dye on fabric and on hair. I thought this is also the reason why it can stain the teeth. So that is one thing to watch out for.
Ice Melter
Coffee has natural acidity which accelarates melting of ice. The article talks about melting of ice along the sidewalk during winter but it can also be applied in the kitchen.
There are more specific uses of coffee grounds as explained on the referred articles. I just find it amusing to learn these tips and make use of something I initially thought as already waste. So next time you brew your coffee, do not trash the grounds immediately. Make use of them and let me know how it went...
By the way, this painting is hanging on the toilet room wall. I am not sure what a madonna painting is doing in such a place. Maybe to have a better and more positive aura of the room other than waste.
