Many people enjoy a hot caffeinated beverage in the morning or a cold, bubbly cola in the afternoon, not just for the taste, but for the caffeine pick-me-up. But those caffeinated drinks can do more than just put a perk in your step. They can clean everything from your windows to your floors. Check out these simple and—perhaps—unexpected ways to clean with caffeine.
Clean Your Toilet with Coke
Cut through nasty lime scale buildup—no traditional cleaners needed. That’s right—a can of Coke is all you need to clean your toilet. Just pour a can into the bowl and allow it to sit overnight. Use a toilet brush as you normally would, and flush several times to wash away scale—and any leftover sugar, of course.
Make Your Windows Shine with Black Tea
The tannic acid in black tea dissolves dirt and grease, making it a simple and accessible cleaning agent. Brew a batch of strong black tea by pouring about 8 ounces of boiling water into a bowl with 3 bags of black tea. Let steep until it is completely cooled. Then, pour it into a spray bottle and set it to work.
Freshen Your Fridge with Coffee
If your fridge is getting funky, set a bowl of fresh coffee grounds inside it to absorb the odors. It may also make you crave a cup of Joe when you open the door to grab a snack, but that’s better than smelling rotten eggs or fish, is it not?
Refresh Finished Floors with Tea
Next time you mop your hardwood floors, try a spot of tea. Steep a large batch and allow it to cool. Apply to the floor with a lightly damp mop or rag. The tannins in the tea remove dirt and grime while softening the look of scratches and dings. As with any floor cleanser, be sure to first test a small, inconspicuous spot to ensure the results you want.
Remove Paint & Rust on Hardware
Rehabbing an old dresser or door? Remove old paint or rust from the hardware in a flash by dropping handles, knobs, and hinges into a glass of Coke. Let it sit for 24 hours, then simply wipe away the leftover gunk with a stiff brush and rinse.
Clean Your Grill Grates with Coffee
Your leftover morning coffee could making cleaning the grill after dinner a snap. Just soak the grates in full strength coffee for about an hour, then brush away cooked-on grime and rinse.
Deodorize Your Carpets
If your carpets stink, sprinkle them with dry tea leaves. Allow the tea to sit for 20 minutes or more to absorb the odors. Then vacuum as you regularly do.
Scrubbing pans
The coarse texture of ground coffee makes it ideal for scrubbing those hard-to-clean pans – and is much better for the environment than abrasive sponges. All you need to do is combine two to three teaspoons of ground coffee with warm, soapy water, and scrub the pans with a soft sponge until clean. Coffee is a natural degreaser, so your pans will be spotless in no time.
Fridge and bin smells
Looking to banish lingering food smells? Kitchen bins and fridges are a magnet for bacteria, but coffee is another great secret ingredient that can help banish bad smells for good.
To try this at home, all you need to do is place coffee grounds or a few beans in a cup in your fridge. Coffee is a great absorber of odors, so it can be used to keep your fridge smelling fresh. The same can be done with your bin; simply place a teaspoon of coffee at the bottom before you put in the bin bag and any bad odors will fade.
Cleaning surfaces
“Coffee is also great for removing hard-to-clean stains from tiles — mix a few teaspoons of instant coffee or used grounds with soapy water and you’ll have your very own surface cleanser,” says Polly.
“This method can also be used on wooden surfaces that have scratches – soak a spoonful of coffee with warm water and gently rub it on the surface. This will minimize the appearance of scratches and stains.”
Exfoliate Your Skin
The coarse particles in coffee grounds work as an exfoliating agent to help remove dirt and dead cells from the skin.
Simply mix coffee grounds with a little bit of water or coconut oil and scrub them with your hands directly onto your face and body.
Coffee grounds can also be mixed with a small amount of honey and used as an exfoliating lip scrub.
What’s more, the caffeine in coffee grounds has potent antioxidant properties that can help protect the skin from sun damage.
It can also increase blood flow, which aids in overall skin health
Clean Your Fireplace
Cleaning ashes from a wood-burning fireplace can be an incredibly messy task.
By scattering used coffee grounds over the ashes, you can weigh them down and prevent smoke clouds from forming.
This not only makes the ashes easier to remove, but it also keeps dust from escaping and traveling to other parts of the room.
Prevent Microwave Food Splatter
Most people use paper towels to cover their food in the microwave to prevent splatters inside the microwave but that can be a tricky proposition if you’re heating cheesy food since the paper towel can disintegrate and get stuck to the food. Coffee filters present an alternative option that won’t leave you eating paper towel remnants.
