You’d expect to find coffee grounds on the kitchen counter or tucked away in the pantry. It’s not unusual to see a few different kinds lined up in a coffee nook, maybe even alongside instant coffee for iced drinks. But coffee in your bedroom closet? Well, that idea is a little more outlandish. After all, nobody makes coffee in their bedroom, much less in the closet. A satchel of ground coffee will do wonders for your closet, though.
Have you ever opened your closet door and flinched at the smell? It’s a damp, musty, old sort of scent and one that nobody wants clinging to their clothes. Ground coffee neutralizes these fragrances. It takes care shoe odors, too. Coffee beans also absorb moisture from the air, meaning they’ll combat any kind of humid situation you have going on in your bedroom closet area. Fresh or used coffee grounds will work, so don’t toss those used grounds after you make your morning espresso. Instead, let them dry, wrap them up in a satchel, and reuse them in your closet — that is, if you don’t mind a possible lingering coffee scent on all your clothes.
Why coffee grounds neutralize odors in spaces like your bedroom closet
The reason coffee grounds are so great at eliminating bad smells and soaking up extra moisture is because of their composition. Coffee beans are made of compounds that capture odor molecules and absorb any environmental moisture. So, you’re literally trapping bad smells with coffee beans. Generally, the grounds last about a week before they start losing their absorption power and you need to replace them.
The bedroom closet is just the start of where you can repurpose used coffee grounds around the house. They’re useful for cleaning pots and pans, are great for growing certain plants, and can be a wonderful mix-in for soaps, creams, and body wash. But, there are plenty of ways to use coffee grounds around the house to eliminate odors. Use satchels of coffee grounds in other spaces to remove stinky smells and use them in your car to keep it smelling fresh. Make smaller satchels to stick in shoes overnight, and combine them with other tricks, like a rubbing alcohol solution in a spray bottle to double down on disinfection and odor reduction.
