The Affordable Kitchen Essential Alternative To Sand For Slippery Paths In The Winter
What can't this stuff do? It wakes us up in the morning, revives us after lunch, and even works alongside mulch in the garden. It's coffee we're talking about, and if this miraculous beverage helps you get through the daily grind (pun intended), there's one more use for it. Take some of those spent grounds and scatter them on an icy path to cut down on the slipperiness. No, the grounds won't melt the ice (unless they're fresh from the machine and still hot), but they can stand in for sand or gravel to give feet a bit more traction on possibly treacherous surfaces.
There are rumors that coffee grounds can double as an effective deicer, but this isn't the case; the grounds don't lower water's freezing point. While coffee is acidic and could even cause heartburn, its acidity isn't high enough to do any actual melting. But as for adding a gritty, grippy surface to prevent slipping, it can be a smart way to reuse something you already have. If freezing temps are a winter reality for you, give this trick a test run the next time you brew up a pot of coffee during a slippery cold snap.
Limitations to using coffee grounds on icy walkways
At first thought, pet parents might think using coffee grounds on icy surfaces would be a good choice, since it won't hurt their paws. However, if you have furry children that like to taste everything around them, it might be best to save the grounds for your garden, compost pile, or some of these indoor houseplants that coffee grounds can help thrive. Caffeine is toxic to pets, and while a lot of the substance is leached into the pot during brewing, the remaining amount may still contain enough caffeine to sicken certain animals.
Another thing to consider is the possible mess involved. No matter what material you use, you expect to track grit, salt, and other yuckies into your home in winter. But coffee grounds could possibly stain your carpets and floors when they come inside on our boots. Of course, removing your footwear at the door will nip this problem in the bud.