Everyone Will Be Buying Dollar Tree Coffee When They See This Deodorizing Hack

Step aside, baking soda; there's a new deodorizer in town! As it turns out, coffee is useful beyond just putting a pep in your step first thing in the morning. It can actually naturally pull yucky smells from the air as well. This clever deodorizing hack doesn't have to break the bank. Simply run to your nearest Dollar Tree and buy a container of coffee grounds. You can typically find them for around $5, if not cheaper. You can also select flavored coffee for an added boost of fragrance. That's not something your old baking soda deodorizer will do.

So, what is the science behind this genius coffee grounds hack? Well, coffee grounds are chock-full of nitrogen. This essential compound, paired with its porous structure, helps this kitchen staple not only cover up foul odors, but also absorb and neutralize them. The coffee grounds capture the bad smells all while emitting a pleasant scent. This is an affordable, eco-friendly alternative to commercial deodorizers and air fresheners. Coffee grounds also don't pose the same health risks as traditional air fresheners. Many of these products release irritating air contaminants like petrochemicals, formaldehyde, p-dichlorobenzene, and aerosol pollutants. These compounds are linked to respiratory issues and exasperated asthma symptoms. If you opt for coffee, you can avoid all of that. And, best of all, this is quite possibly one of the simplest housekeeping hacks you'll come across.

You can set up your coffee ground air freshener in under five minutes. There are a few ways to use coffee grounds as your new favorite household deodorizer. For the first method, you'll need a salt and pepper shaker. You can purchase this at the Dollar Tree as well if you don't already have one. Use a funnel to fill the shaker up with your coffee grounds. Once it's full, place the lid on. It's really that simple. Now you can place your odor-busting DIY just about anywhere that smells a bit funky. This works great in areas like your refrigerator since it has a lid that will help most of the coffee grounds stay in the container if you happen to knock it over while rummaging for your eggs. You can also use this coffee ground shaker in your bathroom, laundry room, or mudroom.

If using fresh coffee grounds sounds a bit wasteful to you, fret not. There's an alternative option for the coffee drinkers in the crowd. Most of the time, all your spent grounds get tossed. However, you can actually use this kitchen scrap to deodorize your smelly kitchen or keep your living room smelling fresh, too! This process is not all that much harder than the first one. After you've brewed your coffee, spread your damp grounds out on a tray or plate; this will allow them to dry out so they don't pose a risk of growing mold. Once they're completely dry, put your grounds in any container. (You can also put them in a shaker if you'd like.) Then, place this anywhere that's a bit smelly. Switch out the grounds every one to two weeks for either method.