# Coffee grounds as deodorizers: explain. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 30, 2008, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-grounds-as-deodorizers-explain/479184 "2008-12-30T06:43:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-grounds-as-deodorizers-explain/479184/21 "2009-01-03T23:22:25Z")
We may have two processes at work here. I buy the thinking that roasted and ground coffee is of a texture that it can absorb lots of molecules. The grounds, provided they’re not so small that they’re powdery, have ample space between the grains that there’s a good chance that coffee can function as an absorbent. But there’s also the series of anecdotes that attest to its power to deal with garlic and other substances. I have a different version - when you’ve eaten garlicy food and you want to lose that taste, you can, if you’re tough, chew one or two roasted coffee beans. It de-garlics your mouth. (Of course, you then have to rinse the coffee out, but the problem is solved by that time.) So I think there may be some chemical affinity that coffee, itself, has for some esters or some other pungent molecules, too. ---
**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2009, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-grounds-as-deodorizers-explain/479184/22 "2009-01-04T07:57:12Z")
Once, my husband tried to make microwave popcorn, but he set the microwave for 5 minutes and walked away. After we cleared the vast cloud of black smoke out of the house and sent the firefighters away, my poor microwave stank. I tried vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, and finally, coffee grounds worked to get that stench out. I left the coffee grounds in the microwave for about 4 days, and it didn’t stink anymore. I can’t explain the science, but it worked. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coffee-grounds-as-deodorizers-explain/479184.md?page=1)