# Good way to clean grounds out of a French Press (no garbage disposal) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 13, 2006, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-clean-grounds-out-of-a-french-press-no-garbage-disposal/356637 "2006-05-13T14:38:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-clean-grounds-out-of-a-french-press-no-garbage-disposal/356637/1 "2006-05-13T14:38:54Z")
If you don’t have a place to rinse/dump/grind your used up coffee grounds, how do you clean it? Do you wipe with paper towels and throw those away? How do you get all the grounds? I’m trying to figure out a way to do this without making a mess. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-clean-grounds-out-of-a-french-press-no-garbage-disposal/356637/2 "2006-05-13T14:46:20Z")
> [@Boscibo](#): > > If you don’t have a place to rinse/dump/grind your used up coffee grounds, how do you clean it? Do you wipe with paper towels and throw those away? How do you get all the grounds? > > I’m trying to figure out a way to do this without making a mess. I compost, so I use a series of strainers to separate the liquid waste from the solid. I send the liquid down the drain (or the toilet if it smells really foul) and dump the grounds, etc. in the composter. I have a fine strainer on the drain, in addition to a separate straining system, so I catch almost every speck. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-clean-grounds-out-of-a-french-press-no-garbage-disposal/356637/3 "2006-05-13T16:29:22Z")
We spread a few paper towels over the sink drain and dump the grounds onto it. Then we gather up the paper towels and toss. It may be easier for you to hose out using an outside faucet. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-clean-grounds-out-of-a-french-press-no-garbage-disposal/356637/4 "2006-05-13T19:02:01Z")
> [@Boscibo](#): > > If you don’t have a place to rinse/dump/grind your used up coffee grounds, how do you clean it? If your concern is not having a disposal, I’ve always just dumped coffee grounds down the kitchen drain. Or dumped them into the garbage can and washed whatever was left down the drain. All a disposal does is grind stuff up into little bits, your coffee is already ground up. AFAIK, they don’t particularly stick together, so as long as you use plenty of water and don’t dump a big lump down all at once, it would be just like running it through a disposal. Am I totally out to lunch here? ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-clean-grounds-out-of-a-french-press-no-garbage-disposal/356637/5 "2006-05-13T19:09:11Z")
I rinse mine down the drain, too- no disposal. Never had a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-clean-grounds-out-of-a-french-press-no-garbage-disposal/356637/6 "2006-05-13T23:33:27Z")
We have a very fine sieve. Just hit the grounds with spray from the hose attachment in the sink and dump the grounds in the sieve, then into the garbage. Also, a good way to do a quick wash of the pot is to squirt a bit of soap into it, then plunge up and down vigorously with the press. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-clean-grounds-out-of-a-french-press-no-garbage-disposal/356637/7 "2006-05-13T23:34:31Z")
After filling it about halfway with water, of course. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Southpaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@Southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southpaw)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2006, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-clean-grounds-out-of-a-french-press-no-garbage-disposal/356637/8 "2006-05-13T23:53:57Z")
I use a rubber spatula to assist in dumping the grounds into the garbage can then just rinse what’s left. ---
**Author:** ![iwakura43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de0a6/32.png) [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2006, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-clean-grounds-out-of-a-french-press-no-garbage-disposal/356637/9 "2006-05-14T00:22:34Z")
Since (I believe?) a garbage disposal basically grinds stuff up and sends it down the drain, and your coffee grinds are already ground up very fine… it seems to me you could just wash them down the drain. Or is there another step in the garbage disposal process? ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2006, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-clean-grounds-out-of-a-french-press-no-garbage-disposal/356637/10 "2006-05-14T01:27:20Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > I’ve always just dumped coffee grounds down the kitchen drain. Not the very best thing for the drains but should not be a big problem (unless you have a septic system). Like ivylass, I find it’s awfully easy to spread a single paper towel in the sink and dump the remains into that. In about a minute the liquid has drained away and it’s time to fold in the corners of the towel, press out the remaining liquid, and toss the remains into the garbage. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2006, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-clean-grounds-out-of-a-french-press-no-garbage-disposal/356637/11 "2006-05-14T01:30:11Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > Not the very best thing for the drains but should not be a big problem (unless you have a septic system). Actually I heard the opposite, that it was helpful as the grinds soaked up oil and fats in the pipe and moved them along, deodorized the pipes, and did breakdown in septic systems. What’s the SD on this? ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2006, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-clean-grounds-out-of-a-french-press-no-garbage-disposal/356637/12 "2006-05-14T01:45:57Z")
I thought it was pretty harmless to rinse grounds away, but now I’m curious. This is a site advertising a bacteria-eating drain cleaner thing, but [they](http://www.plumbingworld.com/roebic.html) say: > [@](#): > > Kitchen sink stoppages are usually caused by liquid fats, emulsified by warm soapy dishwater and then carried through the drainpipes. As the water cools it proceeds down the drain and leaves the fatty deposits along the piping. A film of grease forms on the pipe wall and so on. Coffee grounds, egg shells, etc add to this accumulation layer until the pipe becomes impassible. Here’s a non-specific bit from [plumbing world](http://www.plumbingworld.com/ed-preventingstoppages.html) as well: > [@](#): > > Do not wash coffee grounds down the sink. Throw them out. This [Florida Utility](http://www.hollywoodfl.org/pub-util/pub-info_faq.htm) site includes grounds as things that shouldn’t be washed down drains to prevent clogging, apparently washing coffee grounds down the sink is A Bad Thing. Who knew? ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2006, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-clean-grounds-out-of-a-french-press-no-garbage-disposal/356637/13 "2006-05-14T01:57:39Z")
Would it help matters to wash down CG in small doses – say, a tablespoon or so at a time, chased by a good strong stream of water? ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2006, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-clean-grounds-out-of-a-french-press-no-garbage-disposal/356637/14 "2006-05-14T02:49:36Z")
> [@Beware of Doug](#): > > Would it help matters to wash down CG in small doses – say, a tablespoon or so at a time… Or you could spoon them into the trashcan, a tablespoon at a time. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2006, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-clean-grounds-out-of-a-french-press-no-garbage-disposal/356637/15 "2006-05-14T02:58:31Z")
I rarely clog my trashcan. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2006, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-way-to-clean-grounds-out-of-a-french-press-no-garbage-disposal/356637/16 "2006-05-14T12:52:50Z")
OK back to composting them, that is until I get the next report which I would guess will claim that the natural vibrations of the pipes and grounds sets off a tesla generator effect creating a chemo-electromagnetic effect which stops hangnails or somethin’likethat