Whenever the time comes to formulate a plan to tackle some of those home improvement projects, it's always best to think about what you are going to be doing, get all your tools in order, and make sure you have all the needed supplies. But before you do anything else, why don't you just sit back, relax a bit, and grab a cup of jo.

As you are sitting there drinking your coffee, afterwards, you are going to have a mess of grounds to get rid of. Well, fear not friends, in the DIY business, sometimes improvisation is the mainstay to solving problems. So, here are some new ideas that just might make you look at coffee a bit differently.

Did you know that, coffee grounds are one of the best sweeping compounds you will ever use? They can be either fresh out of the can, or dried used ones from the pot. Sprinkled liberally on a garage or any cement floor, they will absorb oils, grease, and dust exactly like the commercial made absorbent types will. But here is a little twist. If you use fresh grounds, you can pick any flavor you would like, and when you are sweeping, the aroma will positively freshen up any stale room! I personally like a nutty blend for stuffy basement floors, and a heavier mocha for outdoor garage or utility shed floors.

The acids in coffee grounds make a heck of a good electrical contact cleaner. The finer the grind, the better, and all you need do is moisten a finger, dip into the grounds and rub it over any tarnished connection. It will make the metal shine and take off any build up of dirt and restore your connection to like new status. This is especially useful for wireless home phone connectors or those portable walkie-talkie connectors too. You know, the ones in the charging stations that get a little corroded after a few uses. After cleaning, wipe the residue off and you will be good to go.

That same concoction works equally as good as a mild abrasive for cleaning too. You can use old grounds for this, they do not even have to be dried. Just dip a sponge into some old grounds, pour a tiny amount of dish soap over the top, and you will be able to clean anything that you would normally use kitchen cleanser on. A coarse ground works best for this, and in some ways it is even better than a cleanser. Coffee grounds will break down under scrubbing because they are natural. That means it will be very difficult to leave noticeable scratches on a nice finish that you want to preserve.

Did you ever spill gasoline on your hands at the pump, and then no matter how much you wash them, your hands still smell like gas? Diesel fuel is worse yet! The fix for this is fresh coffee grounds. Once again, the finer the ground the better, so just sprinkle some on your hands with a little dish soap, and scrub them thoroughly. Not only does the dish soap cut through the gasoline, but the fresh grounds neutralize the odor, and when you rinse, your hands will smell like fresh coffee! A little more dish soap will get rid of that smell completely, if you so desire.

There you have it, some new ideas to ponder and use the next time you are drinking your favorite cup of jo.