10 Coffee Filter Hacks You Need to Know

Updated: Sep. 21, 2023

Fret not, these coffee filter hacks can bail you out in some tricky situations at home.

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coffee filters for dusting
Family Handyman

Coffee Filter Hack: Dusting

When you need to clean a computer monitor or TV screen, reach into your kitchen cupboard for a coffee filter. Thin, cloth-like paper filters are great at picking up fine dust particles, and one filter goes a long way. You can also use coffee filters for dusting knickknacks and other home accessories, while you’re at it. Add a spritz of cleaning solution and the coffee filter will catch even more dust and disinfect surfaces, too. Here’s an easy way to filter water.

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Coffee Filter Dirt Stopper 2

Coffee Filter Hack: Dirt Stopper

Every spring, I spend a lot of time adorning my deck with flowers. I love every part of it: potting the seedlings, daily watering and relaxing in my lounge chair relishing their beauty. But there’s one thing that drove me nuts. I used to have trouble keeping the dirt from flowing out the bottom of my potted plants when I watered them. I tried using larger stones in the bottoms of the pots, but that didn’t completely solve the problem.

The solution was to place a coffee filter at the bottom of the pot before filling with dirt. The coffee filter stops the dirt while still allowing the water to flow through and not waterlog the plant. Now I have solved one of my tiny pet peeves and can move on with my life! — reader Kevin Daniel

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seedlings in coffee grounds
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Coffee Filter Hack: Empty Coffee Grounds Into Your Garden

Rinse your coffee grounds out to remove extra acids—you can do this with the old filter to make things easier. Then mix with your soil in a flowerbed or garden! The grounds will add valuable nitrogen to the soil without altering the pH balance too much and without rotting. It’s one of the best waste items to use in your garden.

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filter water with coffee fliters
Family Handyman

Coffee Filter Hack: Filtering Water

Filter out solids through a coffee filter before purifying water. These tips will help keep you hydrated when the water goes out during a storm.

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filter
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Coffee Filter Hack: They Use Everyday Items to Keep Things Clean

Don’t put off cleaning because you don’t have supplies. “You can clean windows without leaving streaks behind with the help of a coffee filter,” says Larry Patterson franchisee of the Glass Doctor in Dallas. “Coffee filters and old cotton T-shirts also work well to remove remaining lint left behind from dry cloths.” Another pro tip? If you wiped vertically outside, make sure to wipe horizontally inside. Then, you’ll know whether the missed spot is inside or outside.

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Tea-bags
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Coffee Filter Hack: Tea Bags

If you drink a lot of tea and like to save money then you might want to consider transforming coffee filters into tea bags. Sure it requires a little extra effort but if you’re in a pinch it’ll work like a cinch, just like these 100 home hacks that will improve your life. 

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coffee-filter-view-from-above
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Coffee Filter Hack: Face Oil Blotting Sheets

Coffee filters are great for using on your face to remove oil or for use on your skin. Coffee filters are way cheaper than blotting sheets and will work just as well because they made from nearly the same material. You can get extra crafty and cut up some coffee filters into squares to carry around in a tin so you have some in stock anywhere you go.

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microwave
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Coffee Filter Hack: Prevent Microwave Food Splatter

Most people use paper towels to cover their food in the microwave to prevent splatters inside the microwave but that can be a tricky proposition if you’re heating cheesy food since the paper towel can disintegrate and get stuck to the food. Coffee filters present an alternative option that won’t leave you eating paper towel remnants. Learn how to clean your microwave with three pantry items.

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build a washer dryer pedestal
Family Handyman

Coffee Filter Hack: Dryer Sheets

Doing laundry and throwing it in the dryer only to find you forgot to pick up dryer sheets is pretty frustrating. You can certainly forgo the dryer sheets but if static electricity drives you nuts you can fashion a makeshift dryer sheet out of a coffee filter, white vinegar and some essential oil. Dryer sheets are pretty great to have on hand though, here are 22 brainy ways to use dryer sheets around the house.

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Cast iron on gold background
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Coffee Filter Hack: Clean Cast Iron

There are a lot of ways to clean cast iron skillets, like with coarse salt. You can also use a coffee filter to soak up any remaining moisture after washing it. The coffee filter will help prevent rusting.