My neighbor Karen actually showed me her 'compost coffee can' last week

She opened this old Folgers can full of eggshells and said she just dumps coffee grounds on top every morning to kill the smell. I thought she was joking but honestly the thing didn't stink at all. Has anyone else tried this method or am I just getting punked by a retired lady?

3 comments

3 Comments

wade_perez1mo ago

Wait, did she say anything about how often she changes out the eggshells or washes the can? In my experience, you gotta swap out the whole batch every couple weeks or it starts to get funky. Maybe ask her if she layers anything else in there, like crumpled paper or something to soak up moisture. That might be the trick keeping it from turning into a science experiment.

spencer_hayes711mo ago

Honestly, people act like eggshells are some kind of biohazard if you don't swap them every Tuesday. I've left the same batch in my can for like a month with zero issues, no mold, no smell, nothing. Maybe it depends on the climate where you live or how much coffee you're pouring on top. Are you sure your friend is just overthinking it and not that you might be dealing with a weird batch of shells?

diana_king26d ago

Gotta say Wade, you might be overthinking this one a bit. Eggshells aren't that high maintenance if you let them dry out before tossing them in. I just rinse mine quick and leave them on the counter for a day, then into the can they go. Never had any funky smells or mold issues even when I forget to swap them for a month. The coffee grounds on top probably help way more than crumpled paper ever would.