Tea bags are widely welcomed by many tea lovers for their convenience in brewing. However, many people believe that tea bags are disposable items to be thrown away after use, without realizing that used tea bags can be a treasure trove that helps solve many small problems in daily life and save on living costs.
Tea, a popular drink worldwide throughout history, has many benefits. Modern research has found that the catechins in tea polyphenols have strong antioxidant properties, which can protect the cardiovascular system, reduce body fat, activate detoxifying enzymes, help alleviate chronic inflammation, and prevent cancer. Many people drink several cups of tea a day, but often the used tea bags end up being tossed in the trash.
In fact, the uses of used tea bags are astonishing. Here are 12 ways in which you can make use of them in your daily life.
Dr. Neal Schult, a dermatologist in the United States, suggests that cold tea bags can help draw out fluids from insect bites, relieving itching and swelling. Therefore, after brewing a cup of tea, you can cool the used tea bag for a few minutes and then apply it to the bitten area.
Putting used tea bags in a bucket of water to brew again and then using the resulting weak tea to water plants can help protect them from fungal infections.
You can open up used tea bags and sprinkle the moist leaves around the base of plants to fertilize the soil and deter pests.
You can also pour the tea leaves from used bags into compost to enrich it with nutrients.
Drip a few drops of your favorite essential oil into the dried used tea bags to create an air freshener for your home, office, or car. Most tea bags come with a small string so hanging them is convenient. Once the scent of the essential oil fades, simply add a few more drops to refresh the air. Additionally, since tea leaves can absorb odors, these homemade air fresheners can serve a dual purpose in keeping your living area fragrant!
Applying cold moist tea bags on the eyes is a great way to naturally soothe skin irritation, like using cucumber slices. The tannic acid in tea can reduce eye bags and dark circles.
Used tea bags can effectively eliminate lingering odors in your home. Mixing dried tea leaves into a litter box or at the bottom of trash cans and other areas with unpleasant odors can help neutralize them.
Placing unused or dried used tea bags in shoes can help eliminate odors.
Before cleaning your fireplace, pouring the moist tea leaves from the tea bags onto the ash in the fireplace for a few minutes can make it easier to clean the ash.
Applying moist tea bags can be a wonderful natural way to soothe skin irritations. Placing tea bags on sore or tired eyes can provide relief. Massaging sunburned areas with tea bags can cool the skin and reduce inflammation.
Moreover, placing tea bags on bruises can reduce discomfort and help speed up healing.
Tearing open and drying the tea leaves inside used tea bags, then sprinkling the dried tea leaves on carpets or mats before vacuuming can help eliminate odors.
Having mice in the house is not a pleasant experience. In fact, mice are not particularly fond of the smell of tea. Stuffing used tea bags in cabinets, storage areas, and any other places where household pests might enter can help repel them. For added repellent effect, you can try adding peppermint essential oil to the tea bags, which can deter annoying rodents and also repel spiders, ants, and various other household pests, while giving your home a minty fresh scent!
Soaking dishes and a few used tea bags together in warm water can help break down grease and avoid using harsh chemicals. Scrubbing off food stuck on dishes can be both laborious and time-consuming, but tea leaves can help loosen the stuck-on food, making your cleaning job easier.
Soaking your feet in warm water with used tea bags can neutralize foot odor, soften calluses, and nourish the skin.
Hanging a used tea bag in a pot of boiling water, then removing the tea bag and adding it to pasta or other grains, can infuse a subtle flavor into your food. Think about jasmine tea scented rice or green tea-infused pasta to get an idea of this method’s culinary possibilities.
(This article references reports from Natural Living Ideas and Pocket)