Ways to RE-USE old tea bags and tea leaves

If you’re a tea lover you would be having a lot of used tea bags and tea leaves at home. Drinking tea not only keeps you warm and boosts your immunity, it has more goodness than you can imagine- so consider tea your best friend this season and use these simple hacks around the house for cleaning and for using on your skin.

1. Neutralize odors

Dry the teabags or tea leaves and put them in an open container. Put that container in your freezer or fridge or shoes etc. where the odor is worst. Leave it overnight and watch the smell disappear.

2. Freshen Air

Recipe for making your own room freshener:

1 litre brewed tea (don’t make it strong)

4 Tablespoon lemon juice

Your choice of essential oil

Pour into a spray bottle and spray to add freshness into your rooms.

3. Remove grease & stains

Are your kitchen pans full of grease and stains? Fill the pan with hot water and some used tea bags or leaves. Leave it overnight. The tannins in the tea dilutes the grease which can be easily scrubbed the next morning. Use tea bags to clean dirt spots on mirrors, window panes and any glass items.

4. Polish dull wooden furniture & floor

Use your used tea bags or tea leaves for polishing your wooden furniture or flooring at home since the tannins present in the tea brings out the natural shine of wood. How do we use it? Just clean with the damp tea directly and then wipe with a cloth. For flooring, add the tea bags or leaves in your bucket of water, keep for sometime and then mop.

5. Clean carpets & rugs

Dry out the tea leaves and stir it into a big handful of baking soda. Sprinkle this mixture on the carpets or rugs and leave them for about 20 minutes or till they are dry, then vacuum the area thoroughly or simply remove it. This helps clean out all furnishings.

6. Fix puffy eyes

Use Chamomile or green tea to reduce dark circles or puffiness from the eyes. Rinse the tea bags and refrigerate to cool, and hold the bags against your eyes whenever you want to use them and watch it work wonders!

7. Soak your feet with tea water

Take hot water and infuse it with the tea bags or leaves, and add your favorite essential oils for a fook soak. This will reduce aches, pains and foot odor as well as soften the skin- as good as a pedicure!

8. Tea-infused bath

Since tea has many therapeutic properties, having a bath with tea-infused water, especially herbal teas like chamomile or rose, will help muscles relax.

9. Steam with Green tea for glowing skin

The antioxidants in green tea are very effective in re-hydrating dry skin and building glowing skin. Add green tea leaves in a steaming bowl of water and steam the face for 8-10 minutes. This will help prevent wrinkles, clean clogged pores and clear up the respiratory passage, helping in cold and cough also.

 

10. Soothe a sunburn

Tea soothes sunburned skin and reduces inflammation. Make a tea pack or soak a cloth in tea-infused water on your face and cover for 10-15 minutes.