After coffee, tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world, and, particularly, it is my favorite. It doesn’t matter if it’s black, chai, green, jasmine, chamomile, or matcha tea; whatever it is, it’s my addiction! But, like you, I was one of those who cleaned the cup, and threw the tea bags in the trash, a huge mistake!
Luckily, a good friend told me about the qualities of these little bags, which, even after being used to prepare a delicious tea, can be reused and used in different areas of the home, from cleaning dirty dishes to mitigating bad odors. Want to know more? Read on and find out 5 uses for tea bags you didn’t think possible. And don’t throw them away again!
What can be done with the tea bags?
For over four centuries, tea was introduced in the West as a drink only the highborn enjoyed; in fact, a house that served it was considered of lineage and maximum refinement. Nowadays, everyone at home has a couple of sachets in the cupboard or the refrigerator. How things change , right?
The truth is that drinking brings well-being and comfort in minutes, regardless of whether it is hot or cold. Now, the questions of the day are:
How to recycle tea bags? What are they for after infusion? Pay attention and get to know the ways to take advantage of tea bags:
Washing greasy dishes
Yes, a tea bag can be reused to clean heavily soiled utensils. The correct way is to put a stopper in the sink, fill it with warm water and soak 3 or 4 sachets for a few hours to help loosen grease stuck to dishes, pots, and cutlery.
Neutralize bad odors
Another way to take advantage of their properties is to use them as a natural deodorizer and aromatizer. So you can place them in closets, in the garbage can, inside smelly shoes, and even in the cat’s litter box (changing them every week).
The correct method to use them is to let them dry completely for a couple of days, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil (my favorites are lavender, vanilla, and lemon), and keep it in the place where you want to dissipate the stench. I love this trick! It also works on dirty carpets and rugs; however, in this case, the dry residues should be spread on the surface, left to act for 20 minutes, and vacuumed as usual.
Tea bags as fertilizer
It is curious, but with what is left inside the tea bag, you can fertilize your plants since they still contain vitamins and nutrients, and its consistency is ideal for use as fertilizer to keep fungi at bay. All you have to do is break them while still wet, extract what is inside, spread it on the plants, garden, or pot, and water them as usual.
Soothing compresses
It relieves skin irritation after prolonged exposure to the sun, itching after insect bites, pain in small wounds, helps reduce inflammation in punctual blows and dissipates the pigmentation of dark circles under the eyes. When you finish your cup of tea, keep the bag in the refrigerator until it cools, and simply place it on the skin for a few minutes. And that’s it! Plus: mint tea bags repel spiders and some rodents.
Improve the color of fabrics
Even if you think it’s funny, it’s real! It is a traditional technique used by our grandmothers to dye fabrics that have lost their original shade. Plant extracts and coffee are also used; in this case, fill a basin with hot water, add at least 8 to 10 tea bags, soak the clothes for an hour, and observe the results after this time. You will notice the difference!