10 Ways to Reuse Tea Bags

Most people use tea bags only partially, even those of us who brew them twice. Their true potential unlocks after use — there are over ten additional ways to reuse tea bags, some of which are even more valuable than the fragrant beverage itself.

Do not rush to throw your tea sachel in the trash: it will come in handy for effective cleaning, beauty routine, cooking, and much more. For instance, instead of sending the carpet to a professional cleaning company, you can quickly clean it up using the same old tea bags. Still not sure? Then read our tips on how to reuse tea bags.

1. Give Your Feet a Spa Treatment

Tea has softening properties, so hot foot baths with the addition of several tea bags will soften rough skin on your heels, as well as remove unpleasant odors.

2. Get Rid of the Dark Circles Under the Eyes

Green tea is suitable for this purpose. Apply bags to your eyes to improve blood circulation and get rid of swelling. The color of the tea neutralizes the remains of blue, which will give you a fresh and glowing look.

3. Clean the Carpet

Cleaning large, wooly interior items is an expensive and time-consuming process. Ease it by scattering a slightly dried, but moist used tea leaves on the carpet. Wait for them to dry completely and thoroughly vacuum the surface: the dirt will remove along with the tea leaves, unpleasant odors will disappear, and the color of the carpet will become brighter.

4. Marinate Meat

Tea will tenderize the meat and give it a beautiful color. For instance, ham hock is sometimes boiled in a vegetable broth with the addition of black tea. Just brew the bag again and soak the meat in the tea marinade for an hour or two.

5. Treat Your Skin and Hair

Tea contains antioxidants that have a rejuvenating effect (more precisely, they protect against aging). Throw a couple of tea bags in the bath, and after shampooing, rinse your hair with a weak tea brew to nourish your body with useful trace elements and moisturize your skin and hair.

6. Feed Plants

Both outdoor and indoor plants like weak tea brew — it protects roots from fungi. Used tea leaves function as a nitrogen fertilizer, whereas bags are good for pot drainage.

7. Use as Paint

Tea is a natural brown dye. It will help to age paper, to paint white things in a light brown or greenish color. By the way, Easter eggs can also be dyed with tea, and hibiscus gives them a pastel blue color.

8. Use as Seasoning

In his program, Jamie Oliver has repeatedly advised using tea as a seasoning. Take a dry used tea bag and rub fish with its contents along with salt and pepper, and then send the dish to the oven. The smell of fat will become less noticeable, and the dish will acquire a delicate aroma. Tea bags can be used when cooking grains and pasta or pork.

9. Refresh Wood Furniture

Wooden furniture demands special care. Polish it with a moistened tea bag to restore its luster and color, as well as to hide minor scratches.

10. Quickly Remove Persistent Odor

Several life hacks teach you to remove the sharp fish or garlic smell from your hands — for example, rubbing it with beer or toothpaste. A tea bag can also help resolve this issue. Dried tea bags absorb moisture and unpleasant odors, so just put a couple in your shoes overnight to get rid of this problem.

A fantastic benefit of tea is that it contains tannins (hardening agents). A potent drink gives an astringent, mouth-coating feeling you get from eating persimmon, which indicates their high content. That is why a tea bag is handy when outdoors — it can help to clean the dishes from fat or to stop small bleeding.

As you may have guessed, you can also use natural tea leaves instead of tea bags — they are even more efficient. They may not be as convenient, but they are excellent for cleaning the carpet, feeding plants, and caring for the body. We hope you will find these ideas to reuse tea bags helpful and share them with your friends!

Valerie

I am an English major with a love of languages and fiction, and with an incurable travel bug. In my free time, I read fantasy, drink copious amounts of coffee, and like to go see movies. Culinary art means everything to me. My main hypostasis is the taster, though. The music school has taught me to appreciate the symphony of airy meringues, to create harmonious overtures of light snacks, hard rock of meat, fish, and vegetables on the grill. Choir classes have accustomed me to hear and feel the people nearby and create perfect harmonies of sounds.