If you were brought up in a middle class Indian family you will know that nothing in the household is discarded as soon as they have stopped serving their purpose. Their function simply changes and they are downgraded to a new post but not retired. The old sari becomes a salwar suit or a curtain, the old curtain becomes a table cover, the old table cover becomes a ‘jharan’ or dusting cloth, the old ‘jharan’ becomes a mop and the old mop is discarded with a lot of parting love and hesitation! So if you expected an Indian family to discard tea bags after one use, you have not understood our culture. By trial and error we have found out several uses of the used tea bags and today I intend to tell you how precious they are at our home.
Tea is a favourite beverage for many across the world. It comes in a variety of flavours and you can even make herbal teas if you're not a fan of caffeine. Whether it is Darjeeling or Siliguri, Gangtok or Assam, Nilgiri or Munnar, Darang or Kelagur, Kolukkumalai or Cooch Bihar we in India vouch by our favourite brand and enjoy its blissful experience at least twice a day. Using tea bags is surely the quickest and easiest way to enjoy your tea.
Believe it or not, teabags are actually multipurpose items. Not only are they a fast way to get an energy boost, but they also have a multitude of other uses in your garden and your home. You can get rid of foul odors, puffy skin, and even pain with used tea bags. That's how versatile tea bags are. So the next time you make yourself a cup of tea, recycle that tea bag in any of the following ways.
Tenderize your meat
As strange as it sounds, tea bags are an excellent substitute for more expensive meat-softeners like red wine, commonly used in the west. Let the tea bags soak in boiling water, which will release naturally occurring tannins within the tea leaves, then mix half a cup of brown sugar with the water. Pour the mixed water into your seasoned meat when you're putting it in the oven and your meat will be deliciously soft. Keep in mind, this works best with beef, but can be used for other meat too.
Clean your mirrors and glass surfaces
It's time for cleaning but you're terrified of the muck that has collected on your windows, mirrors, and tables over the past months? A good tea-based solution is all you need to have them sparkling and also smelling amazing. Boil just 2-3 used tea bags in a 1 cup of water. Let the solution cool. Soak a clean cloth in the solution and wring it out thoroughly before wiping down the glass surfaces in question. After a good wet wipe down, give the surfaces a final cleaning with a dry cloth.
Revive and rejuvenate old clothes
If you have any light-colored articles of clothing that are faded or looking patchy, your old tea bags can make them look new again. The clothes should ideally be somewhere between off-white and a light beige or coffee color. You can also use this trick with old and faded black articles of clothing to revive the color. Boil water with old tea bags to get your solution, 3 tea bags for every 2 cups of water you use. When the mixture cools, stir in your clothes so that every inch is evenly soaked. Let it soak for about 15 minutes (longer for a darker shade) and then give it a quick rinse before hanging it to dry. Do this trick with care, as the results may vary based on the tea strength and material of the clothing.
Eliminate foul smells around the house
For foul-smelling carpets, just sprinkle dried used tea leaves over the affected areas, let them sit for 15 minutes and then vacuum it all up for a fresher carpet. You can even add old tea leaves and tea bags to kitty litter to reduce the rank smell.
Freshen up your smelly refrigerators
When your fridge gets overloaded with food, it can start to take on a very distinct smell that is a combination of all the meats, beverages, and aging vegetables sitting in your fridge. Just leave a bowl of used green tea bags in it for 3 days, and all those strong smells will dissipate.
Soothe your eyes and removes dark circles
Any time you have a restless or disturbed night of sleep, it shows the next day. Your eyes become puffy and sore. If you struggle to sleep for many nights in a row, you can start to develop dark circles. Teabags can help with this. Use either green or black tea bags. Refrigerate them so they're cool but ensure they are still damp. Place them just under your eyes where the puffiness is and let them sit for about 20 minutes. It feels lovely, and the caffiene content will works its magic to shrink the blood vessels around your eyes. You’ll look more refreshed and awake! After you remove it, wash your face with cool water. Not only will your eyes look better, but you'll feel more relaxed and rested as well!
Take a tea bath
Pain relief
The very same nutrients and tannins that make tea great for your meat, skin, and eyes also make it a highly effective analgesic. In a similar manner to which you would use tea bags for puffy eyes, you can use your old tea bags to treat a variety of different injuries. By simply placing the cooled tea bags on the affected area for 20 minutes, you can reduce pain caused by rashes, bee stings, bug bites, sunburns, and other types of minor cuts and burns.
Deodorant for smelly feet
Does the sweat in your shoes leave you constantly worried about wearing anything other than Hawaiian slippers? Are you mortally scared of taking off your shoes in public for the fear of poisoning the surroundings and subsequent social boycott? To fix your smelly shoes up, you need some used tea bags that are completely dried. Take the dried recycled tea bags, stuff a handful into a few different socks and tie the openings. Place your sock-tea bundles in your smelly shoes and within a few days, the smell will be gone. Soaking your feet in some strong tea and water (using old tea bags, of course), along with some mint leaves can also relieve your feet of any lingering foul smells.
Anti aging and re-hydration of skin
Whether used as eye pads or face wash or a tea bath old tea bags release tannins and nutrients which have great anti aging effect. They will cool and tighten your skin, and flood your body with nourishing antioxidants. Re-brew used tea bags to refresh parched skin. Allow the tea to cool, then pour it into a spray or squeeze bottle. Then just spray it onto your skin or apply with a cotton pad. Any tea will do, but the antioxidants in green tea are particularly effective for rehydrating dry skin!
Soothe sunburns
We all try our best to avoid sunburns, but sometimes they just happen! Tea can help you soothe sunburned skin and help reduce inflammation. Fill a large cup with warm water and drop in three bags of black tea. Let the tea bags soak until the water has turned a rich, dark black color. Let the tea mixture cool to a lukewarm temperature. Just before bedtime dip a small cloth piece into the tea and dab it gently onto the sunburn. Let your burned skin absorb the mixture. Do not wipe it off. Once its dry, re-apply as necessary, but don’t wash off. Overnight it will work its magic while you sleep. In the morning wash it off in the shower. The sunburn should be significantly better, if not completely gone. The tannic acid and the obromine in black tea helps remove heat from sunburn. Other compounds in tea, called catechins, help prevent and repair skin damage.
Restore shine to your hairs
You can use tea to make your hair shiny and smooth! Use a couple of used tea bags to brew a strong tea, then allow the tea to cool completely. Before a shower, pour the tea into your hair until it’s completely saturated. Allow the tea to sit for about 10 minutes, then hop in the shower. Shampoo and condition your hair as normal. Your hair will thank you the tea treatment!
Steam your skin pores
You can use a couple of old tea bags to do an at-home facial steam treatment! Place the tea bags into a bowl of hot, steamy water. Lean over the bowl for 5-10 minutes and let the steam work its magic. The steam will open your pores, allowing the antioxidants from the tea to tone and hydrate your skin.
Feed your compost pile
Brewed tea and tea bags can both help with the decomposition of your compost pile. So if you compost at home, make sure any leftover tea and tea bags are going into your compost and not the garbage!
Now that you know the versatility of the humble used tea bag, don't throw it away. Make the maximum use of it and remember that after providing you with a refreshing cup of tea, it still has a lot to give you!!
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