Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Use old tea bags at home
• Method 2 of 3: Use old tea bags to clean
• Method 3 of 3: Use Old Tea Bags for Wellness

Tea bags can come in handy even after using them for their intended purpose. There are many ways to find their use both in everyday life and for personal purposes. This will not only help reduce waste, but it will also benefit your home and health.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Use old tea bags at home

1. 1 Brew tea twice. If you are not a fan of very strong tea, try reusing the tea bag. The main thing is to leave it in water for 2-3 minutes longer than usual, as after the first use it will slightly lose its flavor and richness.
   • Do not reuse tea bags more than once or twice.
   • If you don't plan on using the tea bags right away, place them in the refrigerator along with enough water to keep them from drying out. Storing used tea bags at room temperature or in a dry place can lead to mold and the development of unwanted bacteria.
2. 2 Add flavor to your food. Old tea bags can be easily reused during cooking. Through such experiments, you can change the color or taste of the dish. For example, adding chamomile or jasmine tea to rice will give it a light aroma, while masala tea or cinnamon tea will enhance the taste of regular oatmeal.
   • Place old tea bags in the water in which you will boil pasta or rice to add flavor and aroma.
   • Add old tea bags to the boiling water to add flavor and color.
   • Add a tea bag to the roast grill to get the roasted meat infused with the tea.
3. 3 Maintain your garden. Adding tea bags to the soil will have a number of beneficial effects. For example, it will increase soil nitrogen and acidity, attract beneficial bacteria, lower pH levels, and provide earthworms with healthy food. You can also add old tea bags to the compost pit, unless they are made of plastic. In addition, you must first remove the metal brackets from them. SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

   "Before composting tea bags, look at the packaging to make sure they are not made of plastic."

   
   

   

   Kathryn kellogg

   Green lifestyle expert Katherine Kellogg is the founder of goingzerowaste.com, a website dedicated to sustainable living and how to transform it into a simple step-by-step process with a positive attitude and love. He is the author of 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste and advocates for a plastic-free life for National Geographic.

   Kathryn kellogg
   Sustainable lifestyle specialist

4. 4 Hide unpleasant odors. Because tea bags are absorbent and aromatic, they can be used to get rid of unpleasant odors. Mint and cinnamon flavored teas in particular have a rich and pleasant aroma.
   • Place used tea bags in the trash can and refrigerator to dispel unpleasant odors.
   • Wipe your hands with used tea bags to remove unpleasant odors such as garlic or fish.
   • Turn old tea bags into an air freshener by letting them dry completely and adding a few drops of essential oils like lavender or peppermint to them.

Method 2 of 3: Use old tea bags to clean

1. 1 Degrease dishes with stubborn food residues. The active compounds found in tea are a natural alternative to the harsh chemicals commonly found in store-bought dishwashing detergents. To degrease dishes, add old tea bags to a sink filled with warm water, let everything soak for a while, and then try again to scrape off any leftover food.
2. 2 Clean the toilet. Place two or three used tea bags in the toilet and let sit for a few minutes.Flush the water and then wipe the toilet bowl to remove the nasty stains. However, be careful - leaving the tea bags in the toilet for too long will likely backfire and make the stains even bigger and fuller due to the tannin in the tea. For this purpose, it is better to use varieties of a lighter color.
3. 3 Shine your mirrors. Wipe the mirrors with damp, used tea bags, and then run over with a soft cloth to dry the surface. Natural active compounds from tea will help break down dirt. Be sure to wipe the mirror dry in a circular motion to achieve a streak-free shine.
4. 4 Clean your carpet or rug. Open the used tea bags and wait until the contents are almost completely dry. Then sprinkle it over the entire carpet or rug and wait until it dries completely. Go through the vacuum cleaner, and you will not only get a clean carpet, but also a pleasant scent in the vacuum cleaner itself!

Method 3 of 3: Use Old Tea Bags for Wellness

1. 1 Treat small wounds. For example, if you are bitten by a mosquito or have a mild sunburn, antioxidants from old tea bags can help you recover faster. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate, or ECGC, found in tea also has anti-inflammatory properties. Polyphenols reduce redness, while tannin and theobromine dull pain.
   • Apply a wet, used tea bag to the problem area and leave it to dry completely to benefit from the above properties.
   • If the result is not satisfactory the first time, you can re-wet the tea bag and use it again in the same way.
   • The tea bag can be applied to blisters, razor cuts, sunburns, poison ivy rashes, recent injection sites, acne, plantar warts, bruises, herpes, insect bites, and even gums that bleed from milk tooth loss.
2. 2 Soothe tired eyes. The caffeine in tea helps to constrict the blood vessels around the eyes, making dark circles less visible, while tannin helps improve circulation. Place used tea bags in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Refrigerated tea bags can help reduce swelling. Make sure they are still damp, but not wet, and place them on your eyes for 15-20 minutes.
3. 3 Add them to a foot bath, bowl of hot water (to steam your face), or to a bathtub. Add a couple of lavender, mint, or chamomile tea bags to a foot bath or bowl of hot water (for steaming your face) for antioxidants to soften skin and pleasant aromas to help treat problematic odors in these areas.
   • You can achieve a similar effect all over your body by adding a couple more tea bags to your hot water bath.
   • Tea bags can also improve hair and scalp health with antioxidants and vitamins such as C and E. And if you choose your favorite scent, it also has aromatherapy benefits.