A cup of tea is always a good idea, whether in the morning to start the day right or at night before going to bed. Thanks to tea bags, you can enjoy it even at your office, so no excuse to miss this nice, healthy drink. But, what do you do after brewing your nice cup of tea using a tea bag? Let us guess – you throw the used tea bag in the trash, right?
Well, you will probably change this habit after reading this post, because here we give you 12 brilliant ways to use soggy tea bags in and around your home.
12 Little-Known Uses of Tea Bags
1. Treat Sunburns
A tea bag can help treat your sunburn by stopping the itchiness and getting rid of the peeling skin. Black tea contains an acid that provides soothing effects which help eliminate the excess heat from sunburn. Therefore, the next time you go to the beach don’t forget to bring a black tea bag along with your sunscreen.
2. Revitalize Puffy, Tired Eyes
You probably have nights when you indulge in binge-watching, and you end up with puffy, zombie-like eyes the following morning. However, you can get rid of your eye bags and revitalize your eyes at the same time with the help of the tannins found in black tea. All you have to do is put a few used tea bags in an airtight container and store them in the fridge.
So, the next morning you have tired and puffy eyes, just grab some of your instant cool tea bags and put them over your eyes. Let them act for around 15 minutes.
3. Fix Minor Burns
Due to the high amounts of tannins in black tea, it can relieve inflammation caused by too high temperatures. Besides relieving pain and inflammation, black tea can also prevent your skin from peeling. To treat a minor burn, place two or three refrigerated, damp tea bags onto the burn as gauze.
4. Remove Dandruff
Dandruff is one of the most annoying things about hair, and unfortunately, it can be quite hard to remove it completely. Substitute your expensive anti-dandruff products with just a few tea bags. Brew tea with them and let the bags stay for an hour before using the tea to rinse your hair. A regular scalp massage with tea will eliminate your dandruff and make your hair shiny.
5. Remove Warts
Use a green tea bag to remove your warts. Place it on the affected area and secure it with a bandage. Let it stay for 15 minutes, and replace it with a new one. The antioxidant content in this tea will stop the growth of warts. You can also consume two to three cups of green tea daily to minimize the HPV effects on your skin.
6. Keep Your Shoes Fresh
Are your smelly shoes embarrassing you when taking them off? If yes, don’t worry. You can easily deodorize them using nothing but tea bags. Place one of them in each shoe, and they will absorb the bad odor and moisture, making your shoes smell as fresh as new.
7. Act As Manure For Your Garden
Tea bags can be of great help if you love gardening. They can reduce the soil’s pH levels due to the present tannins, and a lower pH level means a lower risk of fungus buildup at the plants’ roots. Just put a tea bag in the soil when planting a sapling or sowing the seeds, and you’ll have the most beautiful garden in the entire neighborhood.
8. Help Clean The Dishes
No one likes spending too much time washing the dishes, but sometimes you have to scrub off the grime and baked-on stains, a task which is not that quick and easy, and certainly not pleasant. However, you can make this so much easier by soaking your dirty dishes overnight along with several used tea bags. The following day your dishes will be less greasy, so you’ll need less time and effort to clean them.
9. Remove Watermarks on Mirrors
Used tea bags can ease the process of cleaning mirrors, especially if they have stubborn watermarks. Soak a cloth in tea prepared by brewing a few tea bags, and wipe those watermarks on your bathroom mirror. Your mirror will shine like new again!
10. Remove Bad Smell Off Your Hands
Chopping onions and peeling garlic can leave a terrible smell on your hands. To get rid of the nasty smell, scrub your fingers with a damp tea bag and some hand wash. This will significantly neutralize the smell. Another way to remove the bad smell from your hands is by soaking them in a warm solution of tea and water.
11. Relieve Sore Gums
Even though having a mouth stuffed with tea bags looks funny, it’s a great way to reduce your pain from sore gums. Refrigerate a few tea bags and place them on the affected area in your mouth. This should soothe your sore gums in an instant. You can use them, in the same way, to treat mouth ulcers and relieve mouth inflammation.
12. Neutralize Household Odors
Use tea bags to neutralize household odors like that in the refrigerator or in the trash bin. Put a few used tea bags at the bottom of your trash bin and it’ll help absorb the bad smell, thus preventing it from spreading all over your kitchen. Also, store several used tea bags in the fridge to keep their fresh smell.
If you know of any other use for tea bags, feel free to share them in the comments below.
Via Earth Clinic| Cure Joy | Natural Living Ideas