Tea is a favorite beverage for many across the world. It comes in a variety of flavors and you can even make herbal teas if you're not a fan of caffeine. 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.
As strange as it sounds, tea bags are an excellent substitute for more expensive meat-softeners like red wine. 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 steak will be deliciously soft. Keep in mind, this mostly works with beef, so be careful when experimenting!
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 quarter-liter or 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.
Does the sweat in your shoes leave you constantly worried about wearing anything other than Hawaiian slippers? To fix your 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.
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.
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.
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.
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. 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!
Are you a fan of green tea? Then you absolutely need to try this trick the next time you're planning to enjoy a nice long soak in your bathtub. Just add a handful of old green tea bags to the hot water filling up your tub. Let it soak for 10-15 minutes before removing the tea bags and immersing yourself in the water. Tea is chock full of healthy nutrients that are equally efficient when absorbed through the skin.
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. They will cool and tighten your skin, and flood your body with nourishing antioxidants.
Be sure to share these teabag tricks!
