Used tea bags: How to repurpose them in your house?

Have you wondered how to make full use of tea bags, even after brewing them? This article will introduce some ways to repurpose used tea bags in your home.

Contents

Introduction

Tea bags still have many extra uses even after being brewed. Reusing tea bags not only help reduce the amount of waste, but also enhance your home and your health. Let’s explore some amazing ways to repurpose old tea bags for clean, health, gardening, and cooking.

Why should you repurpose used tea bags?

Tea bags are popular thanks to their convenience and diversity with various flavors and packaging types. Brewing a cup of tea with a tea bag is very simple. Put the tea bag in the appropriate amount of hot water for 3-5 minutes, and your tea is ready to enjoy. So, what do you usually do after enjoying a cup of tea using tea bags? Do you immediately throw used tea bags away? You might be surprised that there are many ways to repurpose them instead of letting them be wasteful.

Today, there are numerous types of tea bags on the market made of various materials such as filter paper, food-grade plastic, non-woven fabric, silk, and plant-based materials. Even though the application of biodegradable and environmentally friendly materials are getting popular, reusing tea bags in a smart way not only makes your life easier, but also allows you to join hands in reducing waste and protecting the environment. Tea bags can be reused about one or two times. Before reusing it, you will need to keep it in a moist condition, such as in a cup of filled water or in the fridge, preventing mold or unwanted bacteria.

Why should we repurpose used tea bags? — Repurposing used tea bags to protect the environment

How to repurpose used tea bags in your house?

For brewing another cup of tea

If you are fond of tea that tastes weaker, you can try brewing tea bags one more time and enjoy. However, the taste and flavor of the second time cannot be as strong as the first brew. You can reuse tea bags right after first brewing, or you can keep it in the fridge for later use. It is suggested that you should not steep it more than twice as the flavor gets too weak, and it should be reused on that day or the next.

In addition to rebrew tea bags, there are many other tips to use in your house for cleansing, gardening, cooking, and even for your health. All the tricks are so simple to follow, so why not try out some of them today.

brew another cup of tea — Tea bags can be brewed twice

For cleaning

Clean the glass surface

Used tea bags are helpful in cleaning glass surfaces such as mirrors and glass windows. The natural ingredients in tea leaves work on the glass surface and break down scum. Moisten tea bags and rub the mirrors or windows. Then, wipe off with a soft cloth to get a shiny surface. By using used tea bags, you don’t need to put up with the smell of ammonia or vinegar when cleaning.

Reduce bad odors

Another way to repurpose used tea bags is to lessen bad odors, such as in your carpets, garbage cans, refrigerators, or even stinky scents in your hands. To deodorize your rugs or trash cans, split open the tea bags and allow the tea leaves to become mostly dry. Then, spread these leaves on the carpets’ surface or in the trash cans and let them dry completely.

Besides, you can put two or three tea bags in an inconspicuous position in the fridge so they can absorb unexpected odors. Replace them after a few days to get the most effective results. Additionally, you can apply used tea bags like soap to wipe off stinky smells such as onions, garlic, or seafood.

Shine wood floors and furniture

If you are looking for how to shine your wood floors and furniture, don’t throw away used tea bags. Tea helps enhance the appearance of wood floors and makes it incredibly shiny without being slippery. Steep the tea bags using hot water and spray it directly on the wood floor or furniture before wiping off. The results will surprise you.

used tea bags for cleaning — Used tea bags can be used to clean and reduce odors

For health

Relieve eyes’ puffiness

Puffy eyes can make you look unconfident, and used tea bags might help with that problem. Tea leaves contain caffeine properties which can help reduce the dark circles under the eyes, while the tannins relieve puffiness. Moisten two tea bags with the warm water and let them cool down for about 20 minutes. Then, take them out and place them over your eyes for 15 minutes and relax. Remember that when using a tea bag for eyes, you should use a different one each time.

Ease bug bites

Thanks to the tannins content, especially in green and black tea, tea bags are beneficial in soothing the bug bites immediately. Tannins give astringency which helps remove the toxins of the bites. Wet a tea bag with warm water, put on the bite and let it work. You can also reapply to get the best results.

used tea bags for health — Used tea bags can help reduce puffy eyes and treat minor injuries

Treat a sunburn

Similar to bug bites or eye puffiness, used tea bags can also work well to ease sunburns. Polyphenols in tea leaves will help lessen redness, while tannins and theobromine help heal the pain. In addition to wetting the tea bag and letting it cool down in the fridge before putting in the sunburn, you can brew it again, cool off the water, and spray it directly to the sunburned skin.

Condition your hair

After a long time using shampoo and conditioner, there might be some product build-up on your hair and scalp. Spent tea bags might help you deal with this issue, as the tannins in tea will gently dissolve these product build-up. To apply, you brew about three to four used tea bags and let them cool down. Then, wash your hair as usual with shampoo and conditioner. After that, pour the tea liquor onto your hair, let it sit on your hair, and massage your scalp for a few minutes before rinsing with clean water.

used tea bag for health — Save used tea bags to ease sunburns and condition your hair

For gardening and cooking

Fertilize the plants

If you are fond of planting, don’t miss this helpful trick of used tea bags. Open tea bags and mix them with soil might help boost nitrogen and acidity levels, draw beneficial bacteria, reduce the pH level, and provide earthworms with a nutritious food source. Besides, you can add tea leaves to your compost pile. It is ideal to add tea bags to the soil surrounding plants that prefer an acidic environment, such as ferns and rose bushes.

Tenderize meat and add flavors

It might sound surprising that used tea bags are helpful in cooking, but a few tea bags can make it simple to marinade pork, chicken, or turkey. The tannic acid in tea works well to soften even the hardest meat. Put used tea bags in a cup of water and mix it with your favorite herbs and spices to create more flavors. Furthermore, when boiling eggs, pasta, or rice, you can put some old tea bags in water for added flavor and colors.

Where to buy tea bags?

If you are finding a supplier of tea bags, FGC is proud to be a prestigious manufacturer that you should consider. We are the leading tea and beverage manufacturer in Vietnam with more than 27 years of experience. FGC owns many tea farms located in both high-grown and low-grown areas. Therefore, we are confident to provide a stable supply for large production with different tea grades.

Moreover, FGC has 15 tea factories across the country with the most cutting-edge machinery. All the factories are strictly managed according to hygiene and food safety regulations. We have met many international certifications, including ISO, HALAL, HACCP, etc. All our tea bag products are high-quality, safe, and attractive to enjoy.

Besides, FGC offers a wide choice of packaging shapes, types and flavors. Customers can choose single chambers, double chambers, round, or pyramid bags made from natural and food-grade materials. Currently, apart from green and black tea, we have launched numerous flavors of tea bags, such as strawberry, peach, mint, lotus, jasmine, apple, cinnamon, mango, and so on. We also provide Private Label Service in which we will customize products based on your specific requirements.

Conclusion

Instead of being thrown away after the first brew, used tea bags have many uses that you might not expect. They are helpful in cleaning, reducing odors, treating minor injuries, fertilizing your plants, etc. Next time you brew tea bags, try some of those tips and see the results.