A used teabag looks like the most useless thing, ever! Plus, they look the ugliest, lying on your centre table, all wet, and staring right back at you. It’s no wonder why the next move by most people would be to pick it up and dump them in the bin “where they belong”.
But, what if there are other creative ways to get much more out of that teabag? What if you can still squeeze a couple more quid out of them and get more value? Plus, most teabags are not 100% bio degradable anyways so it’s not a good idea to add to the staggering amount of trash we already have to deal with in the environment.
Apart from simply reusing your teabags for some more tea all over again, there are some other cool ways to repurpose them and make them add value to yourself and the environment. Stick with us as we take you through some of the most innovative ones.
Cheap garden fertilizer
Green tea is rich in nitrogen which is one of the essential nutrients that
plants need to thrive. Therefore, it is a very good idea to take advantage of
those used teabags and make some good fertilizer out of them. However, it
is important to note that not all teabags are compostable, so take some
time out to check to see that there are no inherent harmful contents before
use. Better yet, you can take out the leafy contents and add to your
compost pit while taking time to properly discard the bags.
Clean the dishes
Tannic acid, which is an inherent compound in teas, can be taken advantage of while cleaning your dishes. It helps in breaking down greasy contents which makes it useful while cleaning up tough stains. Simply throw some used teabags into your sink filled with dirty dishes and use them as a scrub.
Some good cookware protection
The tannins in tea can help to fight metal corrosion which makes it a good option for cookware protection. Simply take them out and wash thoroughly and then rub a damp teabag against your pots and pans – in and out. This would help to make them last much longer and keep them looking good as new.
Home-made facial treatment
Apart from the fact the tannins in used teabags possess anti-inflammatory and antibacterial components, they also contain antioxidants which help to fight sun burn, redness, acnes and other facial challenges. This would help to make your face glow, making you look much younger.
You can also use them to clear puffiness on your face and clear circles
under your eyes. The caffeine in them helps to shrink the cells around your
eyes, giving you a more refreshed and alive look.
Furniture and Flooring shine
You can take advantage of the tannin acid in your black tea and use it to
add that after clean shine and glow to your living room and kitchen
furniture, it also works just as good on your wooden floorings.
Simply boil two to three black tea bags – used or unused – in one liter of
water and leave till it’s cooled. Dip-in a piece of wet rag and after taking
time to wring the excess water out completely, use to wipe your furnitures
and wooden flooring.
Tea pillows
Perhaps you are a tea addict and can’t go a day without some good tea?
Then you can take time to store your used teabags somewhere – a used
teabag bank or something – and when you have a sizeable amount, you can
stuff them in a pillow case and make a teabag pillow. You can get relief
from headaches, migraines and blood pressure challenges by laying your
head on this pillow while sleeping. It also does quite a good job in fighting
insomnia.
To make the most of this, it’s best to get the tea bags immersed in warm
water first. Then, gather them out of the water and drain the water out of
them properly till there is no excess water left – this can be done by using a
cotton sieve. Then stuff them inside your pillow case and lay your head on
it.
The moisture from the pillow would help convey the goodness of the tea
leaves into your head. It is however advisable to use this pillow on the bare
floor so as not to make a mess of your bed.
Great fire starters
Going on a camping trip or a picnic? Now can be a perfect time to put
some of those used teabags to good use. Dried teabags can be used as a
fire starter when you need a camp fire or when you need to do some quick
burning.
Simply get some used teabags and get them to dry properly. Get some of
those candle remnants and heat them up to liquefy, after which you can
then dip each teabag into the liquid wax holding them by the thread. This is
to ensure that the thread don’t cake with the teabag. You can get a wooden
prod to turn the teabags in the wax to ensure they thoroughly soak up the
wax before taking them out. Place them on a sheet of newspaper to dry.
The teabags would adhere to the newspaper when dried so you have to cut
each of them out one after the other. Keep them somewhere safe for use.
So, there you have it. Seven good ways you can repurpose those used teabags
and put them to good use, instead of trashing them. You can take some time out
to try them out and let us know what you think in the comment section.
