1. Absorb odors
Tea leaves can help absorb odors and won’t leave behind an overpowering scent. Place a tea bag with a favorite scent or flavor (peppermint or lemon would be good choices!) in your drawers, closets, car, or even in your shoes to help keep things smelling fresh.
2. Refresh your carpets
Sprinkle dry tea leaves along with some baking soda onto dingy, smelly carpets and allow to sit for 15-20 minutes. The tea and baking soda will absorb smells and dirt to leave your carpets feeling and smelling super fresh and clean!
3. Hydrate and soften dry skin
Tea is your skin’s new best friend! Cooled tea can be applied to a freshly cleansed face to soothe dry skin. Use a small spray bottle to spritz it onto your skin, or simply apply it with a cotton ball or pad. Any kind of tea will serve this purpose, but the antioxidants in green tea are particularly effective for rehydrating your skin.
4. Soothe a sunburn
Despite our best efforts to wear sunscreen, sometimes we are just going to BLOW IT and get a doozie of a sunburn. Click here to read my post about using tea as a great sunburn soother!
5. Homemade Glass Cleaner
Re-brew used tea bags and spray the weak tea onto windows, mirrors, and other glass surfaces to loosen up dirt, grime, fingerprints, and other gunk. Be sure to wipe away with a clean, lint-free cloth to minimize streaks and dust particles.
6. Steam your pores
Place a couple of tea bags into a large bowl of hot, steamy water and place your face over the bowl for 5-10 minutes. This will open up your pores and allow the great antioxidant properties of the tea to get in and help tone and hydrate your skin.
7. Renew wood surfaces
Use weak tea made from pre-brewed bags to clean and shine hardwood floors and polish wood furniture.
8. Reduce undereye circles
Place used tea bags in the refrigerator until cool, then place them on your eyes as cold compresses to help eliminate those dark circles under your eyes. The caffeine content of the tea will shrink the blood vessels around your eyes, which reduces their dark, puffy appearance. The antioxidants in the tea can also help stimulate good blood circulation.
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9. Rust-proof your cookware
Wiping the surface of your cast-iron cookware with a damp black tea bag after each use will keep them in top condition. Compounds in tea coat the pan with a protective layer, warding off rust-causing oxidation.
10. Have a relaxing soak
Place one or two bags of tea leaves in your bath for a relaxing and rejuvenating bathtime experience. The antioxidants in the tea leaves will help rehydrate and soften your skin, and the scent of the tea can be greatly relaxing, especially if you use a Jasmine or Chamomile tea!
Until now, my only tea habit was decaf Rooibos tea, a splash of almond milk and a few drops of stevia in my giant stainless mug. The MOST delicious drink! If my kids got a hold of my mug, it would be gone. What is your favorite tea?
Thank you to onegoodthingbyjillee for this amazing article. See her site for more great ways to use tea.
featured image also from onegoodthingbyjillee.
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