What Does a Used Tea Bag Do?

Are you throwing out used tea bags? The healing properties of tea are well known, but many may not realize that use tea bags still have antioxidant-rich properties which can serve many other functions.

1- Feed your garden

Rebrew used bags in a bucket of water, and use the resulting weak tea to water your plants, and protect them from fungal infections. Alternately, open up used tea bags, and sprinkle the damp leaves around the base of your plants, to fertilize the soil and deter garden pests like mice.

2- Get rid of the eye redness

Put a couple of tea bags in cold water, for about two minutes, place them onto your eyelids for a couple of minutes, the redness will gradually decrease as antioxidants are absorbed into the skin.

3- Freshen your clothes and shoes

In order to make your clothes smell fresh, you could store previously used and dry tea bags in the closet, you can also put one tea bag in each shoe. It will help you get eliminate unpleasant odors in no time.

4- Clean your home

Freshly brewed tea is great for cleaning wood furniture, mirrors and floors. Just boil a couple of tea bags in a quart of water and let it cool. Dip a soft cloth in the tea wring out the excess and use it to wipe away dirt and grime, buff dry with a clean soft cloth.

5- Get rid of acne and mitigate sunburns

If you have acne or sunburns, tea bags can give you such much-needed relief, simply dip a cotton ball into the tea, dab it on the affected area and let it air-dry.

6- Soothe those bleeding gums

The child may be all smiles later when the tooth fairy arrives, but right now those bleeding gums, are no fun whatsoever. To stop the bleeding and soothe the pain from a lost or recently pulled the tooth, wet a tea bag with cool water and press it directly on to the site.

7- Marinate meat

In order to prevent meat from becoming tough, marinate it with already used tea bags, the tea's aroma will make the meat taste richer and it will also make it softer.

8- Minimize the effect of bruising

Tannic acid, contained mostly in black tea, has the ability to restrict swelling, by constricting the blood vessels. Apply a fresh, cooled bag of black tea on your trauma, and leave for 20 minutes, for better results repeat once more during the day.

9- Tea bags can freshen your breath

Bad breath usually is due to a number of reasons, such as eating, smoking, dry mouth or other medical conditions. Bad breath is caused primarily by the bacteria on the back of your tongue or between your teeth, both green and black tea can stop the growth of the bacteria. Rinsing with strong brewed tea, reduces the unpleasant smell from the mouth. Use two or more use tea bags to prepare a new cup of tea, let it come to room temperature and the use to clean your mouth. For better result, repeat daily after meals.

10- Tea bags could be used for washing dishes, especially if you are allergic to soaps or other detergents

No matter how strange it sounds, tea does have cleaning properties, using a bunch of re-brewed tea bags, you can easily remove dirt or grease from mirrors, windows, floors, kitchen counters or other wooden furniture. Remember that after cleaning, make sure to dry the surface, because tea is also a good natural dye.