Cleaning with Used Tea Bags and More - We Spill the Tea on How!
We just happened to come upon this amazing video by Lynsey, rightfully known as the Queen of Clean, where she starts cleaning with used tea bags, and all we wanted to do was try it to see if it worked.
No surprise there, it did!
If you’re anything like us, you can’t start your day without that morning cup of warm, soothing tea. Tea as a beverage has many health benefits known to the world for generations, which is why it has become a staple globally. In all of its variations and glory, tea is the most consumed beverage in the world, second only to water.
When we read this, all we could think about was, “Well, how can we use all of these old tea bags?” We don’t like waste, nobody does, and discarding old, used tea bags just didn’t sit right with us. So we did a little digging around, and you guessed it; we came up with a list!
Cleaning with used tea bags is one of the ways you can repurpose your morning cuppa, but there is so much more life to your old tea bag than just cleaning that dirty old pan!
Wondering what to do with your used tea bags? Read how you can use old tea bags to clean and do so much more around your home.
(On a side note, if someone isn’t doing so well in your house, here’s what you can do to keep your house safe and clean: House Cleaning Tips for when Someone is Sick in Your Home)
Soak Not One, But All Your Dishes!
Your old tea bag can be used to remove the excess grime and oil from your dishes, so we figured, if it works for one, why not all? Before you hand wash your dishes, or put them in the dishwasher, we suggest you soak them all in your kitchen sink. Put all your used, grimy dishes, pots and pans in the sink, fill it up with water, add tea bags, and leave it to soak overnight.
This way you get out of doing your dishes before bed time (yay), and you let the tea do all of its magic by breaking down the grime, so it becomes even easier to clean the next morning. The number of used tea bags you need to add depends on the number of dishes you’re leaving overnight. Ideally anywhere between 10 to 12 old tea bags should be enough for a sink full of dishes (it’s time to start saving each and every one!).
Want an easier way to scrub your dishes clean instead of hand washing? Check out our favourite kitchen helper - Skadu the electric kitchen scrubber!
Used Tea Bags Can Add that Sparkle to Your Windows Too!
Why stop at dishes? You can add windows to your cleaning with used tea bags list as well. Matter of fact, any glass or mirrored surface can be cleaned using an old tea bag, and it can be done very easily. All you need is a damp tea bag to wipe the surface thoroughly. Use a paper or kitchen towel after you are done to wipe your mirrors or glass clean, and you have your own DIY glass cleaner and stain remover!
This is really helpful if you have children around the house who love to touch everything they can. Instead of restricting their movements, just follow this simple cleaning hack, and let them roam free!
Here is what you can teach your children instead: Clean-Up Tricks to Get Your Kids Involved
Create an Odor-Free Household with Used Tea Bags
It’s good to know that baking soda isn’t always the answer to everything. Even if it is, tea offers a pretty great replacement for it! If you feel like there are some smelly cabinets around your house, or your refrigerator has that musky smell you want to get rid of, your used tea bags are here to the rescue.
Keep old tea bags in a bowl, and shove it into a corner of your refrigerator or cabinet, and let it do its job. The tea leaves will end up absorbing the odor, leaving you an odorless, tea-scented home! You have to remember to replace them every few days for this to work, but when have we ever run out of tea bags?
Repel Those Pesky Pests
Tea is also a great repellent against rodents and other pests you don’t want around your house. They hate the smell of peppermint, so you can just reuse that old tea bag you were about to discard and place it strategically around your house.
Ideal locations? Near doors and inside cabinets. If you have peppermint oil, you can add it to the used tea bag to give it that added boost. When it comes to your garden, you can boil the tea bag again to make a weak brew, and water your plants with it. It’s organic and it doesn’t harm the plants or the animals.
Green Tea for Your Green Thumb
Oh, if you’ve started to get into gardening and composting, tea is the wonderful addition you didn’t know you needed to your garden! You can be straightforward and add used tea bags to your compost to help break down the bacteria faster, or you can add it to your plants as a handy fertilizer.
Tea nourishes your soul, but also the soil. It balances the pH of your soil, improves the drainage (a must in potted plants), and improves the overall soil structure. Old tea bags for the win!
Add Some Shine to Your Wooden Floors and Furniture
If you love black tea, make sure you share it with your woodwork. Wooden flooring and furniture tends to collect polish buildup over time, causing it to lose its shine. Tannins, which are biomolecules present in substances like black tea, coffee, and chocolate, help bring out the sheen by removing the buildup.
All you have to do is heat up some hot water and add a few old tea bags of black tea in it. Wait for it to cool down, and use a microfiber cloth to dip into the mixture and wipe your wooden floors or furniture, and voila! It’s as good as new.
There are a whole bunch of other items around your home that could do with a rub down with tea as well! You can clean your antique rugs, spruce up your fireplace, and use the old tea bags to wipe off those dirty toilet stains again. The possibili-tea-s are endless (yes we love puns, we think they are simply beau-tea-ful)!
Spill the Tea While You Do Your Self-Care Routine
Self-care has become a priority for most of us, considering the year we’ve had, so if you have a daily, weekly or even monthly self-care routine - try some tea! Relax, leave some used tea bags on your eyelids, and share some much needed pampering time with your loved ones.
Tea also helps reduce acne, slows signs of aging, and so much more. There is a reason why it’s such a popular beverage. Internally and externally, it makes you feel good!
Some of the other advantages of including tea in your daily skincare or haircare routine include increasing the shine in your hair, eliminating bad breath and foot odors, help soothe sunburns and razor burns (for most of us who haven’t stepped out in a while)... honestly the list is endless.
Do or Dye Projects
Natural dyes are a summer favorite! If you’re feeling artsy, and you want to start a new project, this could be it! You can use old tea bags to give your clothes, towels, curtain, or whatever item you may please a nice earthy tone.
It’s natural, organic, and sustainable! So you can do it with your kids because there are harmful chemicals involved! Here, we found an easy-to-follow tutorial for you to refer to as well!
Now that we’re all home for the foreseeable future, why not make our lives a little more exciting? You can try these fun hacks using old tea bags, and add some creativity to your day! Remember to stay home and stay safe.
