The Other Uses of Tea
73After Drinking, What?
Tea is such an excellent drink that I am sure you have your own favourite concoction or flavour of this drink. I am also sure that you already know about the many health benefits of drinking tea. So I will not talk about those here. But have you heard about the many other uses of tea? If you have, then that’s good. If you haven’t, then read on.
What do you do with your used tealeaves or teabags after you have enjoyed your drink? Do you just throw them to the garbage? If you do, then I say...STOP! ...don’t throw away those leaves and bags yet. There are still other uses for these.
Tea Beauty Secrets
Relieve Tired Eyes
Are your eyes tired and red after a whole days work? Then, soak 2 used teabags in warm water and place these over your closed eyes for about 20 minutes. The tannins in the tea help reduce puffiness and soothe tired eyes.
Natural Hair Conditioner
Do you want shiny hair and don’t want to use conditioner all the time? Then tea will help bring that shine to your hair.
Boil water and steep teabags or leaves in this. Let cool and use as rinse for your hair. Leave to dry for a while and rinse once more with water. Your hair will turn shiny after this treatment.
*Note, if you are using loose tea leaves, then please strain before using so you will not have tea leaves in your hair.
Cool Sunburned Skin
If you forgot to use sun block during your day out in the sun, then here is what you can do. Wet some teabags and apply to your skin. This will soothe your burning skin. If a big part of your body is sunburned however, then use more teabags and soak these in warm water. Add the tea solution to your bathwater and have a tea bath.
Cooking with Tea
- Tea nowadays comes in many flavours. Just a pinch of your favourite tea flavour can spice up some of your soup and other dishes. Experiment! To get the full benefit of the flavour it is of course better to use new teabags.
- Don’t have meat tenderizer? Use tea as marinade. Place 4 tablespoons of black tea leaves in 3 cups of warm water and steep for 5 minutes. Strain to remove the leaves and stir in 3 tablespoons of brown sugar. Season your meat with your usual seasoning and add the tea solution before cooking. This is best for your pot roast or other oven-baked meat.
Cleaning with Tea
- If you want sparkling mirrors, clean them with tea. Soak used teabags in warm water. Dampen a soft cleaning cloth with the tea solution and use this for cleaning your mirror. Buff with a soft cloth and your mirror will come out clean and sparkling.
- Wood furniture and floors could also use some tea wipes.Soak used teabags in warm water. Cool. Dip a soft cloth into the solution and use this to clean wood furniture or wood floors. For best results use newly prepared tea that has been cooled.
Gardening with Tea
- Do you want healthy roses and ferns? A sprinkle of dried tea leaves will do the trick. Take out the tea leaves from the used bags and sprinkle them in your garden and flower pots. They make excellent fertilizers. Their nitrogen content plus phosphoric acid, potash, and manganese provide nutrients to plants.
- Cooled left-over tea can also be used to water houseplants.
- If you have a compost pile, add a few cups of tea to it. This speeds up the decomposition process. Liquid tea attracts acid-producing bacteria, and will thus improve the quality of your compost.
Freshening with Tea
- Tea is also an excellent odor absorber. To remove food odor in your refrigerator, place some used tea bags inside.
Not only that, you can also remove the smell of fish and onions from your hands by washing them in tea.
- Don’t buy anymore carpet fresheners. Use dried tea leaves instead. Sprinkle some dried tea leaves on your carpet. Let it stay for about 15 minutes. Vacuum afterward. The tea leaves will not only freshen your carpet but will deodorize your vacuum bag as well. Use some of those mint flavored tea for even more refreshing smell.
- While we are into fresheners, why not use tea leaves as part of your potpourri? This time, it will be better to use new teabags for better effect.
- By the way, although I haven’t tried this, tea is supposed to be a natural inhibitor for fleas. Why not use it then in your pets’ bedding area. It will not only absorb the odor but will prevent fleas as well.
So with all those other uses of tea, let’s drink up, but keep the tea bags for later use.
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Comments
Hi ArnMan,
I'm glad you found this hub useful. Thank you for dropping by and good luck in your gardening.
I don't drink tea, so maybe some of these uses will get me using it a different way. I have a friend who rinsed her hair with tea. It darkened it and made it shinier, or so she said. My mom used tea bags on the eyes to sooth and draw out crud (technical term). I have heard that it's good as a meat tenderizer but I'd forgotten about it until I read this hub. Think that's the one I'll try first.
Thanks for the tips.
Hi Herald Daily,
I'm happy that you found in this hub some information you can use.
Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment. Good luck in your cooking.
When we moved house the removal men told us to put a teabag in the fridge as it kept it dry and fresh. We also had some Tea scented furniture polish but I wouldn't recommend that as for months our house smelt like a tea caddy. Nice post, really enjoyed it.
Hello Knell63,
I am glad that what I wrote in this hub is validated by your own personal experience.
Thank you for your inspiring comment.
Very enjoyable read! Liked the gardening tips.
Interesting cooking tips! Indians add tea bags when cooking chick peas to give them a certain colour. I'm sure cultures across the world have their own tips.
Hi Jerilee,
I'm happy that you enjoyed the hub. You should try the gardening tips, they really work.
Hi Feline Prophet,
Thank you for your comment.
Now that you mentioned it, I just remembered that some people in our dorm used to boiled eggs in tea to give them a nice brown color.
What an informative hub! Congratulations for being a Hubnugget Wannabe! To vote for this hub, click here: http://hubpages.com/_143/hub/Summer--and-the-HubNu
Great hub! Reading about tea makes me want to turn the kettle on.
Besides the great uses you've listed I find that Tea also makes a great dye.I've used used strong black tea to create a dramatic background effect on plain white paper and a few brush strokes of strong black tea does accent a black and white sketch very well.
You could do the same with coffe... if your'e bored and sitting in a cafe:)..sketch on serviettes with your spilt coffee.
Hi Ripplemaker,
Thank you very much! I am happy that you found my hub informative.
Thank you very much too for making a pitch for my hub. I appreciate that very much.
Hello Betsy Baywatch,
Thank you for your inspiring comment.
Thanks also for your additional information. Now that you mentioned it, I remember being in an art workshop once and some artists were painting with coffee. I did not see tea though. However, as you said you have painted with tea. Wow!
I think I should add a section to this hub soon with the subtitle - Art with Tea. That will be great! Thank you for the inspiration.
You're welcome Jill.
Congratulations on the hubnugget nomination:) I voted!
Coffe is good,..but the reddish hue in tea gives a really great sanguine effect...and it's a cheaper alternative to the more expensive crayons.
Congratulations on your nomination, and welcome. Nice hubs :)
Good tips on the other uses of tea! =) Good luck on the nomination!
Thank you once again Betsy Baywatch. I'll try painting with tea one of these days.
Thank you too for your vote. I appreciate that very much.
fortune telling .. some people make predictions using cup of tea.
Hi RedElf,
Thank you very much for your nice welcome and for the congratulations. Thank you too for leaving a comment on this hub.
Hi Chiara,
Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment. I do hope you will be able to make use of the tips here.
Thank you too for wishing me luck. I need that!
Hello CreativeMind,
You are right ... I forgot about that...fortune telling with tea leaves. I think you have to use loose tea leaves here. It's supposedly the formation of the leaves (after you finish drinking the tea) that shows your fortune. The fortune teller has to interpret the formation of the leaves.
Great tips on tea uses! I had forgotten about using teabags to soothe a burn, thanks for the reminder. :D
I make tea a lot, so I will be using some of these tips for the used tea bags. My few scraggly plants will thank you! Here is a tip from me for those who love iced tea, would like to drink the green tea for the additional benefits, but don't like the color, etc.: Add a few green tea bags to your regular tea bags when making your iced tea. There is not a noticable difference in taste or color, but if all the hype is right, it is much healthier.
Congratulations on your nomination for hubnugget of the week!
Hi K@ri,
Thank you very much for leaving a comment on my hub. I appreciate that very much. I certainly hope that you will be able to make use of the tips here.
All the best!
Hello Connie Smith,
Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment. I appreciate that very much.
Thank you too for your congratulations. With your help and that of the other beautiful people here, I hope I do make it to the top 5. Thank you very much.
Thank you too for your additional tip. I usually drink it pure green tea or pure other tea. I'll try your mix next time.
All the best!
Hi Jill of Alltrades, I just read the fan mail you left and had to check this hub out. Such a wealth of information about the use of tea. I have used tea for tired eyes and it felt soo soothing and worked wonderfully. Will definitely have to try out more of these tips. Thanks.
I also checked out your photo blog and blog "what I like about"... and I absolutely loved them both. Great job. I am now on my way over to give you a vote in the hubnugget. I am soo glad that I could be a source of encouragement.
You've got a new fan today! :)
Read your article, and found it very interesting. Have tried it on my eyes, and found that it truly works. Will try it on my hair next, and will keep you posted.
Hi Dottie1
Thank you very much for your kind and encouraging words.
Yes. that's really true, it's your encouragement that made me go on.
I am happy that what I wrote here is validated by your experience. Do try the other tips. They really work.
Thank you for your vote of confidence!
Hi rico@aim.edu
I'm glad my article has helped you. That's great!
Yes, do try the other tips, they really work. Keep me posted please.
Thank you for leaving a comment.
All the best!
I love tea! Especially green tea, you can feel it cleansing out your system!
I'm definately going to try cleaning my mirrors with tea, hopefully it will be a good alternative to the over-priced mirror cleaners from supermarkets which leave streaks.
Brilliant hub:-D
Hello ThePioneer21,
That's great! I love tea also.
Yes, do try it on your mirrors. It really works!
Thank you very much for your inspiring comment.
Hey Jill, I had no idea that tea absorbs bad smells from fridges. I was always told to use baking soda, but tea is cool. I drink it every day. Cofee less often, 'cos I'm a coffee snob, and it ain't easy to get a decent cup here. Interesting post.
Hi Christianesk,
Yes, tea can do that...absorb odor that is. Of course baking soda can also do it. However, since you are a tea drinker, then you can really make use of those used tea leaves or tea bags this way.
Thank you for dropping by and leaving a comment.
Gr8 article...tea is a great detoxer/antioxidant with obviously so any other used.
Hi Clicchic,
Thank you very much for your heartwarming comment!
Let's drink tea!
All the best!
I love drinking tea! Green tea is my favorite evening drink to have with dinner or just to keep my self healthy.
jill - wonderful hub! I always feel guilty when I throw out my used tea leaves, like there's something more I should do with them. Thanks for all the ideas.
Hi Garrett,
That's great! You can make use of your tea bags after.
Thank you for dropping by and leaving a comment.
It is amazing just how much tea can do for you!
Hi Madame X,
Thank you very much! I'm happy that you will be able to make use of the info in my hub.
Hello Ashley Joy,
Yes, you are right, tea is really amazing not only as a drink but also as many other things.
Thank you for dropping by and leaving a comment.
Enjoy your tea!
cool stuff. I've heard about chamomile being used on dermatitis or psoriasis too.
wow! didnt know any of those thanx so much i learnt alot!
Hi Jim Farguson,
Thanks very much! Really, I didn't know about that. That's great! That's a good addition to this hub!
Hello Mwaky,
Thank you very much too! Your comment makes me happy that I wrote this hub. I hope you will be able to use some of those tips.
Hello my dear friends,
Guess what, this hub made it to #2 as a hubnugget. Isn't that great?
This was of course only possible because of your support. So thank you very much everyone. This honor is not only for me but for all of you who believed in me.
Thank you very much again.
All the best!
I knew about teabags on the eyes and on burns, but not the rest. Thanks! And congratulations on being #2 in HubNuggets! ;D
Hi JamaGenee,
Thank you very much! You're very kind.
I hope you find the other uses of tea useful too.
Great hub - there were a few that I already knew, but you certainly rounded out the selection! I'm definitely going to give some of these a try!
Congratulations for your hubnugget placement! That's awesome!
I love tea,In particular, tea and chrysanthemum tea
Hi Enelle Lamb,
Thank you for dropping by and leaving a comment. Do try the other tips.
You inspire me to keep writing more hubs.
Hello lovemyself,
That makes two of us or rather many of us who love tea!
You know what, your hub on tea connects perfectly with this hub.
Let's drink to that!
having one tea a day will keep you away from many diseases and it will help you stay fit but if you have more than one then it will lead you to so many side effects like the gastric problems
As a fellow tea drinker, I had to stop by and say great hub. Keep on drinking.
I drink lots of tea, mainly green, and will now put the leaves on my poor Mirandy rose that needs something good. Will also try the mirror cleaning tip. Thanks for the many suggestions and thank you for sharing them all. I have bookmarked your page.
Thank you for sharing all of these ideas about tea. I'll certainly be trying some of them. The first on the list is the tea bags on the eyes - just the thought of it is relaxing! Thanks.
Hi Swathin2,
Thanks very much for the reminder. Well, anything that is overdone will always produce some problems.
Hello Tiptopcat,
Thank you for your heartwarming comment.
Hi Frogyfish,
Wow, that's a big compliment, bookmarking this hub! Thank you very much.
Yes, do try the tips, they really work.
Hello Laura,
Thank you for dropping by and leaving a comment. I do hope you try some of the tips.
All the best!
You did a wonderful job and congratulations for being a Hubnugget winner! :-) Yipppppeeee!
Hi Ripplemaker,
Thank you very much! I would not have made it without your help and that of the other wonderful people here. Of course my friends from outside of hubpages helped to.
Again, thanks very much!
Have surely tried it on my hair. Indeed, it is a great substitute for hair conditioners. It kept my hair shiny the whold day. Congrats on your great idea.
Great Hub, I use coffee for several uses like to remove odor in refrigerators and fertilizer for plants. I will also use tea from now, glad to see so many uses for it.
Hi angcorics,
I'm glad that you used one of the tips here and that it has positive results on you. That's great! The idea is not my own, I just researched it.
Hello cgull8m,
Thank you for leaving a comment. I'm glad that you found some useful info. Well, you can probably alternate between coffee and tea which is what I do.
What a wonderful hub! I adore tea, too. And my parents have always emptied the leaves from the tea pot over various plants, too.
Hi LondonGirl,
Thank you for your generous comment. I'm happy that you are also using the same other uses for tea. That's great to know!
Congratulations on being nominated as a Hubnugget Wannabe!
This is a very useful companion hub that should be posted near the fridge!
Thanks very much Francia.
Actually, this hub is already a hubnugget, not just a wannabe. It got #2 in votes.
I'm happy that you find this useful.
Oh, it's good to know that this hub isn't just a wannabe but has been actually chosen already as a hubnugget.Congratulations!!!
Thanks Francia!
mmm I love tea! Especially Tetley Tea. I didn't know you could use tea for cleaning. Very interesting.
Hi Jenny,
Thank you for the visit and for leaving a comment. Yes, do try cleaning mirrors with tea. It works.
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ArnMan says:
5 months ago
I may have to try some of the gardening techniques for tea. I am a super tea drinker, I usually make a gallon almost every other day. Probably from the big glasses I use lol. I was always wondering what uses I could use the used tea bags. Thanks for the info.