Tea is a beverage with many different uses, and once you’ve finished making your tea there are several things you can do with the leftover bag.
Read through these 23 smart things to do with tea bags that you don’t like and see how they could help make your next cup of tea even better!
Smart Things to Do With Tea Bags
- Degrease Dirty Dishes
- Rid Your Hands Of Odours
- Soothe Tired Eyes
- Flavour Your Rice or Pasta
- Help Your Plants Grow Better
- Marinate Your Meats
- Mix Different Tea Bags for A Delicious Drink
- Make Your Own Air Fresheners
- Turn Them Into Potpourri
- Make Homemade Ice Cubes
- Make a Natural Face Masquek
- Make a Natural Hair Mask
- Soothe A Sunburn
- Make a Natural Insect Repellent
- Soothe A Sore Throat
- Help Heal Acne breakouts
- Whiten Teeth
- Soothe a Headache
- Get Rid of Foot Odours
- Use It As A Lip Scrub
- Freshen Up Your Fridge
- Make A Natural Room Deodorizer
- Make A Glass Cleaner
1. Degrease Dirty Dishes
Add multiple used tea bags to a sink or bucket of dirty dishes and fill with hot water. Let it sit for about 30 minutes and then give it a good scrub.
The tea will help break down the grease and make it easier to clean! Let sit for an hour before rinsing off the dishes, which will have absorbed some of the old oil from frying pans. The caffeine in black teas is also believed to dissolve grease!
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2. Rid Your Hands Of Odours
Add used tea bags to your hands and rub together. The tannins in the black tea are great for getting rid of odours, which will make it easier to get that fish smell off after cooking or can help with other pungent smells.
Just let your hands dry naturally! This works well on feet too – just put the used tea bags in your socks overnight.
Tea will also help get rid of body odour, especially when it’s combined with lemon juice and hydrogen peroxide!
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3. Soothe Tired Eyes
Add used tea bags to your eyes for a deep cleaning treatment. The caffeine in the black teas help reduce puffiness, while also working as an antibiotic that helps get rid of bacteria and reduces redness!
For best results, use cold tea bags on your closed eyes for about five minutes at a time. This can be done up to three times a day.
Tea bags are also great for getting rid of dark circles under the eyes! Just put them in the refrigerator and then place on your closed eyelids for about five minutes at a time to reduce puffiness, inflammation, and help with fine lines around your eyes. This can be done up to three times per day as well.
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4. Flavour Your Rice or Pasta
Add a used tea bag to boiling water while you cook your rice or pasta. The tannins in the black tea will help give your dish a subtle flavour and aroma, which is perfect if you’re not sure what type of seasoning you want to use. This also works with quinoa!
Just be careful that the tea bag doesn’t make your dish too bitter – it should be subtle, not overpowering.
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5. Help Your Plants Grow Better
Add used tea bags to your plants. The caffeine in the tea can help promote growth and make your plants stronger!
You can either add the bag directly to the soil or brew a fresh cup of tea and pour it over the top of the plant.
Brewed black tea is also great for getting rid of aphids on your plants!
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6. Marinate Your Meats
Add used tea bags to your marinades before cooking. The tannins in the black tea will help prevent overcooking, which is important if you’re using a slow cooker or another moist heat method of cooking that can dry out meat easily. This works really well with chicken! It also gives it an extra touch of flavor.
Brewed black tea is also great for tenderizing meat, which will help your meats hold up better in the slow cooker by preventing them from overcooking!
7. Mix Different Tea Bags for A Delicious Drink
Brew up a fresh pot of tea and then combine different used teabags to get unique flavours. Mint green tea is great with jasmine, while chai tea works well with apple or bergamot orange pekoe!
You can also blend black teas for extra caffeine. Just make sure you’re using the same type of tea leaves – not different brands!
Brewed black teas are also great for adding an extra boost of caffeine to your cup. This is especially helpful if you’re trying to stay up all night studying or working on a project, but don’t want the jitters that come with coffee!
8. Make Your Own Air Fresheners
Brew a new pot of tea, then set it aside to cool. Pour it into a spray bottle and use as an air freshener once it’s cooled!
You may also combine different varieties of teas to create your own unique scent combinations.
This is especially useful if you have pets; simply be sure the tea isn’t too powerful since it
Brewed black tea is also great for getting rid of pet smells! Just mix a cup of brewed black tea with two cups of water and spray around your house.
It will help get rid of any unpleasant smells and leave a refreshing scent behind.
9. Turn Them Into Potpourri
Once it’s cooled, pour it into a jar or container and add some dried flowers, leaves, or other objects to create your own potpourri!
This is perfect if you want to have a specific scent in your room – just make sure the tea isn’t too strong, or it could harm your flowers.
10. Make Homemade Ice Cubes
You can then use the iced tea cubes in a variety of different drinks to add some flavour!
This is perfect if you want your drink but don’t want it watered down – just make sure the ice cube isn’t too strong, or it could ruin your drink.
11. Make a Natural Face Masquek
Add one used tea bag to one tablespoon of milk. Let it sit for about five minutes and then use as a natural face masque after washing your face with warm water.
The tannins in the black or green teas will help tighten pores, while also working as an antibacterial agent that helps eliminate toxins from the skin!
12. Make a Natural Hair Mask
Add one used tea bag and two tablespoons of honey to half a cup of plain yogurt or buttermilk, then mix it all together into a smooth paste. Use as just like you would use any other hair mask!
The tannins in the teas help tighten pores on your scalp and the caffeine in the black teas help with hair growth! It also helps reduce inflammation, which can be great for those who suffer from an itchy scalp.
Tea bags are also good at getting rid of dandruff, especially when combined with coconut oil or apple cider vinegar! Just rub into your scalp and let sit for about 30 minutes before rinsing off.
13. Soothe A Sunburn
Brew a strong cup of black tea, then let it cool to room temperature before pouring into a spray bottle.
Spritz onto sunburned skin for relief! The tannins in the tea help reduce inflammation and soothe the skin, while also working as an antibacterial agent that helps get rid of the bacteria on your skin.
Tea bags are also great for getting rid of blisters caused by a sunburn! The tannins in black tea help reduce inflammation and relieve pain, while the caffeine works to heal any open sores or burns.
Soak a used bag in warm water until it’s moist, then apply to the blistered skin for about 20 minutes at a time.
14. Make a Natural Insect Repellent
Brew a strong pot of green tea, then let it cool to room temperature before pouring into a spray bottle.
Spritz onto skin to help keep insects away! The green tea contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that can help ward off pesky bugs.
15. Soothe A Sore Throat
Brew a strong cup of black or green tea, then let it cool to room temperature before gargling with it.
The tannins in the tea will help soothe your throat and kill any bacteria present! You can also add honey for extra relief.
16. Help Heal Acne breakouts
Dip a used teabag into some hot water until it’s moist, then apply directly to the acne breakout for about 20 minutes at a time.
Tea tree oil is great for fighting acne-causing bacteria, while the caffeine in black tea can help reduce inflammation.
17. Whiten Teeth
Mix a teaspoon of baking soda with a brewed cup of black or green tea until it forms into a paste. Use this as your regular toothpaste to help whiten teeth over time!
The tannins and antioxidants in the tea will help remove any surface stains, while the baking soda helps scrub away plaque and other build-ups on your teeth.
You can also use lemon juice instead of water to make a more potent mixture that helps fight even harder against surface staining.
18. Soothe a Headache
Brew a strong cup of black or green tea, then let it cool to room temperature before applying with a cotton ball to the affected area.
The tannins in the tea help soothe inflammation and reduce pain from headaches! You can also add honey for an extra boost of relief.
Tea bags are also great at relieving sinus pressure caused by allergies or colds! Just soak one in very warm water until it’s moist, then place over closed eyes while lying down.
This will help open up your blocked nasal passages and relieve some of that pesky pressure you feel on your face when suffering from these types of illnesses! It is especially good if combined with peppermint oil or eucalyptus oil.
19. Get Rid of Foot Odours
Brew a strong cup of black tea, then let it cool to room temperature before soaking your feet in it for about 20 minutes at a time.
The tannins in the tea will help kill any bacteria or fungus that may be causing your foot odour, while the caffeine works as an astringent and helps reduce any swelling or puffiness on feet.
Tea bags can also help get rid of foot odour when rubbed onto the bottom of your feet every day!
The tannins in black tea are great at killing off bacteria that cause odor, while caffeine will dry up excess perspiration to keep you smelling fresh all day long.
20. Use It As A Lip Scrub
Brew a strong cup of black tea, then let it cool to room temperature before mixing with an equal amount of sugar.
Use this mixture as a lip scrub to help get rid of any dead skin cells and reveal softer, smoother lips!
The sugar will help exfoliate your lips while the antioxidants in the tea work to protect them from future damage.
You can also use this scrub to help get rid of any dark spots or discoloration on your lips.
21. Freshen Up Your Fridge
Brew a pot of strong black tea, then let it cool to room temperature before pouring into a spray bottle.
Spritz onto the inside of your fridge to help get rid of any unpleasant smells! The tea will help absorb any bad odours while leaving a refreshing scent behind.
22. Make A Natural Room Deodorizer
If you’re looking for a natural way to get rid of bad smells in your home, try using tea! Tea is great for absorbing unpleasant odours, and can be used in a few different ways to help freshen up your living space.
One way to use tea is by brewing a pot of strong black tea and letting it cool to room temperature.
Pour it into a spray bottle and spritz it onto the inside of your fridge to help get rid of any unpleasant smells! The tea will help absorb any bad odours while leaving a refreshing scent behind.
You can also make a room deodorizer by mixing a brewed cup of black or green tea with an equal amount of sugar.
Use this mixture as a lip scrub to help get rid of any dead skin cells and reveal softer, smoother lips! The sugar will help exfoliate your lips while the antioxidants in the tea work to protect them from future damage.
23. Make A Glass Cleaner
Brew a pot of strong black tea, then let it cool to room temperature before pouring into a spray bottle.
Spritz onto the inside of your fridge to help get rid of any unpleasant smells! The tea will help absorb any bad odours while leaving a refreshing scent behind.
To make your own glass cleaner, mix 2 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar with 1/4 cup of brewed black tea (or green, if you prefer).
Spray onto your windows and mirrors for an easy natural way to remove fingerprints and other grime!
Conclusion
There are many different reasons you might be stuck with tea that isn’t your favorite. Maybe you decided it didn’t taste good, or got stale before you could use it, or one of the types in a larger mixed pack just wasn’t what you like.
Before throwing out this unused tea bag, read on to see how we can make productive uses for them! For some ideas and inspiration visit 23 Smart Things To Do With Tea Bags You Don’t Like.