Green Living – Don’t Throw Away That Tea Bag Yet!

As much as I love my coffee, these days I also love my cuppa tea. Green tea, to be specific. I’ve made it my life’s mission to sample the various flavors of green tea available. I blame my friend for this particular fetish. She’d keep pampering me with pots of flavored tea as we snacked our way through our tete-a-tetes. Even when she phones, she urges me to go grab a BIG mug of chai before we settle down to our marathon conversations.

Then, there seems to be no end to the health benefits of green tea – so who am I to argue?

So today, I am happy to say that at any point of time, I have at least 8 flavors of green tea bags to choose from. I am also glad to say I’ve turned my son into a green tea drinker. Some of the flavors we play tic-tac-toe with are: tulsi (basil) – tastes fabulous, tulsi lemon, jasmine, citrus, peach, mango (yes, really!), dandelion mint, ginger mulethi lemon, lemongrass, mint burst – oh yes. Plenty more where that came from.

(And if you enjoy loose leaf tea – here’s an easy DIY tutorial on how to make your own tea bags The image is from there)

green living vidya sury

While looking for a particular brand that is eco-friendly – I support green living and try to recycle just about anything I use – I came across some amazing information. Who knew there were so many ways to re-suse that used tea bag? The long list of tips literally knocked my skin-colored toe socks off my feet!

I had no idea that tea bags can be an important part of the cleaning tool kit AND that first aid kit.

Join me as we cruise through this amazing list!

Got musty or dirty carpets? Clean them by sprinkling dry used green tea leaves on them. After ten minutes, vacuum!
Wood furniture can be a challenge to maintain. To keep them looking good, polish them by dipping a soft cloth in a little black tea and wipe them off.
One of my pain points is mirrors. Annoying to clean – somehow, there’s always some mark on them. Until I discovered that tea bags are great for cleaning mirrors – they easily get rid of finger marks and other blemishes and make it shine
Toilet stains. Ugh! Use a tea bag to remove stains in the bottom of your potty. Leave the tea bag in for a few hours, brush, flush and watch it sparkle!
Smelly hands after handling fish or other foods? Use a tea rinse!
Stinky fridge? Use a tea bag in the fridge to absorbs odors.
Pet peeves can do with some tea too! Did you know tea repels fleas? Sprinkle some dry tea leaves around your pet’s bed. If your pet loves tea….figure out how to keep ‘em from eating the tea leaves! Dry tea leaves also help deodorize pet litter boxes.
Make an air-freshener with lavender or other flavored herbal tea in a bag under your seat to prevent odors. Ha, ha! You know what I mean!
Fan of Potpourri? Great use for tea!. If you’ve hoarded old tea bags, don’t brew them. Create a potpourri and enjoy the mild fragrance along with scented sachets.
Wet tea bags can soothe sunburns. Also effective on minor burns. Sunburn all over the body? A tea bath for you!.
Warm wet tea bags can get rid of puffiness around the eyes and relieve tired eyes. The sight of tea bags on your eyes is also great for a good laugh.
Got a boil? Cover it with a wet tea bag and leave it on to help the boil drain out easily
Apply tea bags on blisters and sores to get rid of the infection.
Painful injection? Use a wet teabag on the injection site for relief.
Brewed tea is a great hair conditioner- use it to rinse your hair. Leave it for a few minutes and rinse with water again. Tea is also a natural hair dye.
Acne? Wash face with green tea to reduce them.
For smelly feet, soak them in strong tea for about 15 minutes a day to reduce the foot odor.
Burn tea leaves to repel mosquitoes.
Add used tea leaves in potted plants – good as a fertilizer
Great as a remedy for cold – with ginger