If you have some old, stale tea in your kitchen closet which can no longer be used then here are some innovative ways to use tea beyond the teacup. 1. Cleaning The astringency of tea makes it capable of cutting through dirt and grease. So it can be used to clean a variety of surfaces. Wooden floors & furniture: Damp a piece of cloth with strong-brewed tea made from old tea leaves and rub on the wooden surface. Mirrors & Windows: Tea can remove the greasy fingerprints and make the mirrors and windows shine. Brew some tea, fill it in a spray bottle and clean the surface with it. Toilet stains: Throw in a few tea bags in the toilet for a couple of hours then scrub the toilet bowl and flush. 2. Neutralize bad odors Tea leaves are highly absorbent and can be used for deodorizing. Tea can be used to get rid of different kinds of offending odors. Stinky shoes/feet: Put a dry tea bag inside each shoe overnight to get rid of the funky smell. Also, you can soak your feet for 15-20 minutes in steeped tea and say goodbye to smelly feet. Fridge: Put dried tea leaves in an open and uncovered container and place it in the fridge for a day or two. It will soak up all the unwanted smells. Post-cooking: We use a lot of smelly ingredients while cooking like fresh fish, garlic, onions etc. To get rid of these smells from hands or even chopping-boards, rub with steeped tea leaves. Carpets/Rugs: Sprinkle dry tea leaves on carpet or rug and let them work their magic for 20-30 minutes and then gently sweep them away or use a vacuum cleaner. 3. Personal Tea has rejuvenating and relaxing properties. It can be incorporated into our daily lives in a variety of ways. Dye hair: Instead of an expensive trip to the salon to dye grey hair, make your own natural dye using tea and herbs. Steep 3 tsps. Tea in 1 cup boiling water. Add 1tsp. of rosemary and sage each and steep it overnight. To use. Wash your hair and then saturate your hair with this solution. Repeat several times to get results. Soothe razor burn/sunburn: Use wet teabags on the affected area for a few minutes. It works well for other kinds of minor burns as well. Mouthwash: Using a solution of peppermint tea and a tiny amount of salt to rinse the mouth can help give relief from toothaches and other mouth pains. Soothe tired/burning eyes: Use warm, wet tea bags to reduce irritation and puffiness in and around eyes. Tea Bath: Fill in a muslin bag with your favorite tea blend and let it steep in your bathtub and then have a relaxing soak in the water tub. Homemade soap: Tea can serve as a natural exfoliating agent in homemade soap. Tea enhances the scent and cleansing property of the soap. 4. Scenting You can use any of your favorite flavored and scented teas to liven up the aroma and freshen up the environment. Potpourri: Put scented tea blends like lavender, lemon, rose etc in decorative bowls and place them around the house to infuse the air with these beautiful fragrances. Drawer sachets: Fill muslin bags with scented tea leaves and place them in your sock or underwear drawers. Car air freshener: Put some scented tea in muslin bags and stash under the car seats to freshen up the car. 5. Gardening Tea is full of nutrients that can help nourish the plants.
Compost: Instead of disposing of steeped tea leaves, put them in a compost pile to nourish your plants. You can also scatter steeped tea leaves on the top layer of soil.
Water Plants: You can use the leftover tea liquid to water plants.