You brewed a good cup of tea for breakfast, and you are about to pull the tea bag out of the cup and throw it away? Stop, because once-brewed tea bags still contain valuable ingredients and are far too useful to just toss in the garbage bin! Here is our guide for 7 ways to recycle used tea bags.
Here you will find many ideas on how used tea bags can be used even more meaningfully. If the bag is to be used later, you can dry it on the clothesline or in another airy place and then store it in a closed container. Note: The following tips refer to natural teas, which are at best organically grown, do not contain artificial flavours and whose tea bags do not contain plastic.
Ways to recycle used tea bags
1. Tannins in tea bags help with skin problems
Scratch wounds, blue or red spots, insect bites and similar small bleachers can be reduced by putting on a damp tea bag with black or green tea. Place the tea bag on the affected area with gentle pressure for a quarter of an hour. The tannins in tea contained have an anti-inflammatory effect and thus contribute to the loss of redness and swelling to subside more quickly. Pigment spots and eye rings also get much better if they are treated with a cold tea bag compress. Even warts and herpes vesicles should heal faster due to the action of the tannins. Tip: Teas are also suitable as a natural remedy for many other woes.
2. Used tea bags as natural odour killers
Does it sometimes get a bit whiff in your gym shoes or sports shoes? A used tea bag can also serve well here. Simply allow to dry after use and put into the shoes. The bags suck the moisture out of the shoe and leave a pleasant smell. The bags of peppermint tea and other intensely fragrant herbs work particularly well and are one of the great ways to recycle used tea bags. Tip: For stubborn cases, there are other home remedies you can use to treat smelly shoes.
3. Tea bags as cleaners for pots and dishes
Are your dishes very dirty after eating or can burnt-in leftovers on the bottom of the pot be removed only with difficulty? Then put the dirty dishes in the sink, pour warm water into it, and put a tea bag on the particularly polluted areas. With black tea you should be careful, it can leave stubborn discoloration on sensitive surfaces. Therefore, use better bags of herbal or fruit teas for this tip. The next morning you will be able to remove dirt and grease much more easily without having to scrub.
4. Tea flavours to ward off crawling insects and mosquitoes
Small but unwanted crawling animals and insects are not exactly welcome in the house. Place the used tea bags in the places where you have discovered insects, and they will avoid the areas from now on. The aromas of used tea bags can also help to ward off stinging insects – for example, lemongrass, lemon balm or lavender – as one of the great ways to recycle used tea bags.
5. Dried tea bags as a refrigerator deodorant
Unpleasant odours in the refrigerator can also be counteracted with dried tea bags. Put some of them in the fridge. They will not only improve the air in it, but also absorb excess moisture.
6. Tea leftovers as fertilizer in potplants and garden
Even double-brewed tea bags still contain nutrients that you can use for your plants and garden. Just hang them overnight in the watering can for your houseplants. Alternatively, you can add the contents of the tea bags directly to the plant soil. Tip: Coffee grounds are also an excellent fertilizer for the balcony and garden. Here you will find more tips on fertilizing with kitchen waste.
7. Used tea bags as DIY bath additive
Many tea herbs contain skin-care ingredients. Therefore, they are also excellent for making a brew and adding it to the bath water, and are one of the great ways to recycle used tea bags. Simply pour the tea bag over with hot water again, let it draw and the DIY bath additive is ready.
»Tip: A few drops of essential lavender or orange oil support the relaxing effect.
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8. Tea bags for fresh fragrance
Fragrance bags provide a fresh scent in the bathroom or in the linen cupboards over a longer period of time. The small cotton bags can be filled with dried tea. For this, the tea is simply removed from the sachet and dried. If you use different types of tea, interesting fragrance compositions are created.
»Tip: A fragrance composition could consist of peppermint tea, fruit tea or ginger tea, for example.
9. Tea bags as a remedy
Used tea bags can also be used for medicinal purposes. Black tea in particular, with its high proportion of tannins or chamomile tea with its soothing and antibacterial properties, can promote wound healing. If the skin is irritated and reddened, the tea bags are placed on the affected skin areas. This is how smaller cuts, a slight sunburn or insect bites can be treated.
The tea bags are simply held briefly under cold water and then pressed onto the affected skin area for about ten minutes. Redness and swelling subside. Treatment with used tea bags can also improve herpes or pigment spots.
»Tip: The skin is sensitive to pressure when sunburned. The tea bags should be poured hot again and poured into a spray bottle after cooling. The sensitive skin can then be treated gently.
10. Tea bags against bad breath
A weapon against annoying bad breath is found with peppermint tea or green tea . Both teas contain antibacterial and antiseptic substances that target bacteria in the mouth and are one of the great ways to recycle used tea bags.
For the application, several tea bags are poured with hot water and left to infuse for about a quarter of an hour. The cooled tea is used as a mouthwash. Bad breath disappears if the mouth is rinsed several times a day for about a minute.
»Tip: The addition of a few drops of tea tree oil increases the effect.
11. Tea bags as a peeling mask
The contents of tea bags are slightly rough in their texture. You can take advantage of this and create a peeling mask that naturally removes excess skin cells and ensures a smooth and radiant complexion.
»Tip: Due to the anti-inflammatory and detoxifying properties, green tea and chamomile tea are the first choice for this peeling.
The tea bags are cut open and the contents are mixed with a few splashes of olive oil and a little honey to create a paste that can be applied to the skin. This mixture is then generously distributed on the face and neck and should take effect for about a quarter of an hour. Then the peeling is massaged into the skin with circular movements and rinsed off with warm water. The peeling can be applied several times a week.
12. Tea bags for shiny hair
Black or green tea is preferred for hair care. The antioxidants contained in the teas stimulate hair growth and counteract dandruff. A positive side effect – the hair gets a radiant shine.
Several tea bags are placed in hot water and left there until the tea has cooled. The cooled brew is used like a hair conditioner and massaged into the scalp for several minutes. The hair is then rinsed with cold water if possible and air dried.
»Tip: This application has a lasting effect if it is carried out twice a week.
13. Tea bags – wellness for the eyes
When it gets late in the evening, it is not uncommon to be shocked by the morning look in the mirror. A quick eye mask made from tea bags helps against swollen eyes and black shadows.
The moistened tea bags are first placed in the refrigerator for a few hours. Once the sachets have cooled well, they are placed on the eyes. After about half an hour, dark circles under the eyes and swollen eyes are significantly alleviated.
14. Tea bags for plant strengthening
Even a used tea bag is still full of valuable nutrients, which especially benefit our houseplants. No further fertilizer is required if the content of some used tea bags is mixed into the potting soil. A liquid fertilizer can also be produced. For this, several tea bags are simply hung in the watering can and the ideal organic fertilizer for all houseplants is created overnight.
Tea bags can also be used for repotting each year. These are placed in the planter before the substrate is filled up. The nitrogen-rich green tea is particularly suitable for this measure.
15. Tea bags as a grease killer
Burnt pots and pans quickly become a nuisance. Grease can be easily removed if the cookware is filled with hot water and several used tea bags are soaked there overnight. The next morning, no more detergent will usually be needed to remove the incrustations.
16. Tea bags against smelly shoes
The smell of sports or sneakers is not always pleasant. If dry used tea bags are placed in the shoes overnight, they absorb excess moisture and leave a fresh scent.
»Tip: Peppermint teas or tea blends with lime or lemongrass are particularly suitable here.
17. Tea bags against onion smell on the hands
If onions or garlic are cut, there are unpleasant smells on the hands, which do not want to disappear even after thorough cleaning. If you have just brewed yourself a green tea, simply grind the contents of the tea bag between your fingers and thus dispel the annoying smells.
18. Tea bags for pet owners
The litter box is to be cleaned daily. If the litter is temporarily stored in a trash can, unpleasant smells are the order of the day. Anyone who empties the contents of their used tea bags through the cat litter in the trash can will be able to minimize the trash from the trash can.
»Tip: Some dogs noticed that they prefer to loll in gunpowder tea. The whole has a positive side effect, the fur gets a wonderful shine.
19. Tea bags as wood polish
Wooden furniture should be refreshed occasionally. Appropriate care products are not cheap and usually do not work without chemical additives. Instead, use boiled tea bags again for cleaning. If the tea bags are rubbed over the wood, a natural shine is created and further post-treatment is not necessary.
20. Tea bags as a beauty treatment for the carpet
Similar to the description of wood, the carpet can also benefit. If the carpet in the living room needs a refresher, simply spread the contents of some dried tea bags on it. The tea leaves should take effect for about a quarter of an hour and are then suctioned off.
»Tip: Even the vacuum cleaner smells pleasant after treating the carpet.
21. Insect repellent tea bags
If it crawls in the apartment, nobody is happy. Chemical pest control should not be used in kitchens and living areas, however. You can do without it by simply placing the used tea bags in the places where you have found the insects. These are put off by the smell and disappear.
Even mosquitoes do not like tea bags. Lemon tea, black tea or rosemary tea can be used to repel mosquitoes.
Dispose of tea bags – but correctly
Can it also be used in a variety of ways? At some point the teabag will really have its day. If the tea bags do not contain metal clips and are made of paper or another organic degradable material, they can be disposed of on the compost. Tea bags can accelerate the decomposition of plant material and protect against fungi and bacteria.
