Four Unconventional Uses for Tea Bags
If you’re a regular reader of our blog, then you probably remember all the unconventional ways in which you can utilize your leftover coffee grounds. Well, we’re back for another edition, but this time our focus is on tea. After you pour yourself a hot cup of freshly brewed tea, do you instinctively throw away the tea bag? Before you think about doing that, keep this in mind—you can actually give your old teabags a brand new life, and effectively utilize them to their greatest potential. Don’t worry; you don’t need to be a creative professional to give the following tricks a try! Clean Wood Furniture 
Over time, wood furniture can easily accumulate dust, dirt, and grime. This is where freshly brewed tea comes in surprisingly handy. Cleaning is a very quick and simple process—boil a couple of tea bags in a quart of water, let it cool, dip a soft cloth in the tea, wring out the excess, and use it to wipe away the dirt. Then, just buff it dry with a clean cloth. This works because tea has anti-greasing agents in it which aid in dirt removal, and it is also naturally gentle on porous surfaces like wood. First Aid 
For burns, sores, and bruises, you can reduce inflammation and bring relief just by placing a cool, damp tea bag on the affected area, and lightly applying pressure, the same way that you would with a compress. This takes the sting out, and the natural compound that exists in tea called tannins constricts blood vessels, which stops any bleeding and/or skin discoloration. Similarly, teabags can also prove to be useful in treating skin rashes, like poison ivy, as they help alleviate itching. All you need to do is dab the teabag on the skin, and it slowly dries up the rash. Deter Pests 
Dry, used tea bags, particularly mint tea bags, have found to be useful in keeping household critters like mice and spiders away. These annoying pests are not very fond of tea, especially peppermint tea. The smell acts as an effective repellant that is extremely off-putting to them. DIY Facial 
Not everyone has the time and/or the money to spare for a trip to the spa. How can you keep your face feeling fresh when you are on a budget? Used tea bags can work in your advantage in more than one way, in this regard. First, you can revitalize tired eyes. Kick back and relax, and place refrigerated, used tea bags over your eyes. Again, those tannins in the tea leaves stimulate blood circulation and reduce the bags and dark circles under your eyes. Second, you can reduce puffiness and make your face glow. Place a brewed tea bag in a bowl of hot water, keep your face right above the bowl, and cover your head and the bowl with a towel to hold in the steam. By doing this, the antioxidants and tannins in the tea tighten your pores. We have discussed just a handful of the unique uses for your used tea bags. In reality, there are many many more. In your experience, have you come up with any out-of-the-ordinary ways of your own? Please share them with us here, and you could be featured in a future CoffeeAM post!
Over time, wood furniture can easily accumulate dust, dirt, and grime. This is where freshly brewed tea comes in surprisingly handy. Cleaning is a very quick and simple process—boil a couple of tea bags in a quart of water, let it cool, dip a soft cloth in the tea, wring out the excess, and use it to wipe away the dirt. Then, just buff it dry with a clean cloth. This works because tea has anti-greasing agents in it which aid in dirt removal, and it is also naturally gentle on porous surfaces like wood. First Aid For burns, sores, and bruises, you can reduce inflammation and bring relief just by placing a cool, damp tea bag on the affected area, and lightly applying pressure, the same way that you would with a compress. This takes the sting out, and the natural compound that exists in tea called tannins constricts blood vessels, which stops any bleeding and/or skin discoloration. Similarly, teabags can also prove to be useful in treating skin rashes, like poison ivy, as they help alleviate itching. All you need to do is dab the teabag on the skin, and it slowly dries up the rash. Deter Pests Dry, used tea bags, particularly mint tea bags, have found to be useful in keeping household critters like mice and spiders away. These annoying pests are not very fond of tea, especially peppermint tea. The smell acts as an effective repellant that is extremely off-putting to them. DIY Facial Not everyone has the time and/or the money to spare for a trip to the spa. How can you keep your face feeling fresh when you are on a budget? Used tea bags can work in your advantage in more than one way, in this regard. First, you can revitalize tired eyes. Kick back and relax, and place refrigerated, used tea bags over your eyes. Again, those tannins in the tea leaves stimulate blood circulation and reduce the bags and dark circles under your eyes. Second, you can reduce puffiness and make your face glow. Place a brewed tea bag in a bowl of hot water, keep your face right above the bowl, and cover your head and the bowl with a towel to hold in the steam. By doing this, the antioxidants and tannins in the tea tighten your pores. We have discussed just a handful of the unique uses for your used tea bags. In reality, there are many many more. In your experience, have you come up with any out-of-the-ordinary ways of your own? Please share them with us here, and you could be featured in a future CoffeeAM post!