photo by Shizuha |
The English love a good “cuppa.” Many Americans also
prefer tea over coffee. I generally only drink tea when I have a cold, at a
Chinese restaurant, or on a hot summer day when I drink it iced. However, years
ago I learned that tea made an excellent dye when I wanted to “age” a
needlework project.
Recently I came across some other uses for tea. I had
no idea tea could be so versatile. Here are some examples:
1. Because tea contains a small amount of nitrogen,
it’s an excellent houseplant fertilizer. Bury a few leaves from used tea bags
just below the surface of your plants. The nutrients in the tea will be
transferred to your plants as you water them.
2. Tea also contains antioxidants. For dry or
irritated skin, spritz cooled black or green tea on your freshly washed face.
Allow your face to air dry. The tea will soothe your skin.
3. If you’re like me, you can’t tolerate the
overpowering scent of air-fresheners. So what do you do when you need to deal
with odors? Try placing several lemon, cinnamon, or peppermint tea bags in
areas that need freshening, such as your car or closets. The tea leaves will
absorb the odors instead of just masking them.
4. Ever have a problem cleaning dirty cookware? Tea
contains tannic acids that will help lift grease. Simply fill the cookware with
hot water, add a few used teabags, and soak overnight. The next morning the
cookware will clean up much easier.
5. Do you have a fireplace? Do you dread the task of
sweeping up the ashes because they fly everywhere? Sprinkle a few cups of
recently steeped loose tea leaves over the area before you sweep. The wet tea
leaves cling to the ashes, making sweeping cinders a much easier task.
4 comments:
I remember my grandmother opening tea bags and mixing in the contents with her plant soil. Thanks for the post.
Thanks for stopping by, Angela!
Fabulous tips!!! My houseplants thank you!!
Always happy to please those houseplants, Kath!
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