Alternate Uses of Teabags
“Gone with a single-use”. If there’s ever a movie made on teabags, that would be the most apt title.
But what if there’s a twist? What if the tale of these tea bags doesn’t end with your cup?
If you ever find yourself wondering what to do with used tea bags, this is the right place for you!
Here are some alternate uses of teabags.
1. Flavour your food
What? How to use tea bags as food flavouring? What if all the ingredients inside the bag are natural, ethically-sourced?
Save and steep tea bags in hot water to extract the remaining tea flavour in them, even after they’ve been used once. This brew can be added to soups, oatmeal, chicken broth, or even pasta and rice! This works better with flavoured teas. Heard of jasmine rice, cinnamon oatmeal or jasmine- tomato soup? Absolutely yum!
There are loads of other ways you can use tea in cooking. Stay tuned to our social channels to see how Ausum blends into interesting recipes, quite literally!
2. Remove odour
Does your room smell of cat litter, or stinky shoes? Here comes one of the best uses for unused tea bags to your rescue, again. Dry up some used tea bags (or fresh unused ones) and put them in your cat’s litter tray, at the bottom of your trash can or inside your sweaty, stinky shoes. They help absorb the odour.
Just like they remove the foul smell from your shoes, they also make a great room freshener. Just add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to your natural tea bag and hang it either in your bathroom or storeroom to leave these areas smelling great. You can do this about 2-3 times before discarding the teabag!
3. Treat your skin
In addition to making your skin glow while sipping the beverage, there are several uses for unused tea bags for skin! They’re great for home-manicures and pedicures! Just put them into hot water when soaking your fingers or feet. Not only will they remove any odours, but also are they useful to soften hardened skin and moisturize it.
The nourishing properties of organic tea bags also make it a great choice for treating acne. Green tea and black tea contain caffeine and are super-rich in catechins and polyphenols, two antioxidants that are known to fight acne, ageing and eliminate dark circles around the eye.
4. No more bad breath
Tea-flavoured mouthwashes are everywhere! This is because certain ingredients in tea, like peppermint and ginger, help kill bacteria and eliminate bad breath. So why use something with preservatives when you can do it yourself, at home? Just soak some used chamomile tea bags or mint herbal tea bags in water (minus the sugar, of course) and you’ll have yourself a light tea that
you can use as an organic mouthwash!
5. Get rid of pests
As much as we love the smell of our favourite blend, rats and insects cannot bear it! This is why used tea bags when placed in storerooms or garbage disposal areas serve as repellents. Intensify the smell of the mint tea by adding a few drops of peppermint oil. This will work as an air freshener and also keep the bugs away!
Before discarding the next one, think twice about how to use tea bags after your next cup of tea. To retain their moisture, refrigerate them. But do keep in mind that all food decomposes after a while, so if you want to put these used tea bags to use, do so within the span of a few days.
Even empty tea bags need to be disposed of responsibly. Ausum has a responsibility towards the environment and sustainability, which is why all our tea bags are crafted using non-plastic corn starch and are 100% biodegradable. Unlike nylon or paper, no micro-plastics steep into your tea from our teabags. The bag decomposes within 3-6 months and returns to nature, with no trace!
Visit the Get Ausum store for a peek into our range of teas and tisanes, available as loose blends and tea bags. From steaming cuppas to cold brews, our range of blends packs a punch!
