Consider new uses for used tea bags!

Most gardeners love to recycle, upcycle and save what we can, right? If you’re a regular tea drinker, you’re in luck! There are many good uses for used tea bags, besides sending them to the compost.

Now you’ve probably heard about coffee grounds being great for soil, plants, and earthworms, right?  But did you know there are actually uses for used tea bags too?

Do You Drink Tea or Coffee or Both?

For us, it’s both. We’re mostly coffee drinkers by morning, and often enjoy tea in the afternoon. A sort of American, British conciliation. 😊

Coffee First – Morning Joy Juice!

Coleman calls it “Kickapoo Joy Juice”. 😀

We grind organic coffee beans and start out with a French press and shift to a Keurig for more. Our favorite coffee these days is Ruta Maya Organic Medium Roast which we buy in 5 lb bags from either Amazon or Costco.

LeAura drinks “butter coffee with coconut oil”. Sounds weird, but it’s actually, surprisingly amazing.

Coleman favors coffee mocha, which he makes using equal portions of organic dark cocoa powder and raw cane sugar and about a Tbsp. of that mix with each cup, topped with frothed milk. For more coffee servings we use the Keurig machine and fill up the reusable K-cups with organic fresh ground beans.

Afternoon Tea

By mid-to-late afternoon, we’re ready for some kind of refresher. Our favorites are kombucha or hot teas, such as medicinals. While writing this, we’re drinking Gynura tea made from homegrown and dried longevity spinach leaves.

We brewed this from loose dried tea, but the drained herbs can still be useful for some of the ideas below. Especially the Gynura for refreshing the under-eye areas.

After a shower, is place a teaspoon of damp leftover tea leaves from the day’s cuppa under each eye, and recline. I lay with eyes closed while tuning into music and engaging in a goals visioning session or meditation. And sometimes, I might doze off, awakening refreshed . 😉

Gynura procumbens is mucilaginous and has a softening, freshening effect on my 60-something sun damaged skin. Hmm… I should probably try an entire Gynura facial mask! That’s next. I’ll report back. Looks like I’ll be drinking more Longevity spinach tea.

6 Uses for Old Tea Bags

The first 5 are excerpted from NaturalLivingIdeas.com

1. Dye Paper and Cloth

Steep used tea bags and use the weak tea water to turn boring white paper into sepia-toned, antique parchment. Or use weak tea made from pre-brewed bags to dye white cloth in shades of warm brown, orange, or pale green.

2. Add Flavor to Pasta & Grains

Once you’ve brewed your cup of tea, you can re-use the bag to flavor other foods. Hang the pre-brewed bags into a pot of water while it comes to a boil to flavor the water, remove used tea bags, then add your pasta, rice, or other grains. Need some delicious ideas to get you started? Try jasmine or chamomile tea with rice, green tea with pasta, Chai or cinnamon spice tea with oatmeal.

EDITOR’S NOTE: We love chai… and oatmeal, so this idea is a winner! When it comes to oats, we use Bob’s Red Mill organic grains and flour because we love the Bob’s company and brand, and trust it for quality, plus, it’s employee owned and run. Yep. Bob gave his company to his employees. How cool is that?!?

You can also try adding cardamom to your oatmeal instead of—or in addition to—cinnamon to infuse that chai flavor as well.

3. Feed Your Garden

Rebrew used bags in a bucket of water and use the resulting weak tea to water your plants and protect them from fungal infections. Alternately, open up used tea bags and sprinkle the damp leaves around the base of your plants to fertilize the soil and deter garden pests like mice. You can also add previously-brewed tea bags to your compost pile for a boost of nutrients. Just remember to remove the metal staple if your tea bags are the kind that have them.^[1]https://www.naturallivingideas.com/weird-things-to-put-in-compost/

4. Homemade Glass Cleaner

Re-brew used tea bags and spray the weak tea onto windows, mirrors, and other glass surfaces to loosen up dirt, grime, fingerprints, and other gunk. Be sure to wipe away with a clean, lint-free cloth to minimize streaks and dust particles.

Editor’s Note: Our least favorite… the idea of used tea bags hanging around is not the most visually appealing idea, and it seems they’d need to be dried well first to avoid molding. But hey… you might like this so we left it in.

5. Draw Out Infections

Apply warm, moist pre-brewed tea bags onto skin affected by pinkeye, canker sores, fever blisters, plantar warts, or any other similar infections to draw out the infection, reduce pain, and help speed the healing process.

Editor’s Note: This is our favorite as we really like anything that helps us heal ourselves.

See 13 more on NaturalLivingIdeas.com.^[2]https://www.naturallivingideas.com/used-tea-bags/

6. Tea Bag Spa Treat

Used tea bags also work great to alleviate under eye dark circles and puffiness. For a soothing teabag spa treat and treatment, choose a favorite relaxing or medicinal tea, such as Peach Detox. However, for an invigorating tea that’s also more effective for the eyes, caffeinated tends to work best.

Editor’s Note: My all time favorite chai is Tazo organic concentrate, but you’ll need the Tazo tea bags... an excellent second best for drinking, is less expensive than the concentrate, plus you can upcycle the teabags. Green tea and white teas also work well. My husband’s favorite is Earl Grey with a touch of honey.

Use two bags to make two servings worth (approx. 3 cups total), one now and one for later. These are also delicious cold in summer.

Instructions:

• Boil water
• Steep 2 tea bags for approximately 5 minutes, covered
• Remove and lightly press bags to release liquid and flavor
• Place bags in a saucer and in the fridge to cool for 20 minutes*
• Place cooled used tea bags gently over eyes
• Recline and relax

* If you’re in a hurry, you can place tea bags in the freezer for 10 minutes, but even better, save the tea bags whenever you enjoy a cup, (you have a list of uses above too). That way you’ll always have some on hand in the refrigerator for when your eyes need a relaxing pick-me-up. Awesome thing to do while reclining and meditating or taking a short “power nap“!

How Tea Bags Work to Reduce Dark Circles Under Eyes

Excerpted from Article by Jessica on CollegeFashion.net

You probably have noticed that many eye treatments contain caffeine. This is because caffeine can help shrink blood vessels around your eye, thus reducing puffiness and dark circles.

The tea bags used in this DIY eye treatment not only contain caffeine and beneficial antioxidants, but they also contain tannins. Tannins are responsible for the tea’s color and flavor; most importantly, tannins can also stimulate healthy blood circulation and help tighten and soothe skin.^[3]https://www.collegefashion.net/beauty-and-hair/diy-beauty-how-to-use-tea-bags-to-relieve-tired-eyes/

Wishing you great gardens and happy harvests!