11 Surprisingly Useful Reasons To Keep Your Old Tea Bags

If you drink tea regularly, you probably go through a lot of tea bags! Wouldn’t it be nice if there was something useful you could do with all those tea bags, rather than just throwing them out? Well, the good news is that there are actually plenty of ways to put all those tea bags to good use! And today I’ll be sharing 11 of the most surprising and useful things you can do with used tea bags.

I’m don’t even drink tea, but I might just have to start after learning about all these brilliant tips! ;-) Who knew those little tea bags could be so darn useful?

11 Practical Ways To Reuse Old Tea Bags

1. Refresh Your Carpets

You can use the leaves from a tea bag to freshen up your carpets! Just allow a tea bag to dry out, then remove the leaves. Stir the leaves into a big handful of baking soda, then sprinkle the mixture over dingy or smelly spots on your carpet. Let it sit for about 20 minutes, then vacuum the area thoroughly. The tea and baking soda will work together to trap dirt and absorb odors. Your carpets will look and feel much fresher!

2. Hydrate Dry Skin

Re-brew used tea bags to refresh parched skin. Allow the tea to cool, then pour it into a spray or squeeze bottle. Then just spritz it onto your skin or apply with a cotton pad. Any tea will do, but the antioxidants in green tea are particularly effective for rehydrating dry skin!

3. Reduce Under-Eye Circles

Your used tea bags can help reduce puffiness or dark circles around your eyes. Place them in your fridge to cool, then hold the bags against your eyes for a few minutes. It feels lovely, and the caffiene content will works its magic to shrink the blood vessels around your eyes. You’ll look more refreshed and awake!

4. Dissolve Greasy Messes

Have a greasy, stuck-on mess stuck in the bottom of a pan? Place a tea bag in the pan and fill it with hot water. Allow it to soak overnight, and the tannins in the tea will help loosen the mess overnight. It’ll be easy to scrub clean in the morning!

5. Polish Wood Surfaces

Weak tea can be used to restore a nice shine to your wood floors and furniture. Steep a couple of used tea bags in warm water to make the weak tea. Then apply it to your wood surfaces with a soft rag or microfiber cloth. Give it a good buff, and your wood will be shining in no time!

6. Take A Relaxing Bath

Place one or two bags to tea in your bath water next time you take a soak. The antioxidants in the tea leaves will leave your skin feeling soft and hydrated. The scent of the tea can also help you relax, especially if you use calming teas like jasmine or chamomile!

7. Start A Fire

You can use your old tea bags to make firestarters for your campfires! Squeeze the water out of your tea bags and allow them to dry thoroughly. Next, dip the dried tea bags in melted wax (like soy candle wax). Arrange the wax-dipped bags on a piece of tin foil or parchment paper. Once the wax has hardened, they’re ready to use! They light quickly, burn brightly, and will help you get a campfire going in no time.

8. Absorb Unpleasant Odors

Tea leaves can help absorb odors without leaving behind any overpowering scents. Place a dry, used tea bag in a drawer, closet, fridge, or even your shoes to leave them smelling fresher.

9. Restore Shine To Your Hair

You can use tea to make your hair shiny and smooth! Use a couple of used tea bags to brew a strong tea, then allow the tea to cool completely. Before a shower, pour the tea into your hair until it’s completely saturated. Allow the tea to sit for about 10 minutes, then hop in the shower. Shampoo and condition your hair as normal. Your hair will thank you the tea treatment!

10. Steam Your Pores

You can use a couple of old tea bags to do an at-home facial steam treatment! Place the tea bags into a bowl of hot, steamy water. Lean over the bowl for 5-10 minutes and let the steam work its magic. The steam will open your pores, allowing the antioxidants from the tea to tone and hydrate your skin.

11. Feed Your Compost Pile

Brewed tea and tea bags can both help with the decomposition of your compost pile. So if you compost at home, make sure any leftover tea and tea bags are going into your compost and not the garbage!