You can’t beat a cup of tea in the morning to set you up for the day. But did you know that tea bags have some incredible uses.

Our love for tea in the UK is huge and we get through a massive 165 million cups daily!

Normally once we have made our cuppa we just chuck the tea bag straight into the bin, but shame on us! There are actually so many amazing uses for tea bags

Tea has been used to help with household tasks throughout the centuries, the tannic acid in tea cleans and add shine.

So what else can be tea be used for?

Air freshener

Once you have made you cup of tea dry out your tea bags and then add to them a few drops of your favourite essential oil to create an air freshener. For prettiness pop this is a small draw string favour bag and add them around your home or in your car.  Tea naturally absorbs odours so will help take away those pesky cooking smells or the sweaty smell from teenage bedrooms.  Top up with essential oils every few days or when you feel you need too.

Clean stubborn dishes

Used tea bags are an alternative to chemicals to help remove that baked on food.  Add your dishes to hot water and then chuck in a few used tea bags and leave for a few hours. The tea will break down grease and grim and save your arm from all that scrubbing.

Smelly Shoes

Pop a few unused tea bags inside your smelly shoes, trainers and football boots to soak up those nasty odours.  Leave overnight in a dry warm place.

For your plants

Sprinkle unused or unused tea from the tea bag in your plant pots.  The nutrients from the tea will be released into the soil when you water them encouraging growth.

Wooden furniture

Brewed tea is also great for cleaning your wooden furniture. Boil some water and add in a few tea bags and allow to cool. Once cooled dip a microfiber cloth into the tea, wring out an excess liquid and use it to clean your wooden furniture. The solution will lift of any stubborn sticky patches too.

Rust

Rusty old bike in the garage then why not try and bring it back to life using tea. Wipe a used wet tea bag over the rust and dry with a microfiber cloth. Depending on how bad the rust is you may need to repeat this a few times.  Also try this on cooking pots and pans.

Remove odours from your hands.

Chopping up garlic and cooking with spices can leave your hands smelling and even slightly stained. Use a damp used tea bags and rub over your hands and rinse to take any odours away.

Mirrors and glass furniture

Remove fingers marks by simply wiping a damp tea bag over the area

Tired eyes

Use two used bags to place over your eyes to relive tired, achy eyes. The tannins in the tea will help to reduce puffiness.

I hope you have found these ideas useful, in a time when plastic is becoming more and more of an issue its good to make small changes where we can.

Happy Cleaning

Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxo