Resist the urge to toss that soggy bag in the trash the next time you make yourself a steaming cup of tea. As it turns out, the organic matter contained within tea bags is ripe for upcycling. The possibilities are limitless, and they all begin with that unused tea in the back of your cabinet (not that you should have leftover tea). Window cleaning: Black tea not only makes us shine in the morning, but it can also make our windows shine. Per litre of water, use about 10 grammes of used black tea leaves. Allow to cool to room temperature after steeping for 20 minutes. Soak the cleaning cloth in tea, then drain and clean the windows.
Cool down a sunburn (or another type of burn): Tea can help relieve the sting of a tanning session, a rushed shave, or even a misplaced flat iron. All you need to do is place a used, cool tea bag on the affected area for immediate relief. It is effective for other types of minor burns (that is, from a teapot or steam iron).
Add flavour to rice: Use a tea bag to add a little extra zip to rice (or any grain). Simply place the bag in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes to allow the flavour to infuse. Cook the grain of your choice as usual with the tea-infused water. Use jasmine tea, for example, to infuse jasmine flavour into the rice. Thoroughly clean your hands: Some foul odours will not go away. When you can't get rid of the odour of onions, seafood, or other foods, try tea bags. Simply use them as you would a bar of soap. The organic tea leaves will quickly eliminate those unpleasant odours.
When applied to the hair, tea has been shown to remove product build-up and improve hair colour, shine, and growth. Brew a few tea bags before showering, allow them to cool, and then apply the tea mixture after shampooing and conditioning. Allow the tea to sit in your hair for about 30 minutes before rinsing with cold water.
