Cool sunburned skin
What can you do when you forget to use sunscreen and have to
pay the price with a painful burn? A few wet tea bags applied to the
affected skin will take out the sting. This works well for other types
of minor burns (i.e., from a teapot or steam iron) too. If the sunburn
is too widespread to treat this way, put some tea bags in your bathwater
and soak your whole body in the tub.
Relieve your tired eyes
Revitalize tired, achy, or puffy eyes. Soak two tea bags in
warm water and place them over your closed eyes for 20 minutes. The
tannins in the tea act to reduce puffiness and soothe tired eyes.
Reduce razor burn
Ouch! Why didn’t you remember to replace that razor blade
before you started to shave? To soothe razor burn and relieve painful
nicks and cuts, apply a wet tea bag to the affected area. And don’t
forget to replace the blade before your next shave.
Get the gray out
Turn gray hair dark again without an expensive trip to the
salon or the use of chemical hair dyes. Make your own natural dye using
brewed tea and herbs: Steep 3 tea bags in 1 cup boiling water. Add 1
tablespoon each of rosemary and sage (either fresh or dried) and let it
stand overnight before straining. To use, shampoo as usual, and then
pour or spray the mixture on your hair, making sure to saturate it
thoroughly. Take care not to stain clothes. Blot with a towel and do not
rinse. It may take several treatments to achieve desired results.
Condition dry hair
To give a natural shine to dry hair, use a quart (liter) of
warm, unsweetened tea (freshly brewed or instant) as a final rinse after
your regular shampoo.
Drain a boil
Drain a boil with a boiled tea bag! Cover a boil with a wet
tea bag overnight and the boil should drain without pain by the time you
wake up next morning.
Soothe those bleeding gums
The child may be all smiles later when the tooth fairy
arrives, but right now those bleeding gums are no fun whatsoever. To
stop the bleeding and soothe the pain from a lost or recently pulled
tooth, wet a tea bag with cool water and press it directly onto the
site.
Relieve baby’s pain from injection
Is the baby still crying from that recent inoculation shot?
Try wetting a tea bag and placing it over the site of the injection.
Hold it gently in place until the crying stops. The tannic acid in the
tea will soothe the soreness. You might try it on yourself the next time
an injection leaves your arm sore.
Dry poison ivy rash
Dry a weepy poison ivy rash with strongly brewed tea. Simply
dip a cotton ball into the tea, dab it on the affected area, and let it
air-dry. Repeat as needed.
Stop foot odor
Put an end to smelly feet by giving them a daily tea bath.
Just soak your tootsies in strongly brewed tea for 20 minutes a day and
say good-bye to offensive odors.
Make soothing mouthwash
To ease toothache or other mouth pain, rinse your mouth with
a cup of hot peppermint tea mixed with a pinch or two of salt.
Peppermint is an antiseptic and contains menthol, which alleviates pain
on contact with skin surfaces. To make peppermint tea, boil 1 TBSP fresh
peppermint leaves in 1 cup water and steep for several minutes.
Tenderize tough meat
Even the toughest cuts of meat will melt in your mouth after
you marinate them in regular black tea. Here’s how: Place 4 tablespoons
black tea leaves in a pot of warm (not boiling) water and steep for 5
minutes. Strain to remove the leaves and stir in 1/2 cup brown sugar
until it dissolves. Set aside. Season up to 3 pounds (1.5 kilograms)
meat with salt, pepper, onion, and garlic powder, and place it in a
Dutch oven. Pour the liquid over the seasoned meat and cook in a
preheated 325°F (165°C) oven until the meat is fork tender, about 90
minutes.
Clean wood furniture and floors
Freshly brewed tea is great for cleaning wood furniture and
floors. Just boil a couple of tea bags in a quart (liter) of water and
let it cool. Dip a soft cloth in the tea, wring out the excess, and use
it to wipe away dirt and grime. Buff dry with a clean, soft cloth.
Create “antique” fashions
Soak white lace or garments in a tea bath to create an
antique beige, ecru, or ivory look. Use 3 tea bags for every 2 cups of
boiling water and steep for 20 minutes. Let it cool for a few minutes
before soaking the material for 10 minutes or more. The longer you let
it soak, the darker the shade you will get.
Shine your mirrors
To make mirrors sparkle and shine, brew a pot of strong tea,
let it cool, and then use it to clean the mirrors. Dampen a soft cloth
in the tea and wipe it all over the surface of the mirrors. Then buff
with a soft, dry cloth for a sparkly, streak-free shine.
Control dust from fireplace ash
Keep dust from rising from the ashes when you clean out your
fireplace. Before you begin cleaning, sprinkle wet tea leaves over the
area. The tea will keep the ashes from spreading all over as you lift
them out.
Perfume a sachet
Next time you make a sachet, try perfuming it with the
fragrant aroma of your favorite herbal tea. Just open a few used herbal
tea bags and spread the wet tea on some old newspaper to dry. Then use
the dry tea as stuffing for the sachet.
In the Garden
Give roses a boost
Give roses a boost
Sprinkle new or used tea leaves (loose or in tea bags)
around your rosebushes and cover with mulch to give them a midsummer
boost. When you water the plants, the nutrients from the tea will be
released into the soil, spurring growth. Roses love the tannic acid that
occurs naturally in tea.
Feed your ferns
Schedule an occasional teatime for your ferns and other
acid-loving houseplants. Substitute brewed tea when watering the plants.
Or work wet tea leaves into the soil around the plants to give them a
lush, luxuriant look.
Prepare planter for potting
For healthier potted plants, place a few used tea bags on
top of the drainage layer at the bottom of the planter before potting.
The tea bags will retain water and leach nutrients to the soil.
Enhance your compost pile
To speed up the decomposition process and enrich your
compost, pour a few cups of strongly brewed tea into the heap. The
liquid tea will hasten decomposition and draw acid-producing bacteria,
creating desirable acid-rich compost
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