More than just a Drink

I never realized until recently that there was so much versatility in tea world. I don't mean just the numerous combinations and blends that one can make...but there is so much you can do besides drink the stuff, that I just had to take some time here today and talk about the many uses of TEA!

Did you know that.....

Tea ‘sachets’ made with plain old black tea (or a variety of herbal teas like lavender!). Make a perfect addition to your refrigerator, clothes drawers, or even make a car freshner and control stale odors. Easy, inexpensive and makes a great gift, too!

Tea bags that have cooled can be applied to sunburned areas of skin. They will help ease the pain and inflammation associated with sunburn. Mosquito bites can also be soothed in this manner.

Chamomile tea can also be brewed, cooled and used as a rinse for darker colored hair. It will leave hair with a very shiny, clean appearance. If used on lighter colored hair, it will work as a natural dye.

A tea bag works well as a compress on swollen, puffy eyes,.

A newly blackened eye can also benefit from a tea bag compress. It will help draw the bruise out so that it heals at a much faster rate than normal.

The tannic acid that occurs naturally in black tea is also said to help eradicate warts. Place a warmed, wet tea bag directly onto a wart for ten to fifteen minutes. Repeat two or three times each day and you will notice the wart shrink in size after just a few days of this treatment.

Tea can be used as a fabric dye or made to make fabric appear aged("tea-stained")

Tea makes a very soothing footbath and will leave your feet odor-free and softer too!

A wet tea bag is a soothing way to treat shaving nicks and cuts.

A cup of mint tea is a good-tasting breath freshener for after meals.

Have swelling after needle injections? Place a cold green tea bag over the injection area.

With all the different carpet fresheners on the market, you might be surprised that loose tea can work the same freshening magic. Sprinkle dry tea directly onto carpeting, and allow to settle in for about ten to fifteen minutes. Teas such as cinnamon or a vanilla spice work well, giving your room a nice scent and when vacuumed up, will deodorize the vacuum cleaner bag at the same time. This can also be done to pets bedding area, totally eradicating the pets’ odor. Spread dry tea on pet’s bedding, allow to ‘work’ and then either vacuum up or shake out the loose tea. I have even been told that tea is a natural inhibitor for fleas!

Let chamomile, sage or thyme tea steep, then place in a facial steamer (or create one with a large glass bowl and drape a towel over your head. Your skin will appreciate it.

Use strong tea to clean your mirrors. Let the tea cool and pour into a spray bottle, then use a soft cloth to buff the mirrors.

Place used tea bags in the bottom of a potted plant, on top of the drainage material. The tea bags will hold moisture in and also feed the plant nutrients. Also you can use regular tea instead of water to feed your plants. Or you can use brewed tea leaves as fertilzer.

Relax your eyes. Wt two tea bags with warm or cool water, and lie down with one tea bag on each eye. Relax for at least 15 minutes, and your eyes (and you) will feel invigorated. Chilled chamomile tea bags are particularly effective against puffiness.

If you can’t afford expensive cuts of meat, try marinating or cooking your meat in tea. The tannins in tea work as a tenderizer to make the meat tasty and delicious.

If you’ve just had a tooth pulled, or if you have a youngster who just lost a tooth, tea bags can help stop the bleeding. Just wet a tea bag with cool water and press into the spot the tooth came from.

BATHE! There is nothing like relaxing in a steamy hot bath and smelling the wafts of the sweet fragrance of teas. Chamomile and lavender teas will relax you and calm a racing mind. They are also great for treating irritated skin, eczema and psoriasis. Green tea baths provide protection and preservation to the skin. And peppermint tea creates a stimulating combination for the bath. While the aromatic vapor will help with a cold and headache, it soothes muscle aches.

Place hot teabags on canker sores or fever blisters to draw out infections.

Cold, wet teabags will soothe beestings and insect bites.

Wash face with tea to cure acne


AND HERE YOU THOUGHT IT WAS A MERE HOT BEVERAGE.......