Five uses for tea bags that are not what you’d expect
Ava Henderson, Contributing Writer
Photo by Ava Henderson
From skin care to self-care and everything in between, tea bags can be used for more than just brewing a tasty beverage.
Tea bags can be used to help cure skin irritations, ease burns, fix broken nails, soothe tired eyes and even deodorize carpets.
Soothe Skin Irritations
Skin irritations or even stubborn acne can be cleared with the help of a tea bag. Certain teas have antioxidants and antimicrobial properties that can help eliminate any redness and inflammation.
“I would recommend using either green tea or black to help with irritation due to their anti-inflammatory properties,” said Dermatologist Karen Greene. “Green tea bags are also a huge help for people with stubborn acne.”
This is because the same properties help dry pimples and reduce blemishes quickly.
To clear acne and irritations, Greene recommends soaking the tea bag in hot water for about five to 10 minutes and letting it cool for 10 minutes. Afterwards, lay it on your irritated skin or acne prone areas for 15-20 minutes. Apply moisturizers immediately after to avoid dry skin. This process can be repeated as many times as needed.
Ease Burns
Tea bags can help relieve anything from a sun burn to a burn from heat such as one may get from cooking.
“I would say to do basically the same thing you would do for acne to help ease a burn,” said Greene.
Black tea works best due to the tannins and catechins that draw heat away from the skin and ease any pain and inflammation.
Start by soaking the tea bags in hot water and depending on the size and serverity of the burn, soak as many as needed. After letting them cool, lay them on the burn for 10 minutes.
For more severe burns, bathing in tea bags will help. A black tea bath can be made by drawing a tepid bath and adding 15 tea bags directly into the water. Soak in the bath for 20 minutes and do this daily as needed.
Fixing Damaged Nails
Broken, chipped or even hang nails can be easily fixed with a tea bag as well.
Tammy Thompson, a grandma who gives her granddaughters manicures, said, “It’s a great life hack for people who don’t want to spend a ton of money on a new manicure when they just got one a week ago.”
Fixing a broken nail is a bit more of a step-by-step process than the last two things. Start by buffing the area where the break is to smooth sharp edges. This can be done with a nail filer. Then, cut a small portion of the tea bag that is about the size of the break and apply nail glue to the nail. Using tweezers, apply the tea bag to the broken nail and add a little bit more glue to it, to make sure it holds. Once it dries, buff it again to make the tea bag blend in with the nail bed. An optional step is adding a topcoat as an extra way to make sure it stays in place.
Thompson said, “Using a tea bag is quick and easy, especially when I’m running late and need a quick solution.”
Nails chip and break all the time, and having a quick solution makes life that much easier.
Deodorizing Carpets and Rugs
Thompson also recommends using any used tea bags to give a fresh smell to carpets and rugs.
She said, “I do this often because I drink tea every morning and it’s a nice way to put the tea bags to their full use.”
For this hack to work, use tea bags that have already been used to get the best scent possible. After use, lay them out to completely dry, to avoid staining. Once they’ve dried, sprinkle the leaves all over the carpet, or even just on one specific area. Allow them to sit for 15-20 minutes and then vacuum them up.
This use of tea bags is great for anyone with pets.
Thompson said, “With all the pets I have running around my house, tea bags are a quick way to get rid of nasty odors they bring in the house.”
It is also useful for people with young children who like to track things in the house when they come in from playing.
Soothe Tired Eyes
Finally, tea bags can be used to help relieve tired eyes. Katie Lytle is a newborn mom who’s looking for ways to hide the fact that she doesn’t sleep much at night.
“I saw the idea on TikTok. I don’t use it every morning, but when I do need it, it works great,” she said.
Brew two tea bags in hot water, and when finished, ring them out of excess liquid. Put them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to cool and apply them to closed eyes for 15-30 minutes and repeat daily or as needed.
“I do this when I wake up in the morning after a sleepless night and it helps me look more awake and presentable,” Lytle said.
She said herbal teas work best, but any tea will do the trick.
Due to the anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants in teas, this method helps reduce puffiness around the eyes. These are the same properties that help reduce skin irritations and soothe burns. The cool compress also provides a soothing sensation, relieving any soreness.
