Tips Tuesdays, Tea Bags More than you Thought!

As Salaamu Alaikum and Good Morning, yes you've guessed it it's "Tips Tuesday"! Oh what fun we are going to have today insha Allah. Tuesdays tips are created to bring to you cost effective alternatives to manage your home. So many household products have multi uses and yet we use them only for one and buy many, many other items to fulfill the role of that one item. So once again here I am UmmHaya with new uses for an old product.

                       TEA BAGS!!!!


Tea bags!? you say, I say yes let's discover their splendor and reap their benefits.

USE 1

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.  ( I've done this before so listen closely, try not to fall asleep )

USE 2
Get the gray out

Turn gray hair dark again while we can use henna as well, this alternative turns the hair dark. I also used this method and it works! 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, wash hair as usual, and then pour or spray the mixture on your hair, making sure to wet it thoroughly. Try not to get it on your clothes! Blot with a towel and do not rinse. It may take several treatments to achieve desired results.



USE 3
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 wash




USE 4
Soothe those bleeding gums
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.


USE 5
Relieve baby’s pain from injection

As mommies we have all experienced this, take baby for his shots, babies little thigh swells up and is a painful red mess. 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.




USE 6
Dry poison ivy rash
As summer is approaching us and the weather is getting warmer, the children are spending more time outside exploring. If you all have a child like my third born, you will understand when I say explore, he gets into everything so this is for him and all the little explorers like him. 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.

USE 6
Stop foot odor

Okay, okay I'm not saying you have smelly feet,but for the just in case or whoever may need this in your home.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.

USE  7

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.

USE 8
THIS IS MY FAVORITE ONE!!!!!

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 roasting pot. 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.

USE 9
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.

USE 10
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.





USE 11
In the Garden

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.





USE 11
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.

USE 12
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.

So now we know we don''t have to just drink out tea, we can use it in so many ways. As Always it has been a pleasure sharing with you and "Enjoy your day"