A CUP OF TEA AND BEYOND – 15 ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO USE IT AT HOME

Surely you’ve drank tea at home, but did you know that there are alternative ways to use it?

Tea has been around for what seems to be for ever, and according to a legend, it was discovered by sheer luck.

The Chinese emperor Shen Nung was sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled drinking water when leaves from the tree blew into the water.  Shen Nung, a renowned herbalist, decided to try the infusion that his servant had accidentally created.  The tree was a Camellia Sinensis, and the resulting drink was what we now call tea.

UK Tea & Infusions Assoc.

If you are a tea drinker, you probably use a lot of teabags.  What if I told you that there are alternative and useful ways to reuse these tea bags instead of just throwing them out?

It doesn’t have to stop with your cup.

Alternative ways to use and drink tea

Personally, I’ve never been a major tea drinker.  Although, I do enjoy a cup of it once in a while.  Prior to moving to Canada, the only tea I ever enjoyed drinking was the mint kind.

From my days of hanging out at the hammam of the Mosque in Paris to visiting Morocco, I’ve always enjoyed mint tea.

How to drink mint tea in Morocco

You can barely take a step through Morocco without being offered a glass of hot, sweet mint tea.  In fact, the market stalls are covered with fresh mint.

Culture

Moroccan hospitality dictates that one must always offer mint tea to both drop-ins and expected guests. Many families serve it more than once a day.  

Don’t be surprised to be offered mint tea when you check into a hotel or at the end of a meal at the restaurant. It’s a FREE gift, so try it!

The first glass is as bitter as life, the second glass is as strong as love, the third glass is as gentle as death.

Moroccan Proverb

Recipe

If you’d like to give a Moroccan tea a try at home, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 1 tbsp of gunpowder green tea

Chinese gunpowder is a variety of green tea, not a brand.  It is the preferred type to use.

• 5 cups of boiling water

• 3 or 4 tbsp of sugar

You can adjust the sugar intake to your personal taste. The recipe reflects the fact that most Moroccans like their tea exceptionally sweet.

• 1 ounce of fresh mint, washed

Place the tea in a teapot and pour 1 cup of boiling water. Swirl the teapot gently to warm the pot and to rinse the tea.  Discard the water and strain the tea.

Add the remaining boiling water to the tea and let it sit for 2 minutes. Finally, add the sugar and the mint leaves and let it sit again for about 4 minutes.

When pouring the tea, lift the teapot high above the cup.  This method allows to aerate the tea.

For a more intense mint flavour, add a small sprig of mint to your cup or glass.

David’s Tea

It wasn’t until 2012 that I started switching my tea of choice thanks to David’s Tea.

David’s Tea is a Canadian brand founded in 2008 by two cousins.  Their headquarters are located in Montreal and the first Montreal store opened in 2009.

They offer the widest selection of organic teas in North America and are certified Ecocert Canada.

This specialty tea and accessory store is the largest Canadian based store in the country.

If you don’t believe me when I say that it’s one of the best places to get tea in Canada, maybe take Oprah Winfrey’s word for it.  She promoted this brand in 2013 during her live shows and even on her magazine.

David’s Tea flavours

Most of David’s Tea’s are sugar-free, and have neither carbohydrates or calories.

Although tea does not have an expiration date, it does lose freshness over time.  That’s why you need to store it in a dry dark place in a well-sealed container.  David’s Tea offers colourful tins that you can store it in.  If you bring them back to the store, you get a little discount on your next purchase.

Teas and infusions that contain fruits and nuts should be consumed within 6 months from the date of purchase.  For straight teas, you have up to 12 months to drink it.

If you are looking to stock up on some of David’s Tea, invest in one of their steepers.  Put your loose leaves and hot water in it, let it steep, and then just place it above your cup.  The steeper will pour the tea directly into your cup.  However, don’t let it sit too long or your cup will overflow.

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My Flavours

Over the years, I have tasted different flavours from David’s Tea.

The following teas are the ones that I prefer and all accomplish different needs:

• Since I’m not a coffee drinker, a good way to start my day is by drinking a berry pick me up with Just Beet It.  This beverage is very smooth to drink.

• When Fall hits, so does the cold season.  One tea that has helped my family battle seasonal colds is Organic Cold 911. It will help clear out some of the airways.

• If you had a late night of, well you know, a little too much vino, drink a cup of Queen of Tarts. It honestly gives those energy drinks a run for their money.

• Finally, during the hot summer months have a drink of Electric Lemonade which you can drink hot or cold.

Cocktail time with Reese Witherspoon

A pot of tea can be the perfect centrepiece for a table to share with your closest friends. Whether you’re completing an important project or simply getting caught up on the latest gossip, tea is the perfect refreshment for your next social gathering.

Reese Witherspoon’s book Whiskey in a Teacup offers a great iced tea recipe that you can spice up.  It’s a great cocktail to try and even use when hosting a social event at your house or even at your wedding.

Ingredients for a Tea punch, by Reese Witherspoon

• 8 black teabags (orange pekoe)
• 1 gallon of water
• Lemonade
• Orange juice
• Cinnamon
• Sprig of mint
• Vodka or gin

Brew the teabags in a gallon-sized Mason jar for 4 hours in a sunny spot outdoors.  Make sure to let the teabags hang over the top of the jar.

Once it has brewed, mix it in equal parts with lemonade and orange juice.  Add a whisper of cinnamon and a sprig of mint.  Serve it in a glass of ice with vodka or gin.  Reese Witherspoon even gifts this tea punch in Mason jars to her friends (without the vodka and gin).

Now that you are done drinking your tea, how can you dispose of it?

Beyond your cup of tea into the garden

As tea leaves are acidic and full of nutrients, they can help plants thrive.  Therefore, next time you drink some tea, toss the leaves in one of your plants or out in the garden.

• Use your leftover tea liquid to water your plants with, instead of just throwing it down the drain. It can reduce fungus and add additional nutrients to your house plants and garden.

• Teabags or loose leaves can also be placed in the compost, just as long as the bags are biodegradable or compostable.  They can help with the decomposition of your compost pile.

• Finally, place tea leaves or a couple teabags close to the bottom of a plant pot.  Tea will absorb the water that will then get released slowly back into the plant.  This is a trick if you need to go away for a few days and don’t have anyone to come and water your plants for you.

3 ways to reuse tea for the outdoors

Camping

Did you know that you can use old teabags to make fire starters for campfires?

Before heading out on your next camping trip prepare tea fire starters.

Make sure your old teabags are thoroughly dry.  Dip them in melted wax such as soy or beeswax.  Once the wax is hard, cover them with parchment paper.  That’s it!

Upon arriving at your campsite, light them up with your wood.  They will help you get a campfire going in no time and they burn brightly.

Rashes and bug bites

Bring extra teabags with you next time you decide to go roughing it into the wild.  By that, I mean camping!

By applying a damp (and cooled) teabag to the area afflicted, it reduces inflammation and itching.  It’s only meant to be used to soothe and provide temporary relief of rashes and bug bites.

Sunburn 

Who has never gotten a sunburn, even if they applied sunscreen?

They hurt like crazy, right?  Well, we tend to forget to bring after sun when we go on vacation.  Hello sleepless nights where you can’t move because of a sunburn.

Here is something you can do to help soothe the sunburn pain if you don’t have any after sun laying around.  It will also cost you far less.

Ingredients to sooth a sunburn naturally:

• 3 bags of black tea such as Earl Grey.
• Ice

Soak the tea bags in a pitcher of lukewarm water. Once the water has turned black, add some ice.  You don’t want the water to be hot, just warm or lukewarm.

Dip a rag that you don’t mind staining into the pitcher. Dab it onto the area that has the sunburn.  Just dab, don’t wipe!  Leave it as is so that it will be absorbed by the skin.

Once the skin is dry, you can reapply if necessary.  The more coats you use, the better.  However, don’t wash it off until much later.  Overnight is the best.  

For best results, you need to apply the tea soon after the burn.  It will be more effective that way.

5 ways to freshen up your home with tea

Did you know that you can use tea inside your home?

Tea can be used around the house in different ways such as a freshener and to absorb doors.

The leaves are very absorbent and attract odour from anything they come into contact with.  Don’t let them sit in a pantry next to coffee and spices.

Tea Fresheners

• Carpet

Use dried tea leaves from your used tea bag and stir it with a couple of table spoons of baking soda.  Sprinkle the mixture over smelly spots on your carpet.  Let it sit for at least 20 minutes and then vacuum the area over.

The tea and baking soda work together to trap dirt and absorb doors. If you used flavoured tea, a nice scent will be left behind.

• Fridge

Tea leaves can also absorb doors in the fridge.  Place some in an open container  in the fridge.  However, once that’s done, don’t drink them!  

• Shoe

If you have stinky feet like mine, placing a dried green tea bag inside your smelly shoes will help remove a bit of unwanted odor.

• Cat litter

Litter boxes can smell really bad right?  Sprinkle dried tea leaves into the litter box and change them out every time you change the litter box.

Cooking

Planning on cooking fish or chopping up some onion and garlic?  Rub your hands with some brewed tea to remove the odors. You can also rub some on the cutting board.

Also, to remove grease from a pan, place a tea bag in it and fill it with hot water.  Let it soak in overnight.  Then, it will be ready for it to be scrubbed.

Furniture shine

Do you have wooden floors or furniture? Moisten a soft rag with some strong-brewed room temperature tea and rub it gently on the wood.  It will give it some natural colour and shine.

For light wood, use white or green tea and for dark wood, use cooling or black tea.

Mirrors

Use cold brewed black tea in a spray bottle and spray it on mirrors to make them sparkle. 

All you need is about 10 grams of used black tea leaves per liter of water. Steep for 20 minutes and let it cool down to room temperature.

Second life to clothes

Did you know that you can use tea to tie-dye your clothes?  This is helpful if you want to give a second life to your clothes.  You know those sweat stains that just won’t come out anymore on your white t-shirt?  Well, you can use the beverage to cover them up and give them a vintage look.

Brew tea in a large pot of boiling water and then add your piece of cloth.  You can tie pieces of rope in different areas of your shirt if you want a more tie-dye effect.  Also, weeds can help dye your clothes.  The longer you leave the cloth in the pot for, the more time the tea or the weeds will have time to dye it.  Leave it for at least 2 hours in hot water for the best results.

Hibiscus flowers will give you a bright, dark red colour.  For a strong bright green colour, use matcha powdered green tea.

However, just remember that tea is not a permanent dye, so it will fade when you wash the fabric.

Finally, when you drink tea, it’s usually too nurture yourself, but you can also use it for some in-home self-care.

4 ways to reuse tea for self-care

Tea can be refreshing, exfoliating and relaxing. Did you know that you can incorporate it into some of your daily grooming rituals?

Mouthwash

You can use lightly brewed tea or herbal infusion made with mint or lemongrass as a refreshing pick me up by swishing it around in your mouth.

Skincare

Antioxidants in green tea are perfect to rehydrate dry skin.  Simply re-brew used tea bags and let them cool.  Pour it into a spray bottle and apply it to your face with a reusable cotton pad.

Remember my Queen of Tarts from David’s Tea? Reuse it to reduce the puffiness or dark circles around your eyes. Place the tea bag in your fridge to cool off and then hold the bag against your eyes for a few minutes. The caffeine content will work its magic to shrink the blood vessels around your eyes. You’ll look refreshed and more awake!

Hair

Give your hair a special brewed treatment. It will make it shiny and smooth.

Use a couple of used bags to brew a strong tea and let it cool completely. Before you shower, pour the tea into your hair until it’s completely saturated. Allow it to sit for about 10 minutes, then hop in the shower. Shampoo and condition your hair as normal. Your hair will thank you for the special brewed treatment!

Bath time

We are living through stressful times with the worldwide pandemic and the change of season.  In order to alleviate stress, place two bags of jasmine or chamomile in your bathwater.  The antioxidants in the lea leaves will not only leave your skin feeling soft and hydrated but their scent will help you relax.

Another option is to place loose leaf tea in a bag and hang it over the bath faucet while the bathwater runs over it while the tub fills.

Finally, you can use green tea to give yourself a foot bath.  It has antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties.  Just steep about 5 grams of green tea in hot water for about 10 minutes.

Now, next time you enjoy a cup of tea at home, think twice before dumping the tea bag or leaves in the trash.

As you can see, there are plenty of alternative ways to repurpose your tea.

Buy loose leaf tea or reusable cotton tea bags such as THESE ONES from David’s Tea and turn your drinking habit into a more eco-friendly one.