One of our beverages of choice is iced green tea, both for taste and also for its antioxidant qualities. In fact, we're brewing up a pot right now (we're crazy about Arbor Teas' Citrus Ginger Green Tea with a little bit of white honey, then iced). After finishing using them for our drinks, we've been throwing the tea leaves into the compost, as the nitrogen rich matter makes for a great addition into the mix. But another idea is saving these used tea leaves, drying them (especially in these warmer months) and reusing them for their odour-fighting properties around the home...
Green Tea: Nature's Deodorizer
The very same substance that make green tea an excellent oxidant, catechin, also happens to be an antibacterial odour fighter. That means you can use the dried and crushed leaves as a carpet refresher; sprinkle and let flakes sit in the carpet for 10-15 minutes then vacuum up for a deodorized carpet. Use the tea leaves in your fridge, uncovered to allow the leaves to work their smell-busting magic.
You can also save used green tea bags as a hand wash; rubbing any surface with green tea will rid strong food smells better than just using soaps. Better yet (at least in our household), green tea leaves can be added to cat litter boxes to manage odours and bacterial growth, an excellent eco-friendly solution to a stinky problem. So enjoy a cup or more a day and save those leaves...they're good for the body and home.
[info via 100% Tea]
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go figure
view little flower's profile
http://www.biobagusa.com/
Biodegradable trash bags made out of corn.
view joss's profile
Coffee grounds are also a great deodorizer. You might be able to add that to the cat box (My cats are finicky enough about smells that it could be a problem). Obviously cleaning stuff with the grounds is not a good idea, though, unless it's dark.
Conversely, never store your coffee or tea in leaky/permeable containers in the fridge or freezer. They will absorb the odors of whatever's around.
view whytephoenix's profile
Oh... and you can put them in your shoes, too. (Tie them in a cloth or a paper bag.)
view whytephoenix's profile
Or you can use baking soda for all of those things.
view gquaker's profile
gquaker: true, as I do love using baking soda throughout the home. But the idea here was to reuse something you'd normally throw out with the trash and getting an additional use of it.
view gregory's profile
Thanks for this post, Gregory! I'm a HUGE green tea drinker and I had never thought of how I might repurpose my leftovers before you suggested these ideas. I will be trying them right away.
view BSmeltz's profile
"Biodegradable trash bags made out of corn."
Because that makes so much sense in a landfill. Way to spend a ton of money to feel good about creating waste.
view palest_green's profile
Citrus and honey in green tea? Gross!
Why can't you just enjoy it the way it's supposed to be? Americans always sweeten and flavor everything. :P
view Mrs.Mack's profile