What to do with tea bags?

I've quite a lot of tea bags at home, stored away in the cupboard, and some have *cough* seemed to *cough* expired. *Cough*. So I was wondering what to do with them...

Firstly, I want to say that tea bags can be used even when they're 'expired'. The company only puts the expiry date on them so that you will buy another supply after you've thrown away the 'expired ones'. But even if you feel that they smell funny to go into your stomach and don't want to risk it, here's what you can to to the tea bags.

By the way, these uses also apply to those tea bags that you've finished using (just fished out of your mug).

1. If you have any infected area (eg. hands, fingers, foot, toes), pour some warm water into a bucket and dump some used tea bags (any kind of tea) into the bucket, then soak your feet/toes/hands/fingers into it for about half an hour. Use the chance to read, do your homework or watch television, depending on what area you're soaking.

2. If you have toothaches, soak a used tea bag, then bite down on it. This also stops a broken/pulled tooth from bleeding.  Gargling with the herbal tea made with peppermint reduces toothache.

3. Apply a wet tea bag on the razor burn/any cuts to reduce the pain.

4. Place the lukewarm tea bags on your closed eyes to refresh your tired eyes.

5. Place your feet in strong tea concoction to get rid of the unpleasant odor.

6. Apply a few wet tea bags on the affected skin after sunburn to reduce the pain.

7. Plunge a cotton ball in tea and wipe on the affected part due to ivy rash to relieve from the pain.
 
8. Wash your hair with a cup of herbal tea after shampooing to make the hair silky and shiny.

9. Pour some cups of tea into the compost to accelerate the decomposition and create acid rich compost.

10. Clean the wood furniture with a soft cloth dipped in a freshly prepared tea to add shine to them. 

11. Sprinkling some used tea bags near the rosebushes enhances their growth by nourishing them.

12. Spark the mirror by cleaning it with a soft cloth dipped in tea.
 
13. Place a few used tea bags on top of the drainage layer at the bottom of the planter before potting to keep the plants healthier.

14. Let the used tea bags open and dry and then use them as stuffing for sachets to give perfume to them.


So there you go. Until the next post, Ning...