This is a commonly used herbal mountain tea from Greece. It is used in cold, damp winter weather for bronchial cough, enhanced with the Vitamin C of lemon juice and honey.
Tea is not just for sipping anymore. Thanks to Steve Graham from Hometalk for some wonderful ideas on how to use tea for home and body use. Let us know if you have any non sipping uses for tea.
1. Clean carpets: Clean up musty, dank carpets by sprinkling dry, used green tea leaves on the carpet. Let them work their magic for about 10 minutes, then vacuum them up. Delicate Persian and Oriental rugs can also benefit from a sprinkling of tea leaves. In this case, sprinkle nearly dry, used whole tea leaves on the rugs, and gently sweep them away.
2. Shine wood floors: The tannins in black tea can help shine and color hardwood flooring. Follow your regular floor cleaning routine by carefully rubbing some brewed tea into the floor (don’t use too much water on hardwood flooring) and letting it air dry.
3. Polish furniture: Brewed tea also can help clean and shine wood furniture. Dip a soft cloth in a small amount of tea, and use it to wipe down the tables, chairs, and more.
4. Clean mirrors and windows: Tea can remove stubborn, greasy fingerprints from glass, and make it sparkle. Simply rub a damp teabag on the glass or fill a spray bottle with brewed tea.
5. Clean toilet stains: Rumor has it that used tea leaves can magically remove stubborn stains in the bottom of the toilet bowl. Just leave them in the toilet for several hours, then flush the toilet and brush the bowl.
6. Soothe a sunburn: Wet tea bags can soothe sunburns and other minor burns. For a full-body sunburn, soak in a tea bath.
7. Soothe tired eyes: Warm, wet tea bags can reduce puffiness and soothe pain around tired eyes — and tea bags on your eyes look a little less ridiculous than cucumber slices. Use chamomile tea.
8. Soothe bleeding gums: For an older child who loses a tooth, try putting a cold, wet tea bag in the mouth where the tooth was lost. It can reduce bleeding and soothe pain. chamomile concentrated tea as a rinse for teething infants: chew on chamomile tea bags to reduce the pain and inflammation of the new tooth. Helps with pain and eases irritability.
9. Shine dry hair: Brewed tea makes a good conditioner for dry hair. Rinse with (unsweetened) tea and leave to dry for a while, then rinse again with water. A rinse with concentrated chamomile tea enhances blond hair and gives highlights to all hair color.
10. Improve skin: To protect and beautify skin, try bathing in green tea Another widely recommended skin booster is chamomile tea in a facial steamer.
11. Soothe acne: Some acne sufferers swear by washing their faces with green tea to reduce their acne.
12. Tenderize meat: Marinate tough meat in black tea to make it more tender.
13. Add to compost: Pouring strong tea into a compost bin will help speed up the process and encourage more friendly bacteria to grow, improving the compost.
14. Help houseplants: Occasionally use brewed tea instead of water to feed ferns and other houseplants that like rich, acidic soil. Spread used tea leaves around rosebushes, then add mulch and water. The tannic acid and other nutrients will benefit the plants. A few used teabags in the bottom of a planter can help the soil retain water, and adds valuable nutrients.
15. Dye fabrics: Green and black teas have long been used in dyes for fabric and paper, particularly for generating a beige, faux-antique look.
