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Household cleaning hacks: The surprising alternative uses for … tea

You can spend a lot of money on cleaning products made and advertised by big companies. We're taking a look at some alternatives you can find in the usual stuff you keep around your home! Today ...

Tea!

Tea growing in field

Photo by Arfan Abdula Azeez on Unsplash

Ok, hands up: who knew that regular tea – the stuff millions of us drink a lot of every day in the UK – had other uses besides helping us relax and have a good old chinwag?

The chemistry of tea

Tea’s an astringent, meaning that the chemical compounds in it cause a physical reaction. To get a bit technical: the polyphenol antioxidants convert and bind to the proteins in your saliva and bodily tissues. When you drink tea, this causes the surfaces of your mouth to constrict. This is the feeling of ‘dryness’ that makes tea seem bitter. It’s also part of the physical reaction to drinking tea that many people find so satisfying – and why some people like it so strong!

Chemical compounds in fresh tea leaves also include amino acids, enzymes, pigments, carbohydrates and minerals. It’s this complexity of composition that makes tea interesting as a drink – and also gives us the wide variety of flavours and finishes.

But beyond drinking it, what else is tea good for?

Skincare: woman's face with closed eyes

Photo by Fleur Kaan on Unsplash

Skincare

Green, black and white tea are all good for your skin. The antioxidants are effective in protecting your skin from sun damage (but as a complementary measure, not as a replacement for SPF moisturiser), and can also help to relieve redness and soothe the skin after exposure to UV rays and pollutants.

Black tea’s afore-mentioned astringency can also help to clear bacteria and hydrate your skin. It is also claimed that it reduces the size of pores, and is even effective against acne. The high caffeine content is also reportedly good for firming up skin and reducing wrinkles. I’m starting to sound like an advert for L’Oreal here.

To use: brew some tea as you would normally and allow it to cool, then use cotton wool to apply it as a face cleanser as part of your skin cleansing and moisturising routine. Note: use a small amount on a less-visible area of skin first and observe after a few hours, just to check that your skin doesn’t react badly.

Just to note: please do use a sun lotion or moisturiser with an SPF of 30 or more on a regular basis – especially during summer. You’ll thank yourself in years to come!

Cleaning

I keep banging on about the astringency of tea, but it’s just this quality that makes it useful as well as nice to drink. It’s effective for cutting through grease and dust, especially when it’s nice and strong. Brew 1 litre of tea with 4 or 5 tea bags and leave it to cool. It’d be too strong for most palates, but has lots of the good stuff for cleaning.

Black tea in cup

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Windows and mirrors

Put your tea solution into a spray bottle and squirt some onto the glass of a window or mirror, then use a cloth to clean and a dry towel to polish up. The tea should help remove greasy finger marks, bug detritus and water marks.

Hardwood floors

Using tea in the water you use to clean your hardwood floors (but NOT laminate floors – it could seep into the joins and stain) can help get rid of marks and grime and bring a shine back. Brew about 8 teabags in half a litre of water for 15 minutes and then dilute to 2 litres to give you a warm tea solution. Then mop (dip and wring the mop well so you’re wiping, not washing) and then dry the floor. Again: it’s crucial to test this first on a small area that’s out of sight. All floors are different and we wouldn’t want you to cause staining or damage to your floor.

Freshen carpets and rugs

A nice cuppa with some biscuits

Photo by Rumman Amin on Unsplash

Dry used tea leaves are good at absorbing moisture and odours, and can often retain and impart their own fragrance for a pleasant, natural smell. Make sure the tea leaves in your used teabags or from a loose-leaf teapot are completely dry (perhaps leave them in the sun for a few hours), and then sprinkle them over a carpet or rug that’s exhibiting some less-than pleasant odours. Leave for half an hour and then vacuum as normal to suck up the tea and other oomska.

So there you go – a few unusual uses for tea! There are others – apparently it can be useful for watering indoor plants (especially those that like more acidic soil) and for helping garden plants to flower more abundantly; some claim teabags are good for cleaning toilets (but we’re not going to get into that). Why not do a little research of your own?

Or you could just sit back and enjoy a nice brew and maybe a cheeky biscuit …

Know any other cleaning tips using tea?

If you have used tea for other cleaning puposes around the house and you’d like to share, please let us know! You can find us on Twitter and Facebook. We’ll check them out and add them to the list here!

And of course, if you’d like to get your domestic chores done for you and reap the benefits like our other clients, it’d be a pleasure. Give us a call and we’ll get the ball rolling!

 

Get in touch to find out more

"Vicky has been excellent – its like having a second pair of hands … only better!!"

- Mrs C, Great Ouseburn​

Cleanhome York – Bespoke Service.

We are not happy until you are! Your cleaner will usually tailor their services to fit exactly with your requirements, including spring cleaning and ironing.

Bespoke Service

We are not happy until you are! Your cleaner will usually tailor their services to fit exactly with your requirements, including spring cleaning and ironing.

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Only 1 in 50 applicants makes it on to our carefully screened database. We interview them twice, visit them in their own homes and take up at least two references. And if they still subsequently don't measure up to your standards, we will send you someone who does.

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We don't operate in teams, and therefore you get the same cleaner every week. This is good because you develop a relationship with your cleaner. We have some clients who have had the same cleaner for years and years - and that's what we want for you.
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Cleanhome York
0800 061 4191
30 Snowdrop Close, Easingwold York YO61 3GT

COVID-19 5th January Update

 

Just to let you know we are open for business as usual and you can continue to have your cleaner clean your house.

The government has made it clear that cleaners are still permitted to work inside peoples' homes as long as Government Guidelines on social distancing and staying safe are followed (see below). In summary:

You can be outside of your home for work purposes where your place of work remains open and where you cannot work from home, including if your job involves working in other people's homes.

The full text can be found here New National Restrictions from 5 January (in England; there are similar texts available for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). Specifically relating to cleaners, the guidance continues: 'This guidance applies to those working in, visiting or delivering to home environments. These include, but are not limited to, people working in the following areas:

  • 'This can include work in other people's homes where necessary - for example, for nannies, cleaners, social care workers providing support to children and families, or tradespeople (this is not an exhaustive list)'

Note this guidance is for people who are fit and well, and is dependent on the following social distancing guidelines being followed:

  • No work should be carried out in a household where people are isolating or where an individual is being shielded.
  • The cleaners can continue work, providing that they are well and have no symptoms. No work should be carried out by a cleaner who has coronavirus symptoms, however mild, or when someone in their own household has symptoms.
  • No work should be carried out in a household where any occupants are clinically extremely vulnerable to coronavirus, or households with a possible or confirmed case of coronavirus.
  • Whilst in the house. a cleaner should maintain a safe distance of at least two metres from any household occupant at all times, and ensure good ventilation in the area where they are working, including opening the window.
  • Upon entering the home, cleaners should wash their hands using soap and water for 20 seconds.
  • Cleaners should wash their hands regularly, particularly after blowing their nose, sneezing or coughing, and when leaving the property.

The good news with regard to cleaning is that the cleaners can social distance from their clients very easily, and we would advise that, if you are at home when they are there, that you remain in a separate room to your cleaner.

If you are happy to adhere to the government guidelines - and if your cleaner has not been in touch already - then please just call the office and we will ensure that your cleaning continues.

Best regards

The Cleanhome Team