10 Unexpected Uses for Tea Bags for Your Skin, Hair, and Home

Heal bruises faster. The blueish, reddish color of a bruise forms because the blood vessels beneath the skin become ruptured. To combat this, place a soaked tea bag on the bruise and the tannins in tea will help constrict the blood vessels and reduce blood flow to the area.

Make a DIY carpet freshener. You can freshen up your carpets with used tea bags! Simply allow them to dry out after you enjoy your tea, then cut them open and mix the leaves with a handful of baking soda. Then, as you would with any other carpet freshening powder, sprinkle the mixture all over your rug and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Vacuum as usual, et voilá! Fresh carpets.

Rust-proof cast iron. If you cook with cast iron cookware, prevent them from rusting by rubbing a used black tea bag all over the pan after each use. The tannins in the tea prevent rust from forming, and make your life easier for cleaning later on!

Banish under-eye circles. You may have heard of this beauty trick: To get rid of dark circles, place two used tea bags onto the eyes and relax while they work their magic for 10 to 15 minutes. Caffeinated teas like green tea and black tea work best to shrink blood vessels around the eyes. Puffiness be gone!

Smoothe away floor and furniture scratches. Did Fido have a little too much fun running around your wooden floors? No problem. You can remove scratches from wood by simply rubbing your used tea bag on them to make it disappear. You can also polish wooden furniture with very weak tea by taking old tea bags and seeping them a second time in water. Use a rag soaked in the diluted tea water to polish any wooden surfaces for a fresh, clean glow. 

Soothe a sunburn. With summer coming, this hack may be of good use soon! The chemical compounds in black tea (tannins and theobromine) can help reduce heat from sunburn. To use this hack, check out these instructions on One Good Thing! 

Deodorize your shoes. Placing a used tea bag (once dried, of course) can help to absorb any unpleasant odors that may be lingering in your shoes, refrigerator, closets, drawers, and more!

Make a DIY facial steam. You can make your own DIY facial steam and get the same effects of a salon treatment without breaking the bank! Just steep a few bags of your favorite tea in a bowl of hot water, then cover your face and the bowl with a towel. Let the steam soak into your pores for five to ten minutes, or as long as desired. The tea will help to hydrate your skin and will load it up with beauty-boosting antioxidants. 

Fertilize plants. Adding soaked warm tea bags to your potted plants gives them an added boost of nutrients while providing extra moisture so they don’t dry out between waterings!

Revitalize dull hair. Make a DIY hair mask by brewing up a strong tea with a few tea bags in a cup of hot water. Once the water has cooled down a bit (but is still warm), saturate your hair with the tea from root to tip. Tie your hair up and allow it to sit for 15 to 30 minutes, or as long as desired. Then wash as usual. This hack will leave your hair feeling soft and looking as shiny as ever!