Beyond Chai: 5 Smart Ways You Can Make Use Of Tea Leaves At Home

We don't need to tell you how great a hot cup of chai is! It is soothing and comforting and helps refuel you anytime during the day. But did you know it can be used in many other ways besides brewing your cuppa? That's right! Tea leaves are multi-functional and have various uses in your daily home and kitchen chores. Today, we will bring your attention to a few such tea leaf usages that can be of great help to you. Here, we'll share tips for using both fresh and used tea leaves. So, what are you waiting for? Grab a pen and paper and take note of the quick tea hacks we are sharing. Read on.

Here Are 5 Creative Ways To Use Tea Leaves:

1. As fertilizer for your garden:

If you have been throwing away the tea leaves after every use, then stop doing it now. Thanks to their rich antioxidant content, tea leaves can make for great natural fertilizer for the plants you are growing in your garden and kitchen area.

2. To add colour to your food:

This is a very common hack followed in various Indian households. They use the leaves to add a dark brown colour to their food. Now on, whenever you see a bowl of appetizing pindi chole, understand that it has been boiled with tea leaves for colour.
Also Read: How Long You Must Steep Tea Leaves For That Perfect Cup Of Chai
 

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3. As a salad ingredient:

Have you tried tea leaf salad yet? If not, then we suggest you waste no time and soak some green tea leaves now, along with salt and lemon juice. Keep it like that for at least three to four days, and once it ferments, use it as a garnishing element for your salad bowl. Besides adding a unique flavour, fermented tea leaves make the dish healthier too. After all, green tea is credited across the globe for its health benefits.

4. Remove odour:

You must have heard elders saying not to keep tea leaves near masalas. They are natural absorbents that attract aroma easily. This means you can use tea leaves as a natural deodorizer for your kitchen and rooms. You can either use fresh tea leaves or reuse the brewed ones to prepare the deodorizer. If you have damp tea leaves, dry them well and pack them in a cheesecloth and keep them wherever you want.

5. For cleaning purposes:

Until now, you have heard about those tough tea stains that can't be removed easily. But did you know it can help you remove stains as well? You heard us right. It can be easily used to clean dirty chopping boards and dishes. You can use damp tea leaves as a scrubbing agent and then wash well with dishwashing gel or bar.
Now that you know the uses of tea leaves, think twice before tossing them after brewing your morning or evening chai.