In the eyes of inventive and observant Chinese, tea leaves are no exception. What remains after enjoying a good cup of tea, when used appropriately, becomes a rare treasure. If you don't believe it, why not try the following small methods to "turn leftover tea into treasure."
1. Cleverly Remove Odors: When the refrigerator is stocked with many items, the smells can get mixed, and opening it often releases unpleasant odors. To eliminate strange smells in the refrigerator, you don't necessarily need a deodorizer. Placing leftover tea or tea dregs at the bottom of the refrigerator can effectively remove odors.
2. Tea Leaf Pillow: Dry the leftover tea dregs after drinking. Using dried tea dregs as pillow filling creates a pillow that is warm in winter and cool in summer, soft and fragrant, and also helps reduce "internal heat" in the head. It is particularly helpful as a supplementary therapy for hypertension patients and those with insomnia.
3. Eliminate Foot Odor: Those with sweaty feet who love wearing sports shoes can try using dried tea dregs as shoe inserts. Since tea can absorb moisture and eliminate odors, it can help reduce foot odor troubles.
4. Nourish Flowers with Tea Water: Tea water can prolong the blooming period of cut flowers. Plants cultivated with tea dregs produce more flowers, with greener, brighter leaves, and the blossoms are especially fragrant. For cut flowers at home without soil, adding a small amount of tea water to the vase can also help the flowers last longer without wilting.
5. Soothe Burn Pain: After a minor finger burn, soaking it in leftover tea water can help alleviate the burning sensation.
6. Cleaning Powerhouse: Use leftover tea to wipe mirrors, glass, doors, windows, furniture, laminate surfaces, and mud stains on leather shoes—it cleans effectively. For grease stains on dark-colored clothes, rubbing with tea dregs can remove them.
7. Nourish Hair: Washing hair with tea water over time can make hair black and shiny.
8. Remove Fishy Smell: A pan that has been used to fry fish retains a fishy odor. Washing it with tea dregs can completely remove the smell. Alternatively, soaking fish in warm tea water for 5~10 minutes before cleaning can significantly reduce the spread of the fishy odor.
9. Eliminate Bad Breath: Rinsing the mouth with leftover tea after meals can rinse out harmful microorganisms. Swishing the tea around in the mouth helps remove tartar, improves the physiological function of the orbicularis oris muscle and oral mucosa, and enhances teeth's resistance to acid and decay. Moreover, after eating raw onions or garlic, chewing on some tea dregs for a while can gradually eliminate the smell, avoiding the embarrassment of having strong garlic breath.
10. Repel Mosquitoes: Burning dried leftover tea leaves can help drive away mosquitoes.