Can Loose Leaf Tea Be Reused?

So you've just polished off a lovely cup of tea - perhaps you've used one of BRUU's new blends. Perhaps you enjoyed it so much you've steeped your leaves more than once, but you just don't want to throw the leaves away. Well, don't worry! We've hand-selected some of the best ways you can recycle your used tea.

"A simple cup of tea is far from a simple matter."

- Mary Lou Heiss

 

1) Feed those neglected house plants

We've all heard the saying that a cuppa makes everything better. But did you know that plants can also share our love of tea? Before you start asking yourself if your plant would prefer a nice green tea or perhaps an earl grey, it's important to know that teas have different properties. Certain teas will work better with certain plants - for example, green tea works wonders with ferns. Personally, chamomile tea has been a hit with my plants - a natural fungicide that stops pesky gnats laying eggs in the soil, it's not harmful to most plants. Simply use your tea leaves to brew a weaker blend, let it cool and water those plants! Alternatively, you can bury the leaves in the soil for extra nutrients.

2) Make some handmade soap

In the past couple of years or so due to a certain global event, many of us have taken up new hobbies. Some of us have taken up making soap, and some of us like myself may have just enjoyed watching the TikToks of other people making soap. Either way, tea leaves in soap make a great light exfoliant and can look visually stunning.

3) Ice Ice Baby

If you're into iced tea, tea ice cubes are a perfect solution to getting rid of that watered down taste. Just re-use the leaves once more to make a weak brew, pour into an ice cube tray and pop in the freezer. The beauty of these cool guys is that you can pair flavours; BRUU has so many to choose from! Why not pair mango tea ice cubes with lemonade for a refreshing kick? You could even experiment with some tea infusion mocktails.

4) Get over smelly odours

Tea really is the saviour for all our problems, isn't it? For this one there are several methods you can use. But you're gonna need to dry out those leaves first. Want to freshen up a carpet? Tea. Want to get rid of shoe odour? Tea. Smelly fridge, chopping board, drawers? Tea.

For chopping boards and carpets, mix together your dried tea leaves and baking soda (try a 1:1 ratio). Sprinkle on the surface and let it sit for 15-30 minutes, then vacuum it up or wash it off. For other smells just put the dried tea in a container and leave it where you need to freshen up.

5) Flavour saviour

If you want a little extra flavour in your meals, you can always boil pasta and grains with tea. Just add the tea and boil the water. Remove the tea before you add your food, then cook as normal. Easy! This way you can expect some added taste, particularly when using earthy teas with a nutty undertone such as oolong. It is best to do this with pasta but there's no harm in getting creative.

Of course, there are many many more uses for tea other than consumption. Such as hair treatment, composting, dying and tea-staining. But we hope that next time you're sitting enjoying a cuppa, you might feel inspired to re-use your spent tea leaves. If you'd like to learn more about the different types of tea and what they might be good for, please take a look here. Even if you decide not to re-use your tea, remember that all our teas are ethically sourced so you've already made a great decision by choosing BRUU.