Dishes are never a fun chore, but when stubborn food particles and residue won’t budge, it can be even less enjoyable. So how do tea bags clean dirty dishes, making this chore more tolerable?
Tea bags can work very effectively to clean dirty dishes without adding a lot of additional steps to your dish washing routine. The gentle power of tea once activated through water helps to break down even the hardest stuck-on foods and cooking residues to help make dishes look sparkling clean.
Tea bags are extremely handy to have around the home; not only for making yourself a delicious warm drink, but for the plethora of ways you can use tea bags around your home.
How Do Tea Bags Clean Dirty Dishes?
Tea not only works as a fantastic dish cleaner, but it can leave dishes smelling fresh without a chemical-like odor. The element that allows tea to work as such an effective cleaner are tannins. The tannins are what helps to break down even the most difficult stains on dishes.
The longer you let the tea sit in warm or hot water, the more activated those tannins are going to become. As a result, you’ll get even the harshest particles off of your dishes without exposing yourself to harsh chemicals, as tea is actually good for your skin.
Pulling out a few tea bags and soaking your dishes is also a great solution for food that has dried on your dishes. Sometimes we mean to rinse our dishes right after we eat, but get caught up in other things, only for food to dry and become nearly impossible to scrub off.
Do Tea Bags Remove Grease From Dishes?
Tea bags are actually quite effective at breaking down stuck-on grease from pots or dishes. This method also saves you from having to put a lot of elbow grease into scrubbing your dishes baked in stubborn grease.
All you have to do is place a few tea bags into a sink of warm water. Let your greasy dishes soak in the tea water for about ten minutes or so. Once you begin to rinse and scrub those dishes, you should find that grease and other remnants come off your dishes much more easily.
Do Tea Bags Leave Glass Streaky?
Your beautiful glassware can actually benefit in terms of clarity with tea bags. You can wash your glasses as you would any other dishes by using tea bags, but you can also use some tea bags to give glassware a nice polish or shine.
You’ll want to steep your tea bag lightly in some hot water to help activate the tea. Once the tea bag has cooled down a bit, squeeze a small amount on your glass, then wipe it down with a clean, lint-free cloth. You can also do this with windows and mirrors to help clear them up.
What Kind Of Tea Works Best To Clean Dishes?
The type of tea you use to clean your dishes is up to you. However, black and green teas have higher concentrations of tannins, the active ingredient that helps break down food and grease stains from your dishes. White teas will still get the job done, but you’ll just have to make sure you let that tea steep in the water for a long time.
Keep in mind that your basic black and green teas will likely be the most inexpensive options, so utilizing those teas for cleaning purposes might be more economical for you.
Black tea can also be an effective method for preventing your pots and pans from developing rust. All you have to do is rub a wet black tea bag all around your cookware after washing it, and before rinsing and drying it off. If you can do this after each use, your cookware will have a nice layer of protection.
How To Clean Stuck On Foods With Tea Bags
Some foods manage to stick to our dishes like glue no matter how well we prep the dish with butter or oil. In order to make cleaning this stuck on food much easier, you can soak said dishes in some hot water and tea bags.
Let the mixture sit for a few hours or overnight, if possible. Stuck on foods and residue should scrub and rinse off much more easily after doing this.
What Else Can You Clean With Tea Bags?
One of the great things about using tea bags to clean dishes is the mixture of tea and water will also help clean your sink. As you start to let the water out of your sink, grab a sponge and lightly scrub around your sink, the faucet, and the nozzles. You don’t have to put in much effort to make your sink look shiny and clean.
If you happen to get some splatter in your microwave, you can also use a damp tea bag and wipe it on the food splatter stuck to the turntable and the sides. Wipe those spots off with a damp cloth, going over the cleaned microwave with a dry cloth afterwards. Your microwave will not only smell fresh, but it’ll look spotless as well.
There are so many ways you can use tea bags to clean in and around your home. For example, black tea has been recommended for cleaning wood floors, giving them a nice, natural aroma and a beautiful shine. All you need to do is boil some water and stick a few tea bags in, wait for the brewed tea to cool, and add the tea to your mop water.
Final Thoughts
It’s quite incredible how many things one can do with some tea bags, whether new or used, including cleaning dishes. Even some of the dirtiest, grimiest, and greasiest dishes can become sparkly clean by utilizing the power of tea.
So before you chuck your used tea bag or throw out stale tea bags, take a quick look at what you can clean with those tea bags so they don’t go to waste.
Hi, I’m Jen Williams, chief editor and writer for ThirstPerk.com.
I’ve been drinking coffee and tea for most of my life, but it wasn’t until I started working at Thirstperk.com that I became an expert on the subject. I’m a total caffeine addict who has spent hours upon hours reading about and experimenting with the different types of coffees out there in my search to find the perfect cup of joe.
I’ve been a tea lover for as long as I can remember as well. I grew up in a house with a mom who loved to drink herbal tea, and I think that’s where my love for tea first began. These days, I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting teas to try, and I love experimenting with different brewing methods and flavoring combinations.
