What Can Expired Tea Bags Be Used For? (Solved!)

When tea bags are past the expiry date, they might not be as tasty to drink as they once were. Expired tea bags doesn’t mean unusable tea bags, however. What can expired tea bags be used for?

Expired tea bags still have some of the health benefits associated with tea lingering in their leaves, making them ideal for use on the skin. There are also several uses for tea bags around the home that can even help you avoid spending money on expensive products. 

Before you throw away your tea bags that are past their best before date, take a look at some of the ways you can repurpose them. 

What Can Expired Tea Bags Be Used For?

Expired tea bags can be used in a variety of ways. While expired tea is still compostable, as are some tea bags, you can still reduce your personal waste through repurposing efforts. As mentioned, you can still drink it, but the flavor diminishes as tea bags lose freshness. 

Use Expired Tea Bags To Moisturize 

Tea has a plethora of health benefits for your skin. Green tea, for example, is a common ingredient in skin care products. If you have some old tea, brew it as you normally would without adding anything to the tea. Once you’ve given the tea time to cool completely, you can pour it into a spray bottle.

When you need a refreshing spritz, you can spray some of your tea on your face with your eyes and mouth closed. You can use it on your body as well. If you want extra refreshment, keep it in the fridge and give yourself a spritz on an especially hot day. 

Use Expired Tea Bags In Your Bath 

A warm soak in the bath can do wonders for your mental and physical health after a long, stressful day. You can reach for some bubble bath, or grab some of those expired tea bags instead. 

As you fill up your tub, scatter a few of your tea bags throughout your bathtub. The tea will work its magic in the water to help soothe your skin, add some moisture into it, and the pleasant aroma will help you relax and unwind. 

Use Expired Tea Bags To Freshen Drawers 

We all know that clothes or shoes that sit in cabinets or drawers can start to develop a stale type of odor. You can use some dry tea bags in these small, enclosed spaces to help keep whatever is stored inside smallish fresh. They will essentially trap any unpleasant odors that are trying to develop, while the remaining pleasant scent of the tea replaces those bad odors. 

Use Expired Tea To Clean Glass 

If you brew some tea and only steep those expired bags for a short amount of time, you can pour your concoction into a spray bottle and use it for cleaning glass. This includes your pretty glassware, your windows, and your mirrors. Just be sure you wipe those areas dry with a cloth that is lint-free to remove any streaks. 

Use Expired Tea Bags To Remove Stubborn Grease 

Instead of spending too much time trying to scrub stubborn grease off your pots and pans, an expired tea bag can help you remove it. What you want to do is place a tea bag in the dish and fill it up with hot water. You should let the tea bag and hot water sit overnight. 

In the morning, pour out the mixture and you should have a much easier time scrubbing off any remaining grease and rinsing your dish until it’s clean. 

Use Expired Tea Bags To Clean Your Toilet 

Tea can even freshen up your toilet, leaving a much more natural scent behind compared to toilet cleaners. All you have to do is let a few of those tea bags sit in the toilet bowl for a couple of hours. Remove the tea bags and compost them, and use your toilet brush to scrub away as you normally would. 

Use Expired Tea Bags When Camping 

Pack up a few of your expired tea bags on your next camping trip, and use them as a firestarter. All you have to do is make sure the tea bags are dry in order for this to work. It’s also recommended that you dip those tea bags in some candle wax if you have some handy. It’s not necessary, but it helps build the fire. 

Another great use for these bags when you’re camping, or even simply enjoying the outdoors, is to help alleviate the redness and irritation of a bug bite. If you get a bite, soak the tea bag in some water and let it sit on the bite. You should feel the relief fairly quickly, since tea has some fantastic anti-inflammatory benefits. 

Drink Your Expired Tea 

The thought of drinking something past the best before date might make some people uncomfortable. When it comes to tea, it doesn’t go bad unless it manages to develop mold due to moisture exposure or bugs get into the bags. Otherwise, it’s still safe to drink. 

One way you can drink your expired tea and have it be enjoyable is to brew a big jug of iced tea. Simply brew your tea the way you normally would, and pour it into a jug. You can add ice, sugar, or some lemons, and let it sit in your fridge. This can be done with any kind of tea. 

You can also drink this expired tea hot as you normally would. If you feel as though it needs more flavor, add more than one tea bag to your mug, or simply let the tea bag steep for longer than you normally would. 

Final Thoughts 

Expired tea bags do not mean bad tea bags. When tea bags are stored well, they can be consumed long after that date has passed. If you don’t want to drink this expired tea, there are a plethora of other simple ways to use those expired tea bags so they don’t go to waste.