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Green tea leaves proudly produced by green tea farmers and manufacturers wouldn’t come to an end when drinking tea.
Used green tea leaves can be “recycled” in various ways.
Ways to recycle used green tea leaves
Used green tea leaves are nutritious and have effects of deodorization and disinfectant, which is why they have been used in many ways in households for ages.
Let us share some useful ways to recycle used green tea leaves..
Eat
It is said that 70% of the nutrients of tea is left in used green tea leaves, and the whole leftover nutrients can be ingested when eating used green tea leaves.
Add to meals
Used green tea leaves can be a good ohitashi salad with a couple of drops of soy sauce, good furikake rice seasoning when dried, and good seasoning when added to fried rice.
Since the taste of green tea is universal, it can actually be paired with anything.
When mixed in cookie dough or cake batter, Japanese desserts would easily be made.
Remove unpleasant smell
Used green tea leaves can remove the unpleasant smell of fish/meat when simmered together.
Only use a little so the green tea flavor doesn’t get extracted on the fish/meat.
Use for cleaning
Used green tea leaves can be used for cleaning as green tea leaves basically have an effect of deodorization.
To clean the floor and tatami mat
Sprinkle wet used green tea leaves on the floor and/or tatami mats and sweep them with a broom. The moisture of the used tea leaves prevents dust from rising and tiny crumbs can easily be swept as they get caught in the tea leaves.
To clean the kitchen
When you clean the sink with used green tea leaves, it gets amazingly clean.
Used green tea leaves have effects of antibacterial and deodorization, which does a good job getting kitchen tools clean like cutting boards, triangle sink strainers and kitchen drains.
Also, if you clean iron pots with used green tea leaves, that would prevent rust.
Spread out on the fish grill tray
When you spread out used green tea leaves on a fish grill tray, the fishy smell on the tray would easily be removed and the tray would easily get cleaned as the tea leaves absorb fishy oil while grilling.
Frost-free
When you wipe glass and mirrors with used green tea leaves, that would prevent frost as well as they get clean. Especially cleaning bathroom mirrors is recommended.
Use for deodorant
The effect of deodorant that used green tea leaves have is useful in various places.
For closets and shoe boxes
Put dry used green tea leaves in a small bag and place it in closets and/or shoe boxes so it absorbs unpleasant smells.
If you are uncomfortable with smells of shoes themselves, you can put wrapped used green tea leaves directly in the shoes.
To remove smells in microwave
Put used green tea leaves on the turntable in a microwave and turn it on, smells in the microwave would be removed in a second.
Use for veggie/flower gardening.
Nutritious used green tea leaves can be used for these;
Use as fertilizer
Used green tea leaves with rich nutrients can be the natural rich fertilizer. Safe veggies would grow when used for veggie gardening, and flowers in a flower vase can last long when put with used green tea leaves.
Bug protection
Used green tea leaves can prevent garden pests when put on the surface on flower beds.
For beauty
Toner and face masks with green tea ingredients are always popular.
Used as bath salts
Soaking in a used-tea-leaves bath has an effect that’s good for your skin.
The writer has tried that before, and felt his/her skin softer like skin after bath time.
More than these, the gentle aroma of green tea made him/her feel relaxed.
When putting used tea leaves, make sure to wrap them with something so they don’t cause clogging and get scattered.
Used green tea leaves for your bath time bring you 2 benefits: Making your skin look better, and clean the bathtub afterwards.
For face wash
When you soak used green tea leaves in water and wash your face with it, it removes extra oil on your face.
But, those with dry skin would have to be careful.
Some people do face masks with used green tea leaves, we recommend you use them according to your skin type.