It's been a long winter, inside and isolated, and if your house is anything like ours, the remote control and the stack of books on our bedside table are the only things not gathering dust these days. Time for some spring cleaning? Some of you weirdos love spring cleaning, while some of us just want to open the windows and the doors to the warmer weather, say we're "airing things out" and call it good.
But here's an interesting factoid we came across not long ago: You can spruce up your house a bit with our favorite beverage! Kind of like how everyone has learned that vinegar can be a nontoxic, accessible and affordable cleaning agent, so can tea. (Of course, we're not going to tell you what kind of tea you should drink vs. clean with, because we know that you've got good taste just by being here. And maybe you've sipped some tea in the past that you thought might need to be repurposed, somehow. Clean with that tea, friends.)
Some tips for adding tea to your spring cleaning routine right here:
- The tanic acid in a cuppa' black tea can help clean hardwood floors! (Check first in a small hidden spot for discoloration first.) Boil a pot of water and add 5-6 tea bags, and then let that steep for 10 minutes. Pour tea into your mop bucket, add cold water to lower the temperature if needed and mop away!
- Tea absorbs odors, so you could stash some green or black tea in your sock drawer like a sachet or in your fridge like you would a box of baking soda to freshen things up.
- Brew strong black tea to clean your windows with, just like you would have used Windex. It's obviously non-toxic, and while you can clean your windows with vinegar instead, tea sure smells better. This also works for shining mirrors.
- Before cleaning out your fireplace, sprinkle some wet tea leaves over the ashes, and that way the ashes won't rise and spread all over the place when you lift them out.
- In the garden, sprinkle new or used tea leaves around rose bushes, so that every time you water them, the plants get a boost of tanic acid to spur growth. We've heard this can also work with houseplants, but try it in moderation, first.
- If you've gotta clean this spring, at least reward yourself with a nice cuppa' tea afterwards. Cheers!
