Other Uses of Green Tea

Since green tea leaves are so good for your health because of their incredible antioxidants, it's no wonder that green tea leaves are also useful for a variety of other tasks like dyeing cloth, smell removal and treating skin ailments with its antibacterial qualities.

It's great to enjoy that delicious cup of green tea, but keep in mind that what you're drinking has a multitude of other uses that may come in handy. Here is just a selection of alternate functions for powerful green tea leaves.

• Staining power - Using green tea powder to stain cloths or scarves is an ancient Chinese and Japanese practice that produces beautiful products. The clothes are tied off with string in various designs, and then soaked in hot water with green tea powder. After the cloth takes on enough color to satisfy the wearer, it is removed from the water and hung to dry. Dyeing clothing with green tea is an easy, economical and environmentally friendly way to produce gorgeous clothing.
• Smell removal - Another useful aspect of green tea leaves is their ability to counteract common household odors. If your fridge is beginning to smell a bit too much like the food inside it, an environmentally friendly alternative to baking soda is a handful of green tea leaves in a thin cloth bag. The tea will neutralize the odors of the fridge. Likewise, green tea leaves can be used to wash a cutting board that is also retaining food smells. Just rub the leaves firmly over the board and rinse with water, and the smells should disappear.
• Antibacterial Qualities - The antibacterial nature of green tea leaves give them a variety of uses for treating skin infections. Studies have found that green tea can assist in the healing of wounds and the reduction of permanent scarring because of its ability to reactivate cells in the outer layer of the skin. Green tea leaves' antibacterial quality has also been proven to aid in reducing the swelling and itchiness associated with common insect bites. Though more information is needed as of yet, scientists also believe that green tea leaves could be successful at treating the common skin condition of acne, though more studies are needed to confirm their hypothesis.

These are only a few of green tea's amazing alternate uses; every day, scientists learn more and more about green tea leaves and their antibacterial nature. So while you're enjoying the health benefits associated with drinking green tea, be sure to also explore some of its other uses and keep your eyes open for more tips.