Tea Party Diva

Tea can be used as more than a beverage. If you have any household hints to share about using tea or coffee at home, we’d love to hear from you.

{html_blob name = ‘important_information’} These household hints and tips have been collected over the years, and come with no guarantees. They do not constitute advice. Use your own discretion if you want to try them. Unless otherwise stated, all hints apply to ordinary black tea.

At Home - Household Tea Hints

• To give an antique look to a white or cream lace tablecloth or runner, soak them evenly in cold strained tea for about an hour. Iron while still damp. For a lighter colour, use weaker tea, leave for less time, or remove excess moisture after soaking.

Dyeing with Tea
Read more specific techniques, tips, ideas and information on using tea for dyeing for crafts and table linens.

In the Kitchen - Tea Hints

• To remove odours from pans, rub them with damp tea leaves.
• Marinade meat, chicken or fish in tea infusions such as Lapsang Souchong.
• Soak dried fruit in tea rather than water for added flavour. Experiment with different teas such as fruit teas.
• When making gravy after cooking meat in a pan, add some cold or hot tea to the juices in the pan for added flavour.
• Use tea in fruit punches. We have a Tropical Fruit Punch and a Pineapple Fruit Punch recipe for you. Both have tea as an ingredient.
• Substitute cold tea in baking for half the liquid in rich cakes such as fruit cakes. This adds to the colour and makes the flavour more mellow.
• Make ice cubes with cold tea. Add sliced strawberries, a small grape or other fruit for colour interest and flavour. Add the ice cubes to a fruit punch or iced tea drinks. Unlike water ice cubes, they do not dilute the drink when melted.

Cleaning - Tea Hints

• Clean mirrors, glass, windows and chrome with strong strained tea - the stronger the better.

Household Hints