Good to know: how often can you actually reuse a tea bag?
I’m the kind of person who reuses a tea bag so often that the last cup is basically tasteless ditch water. A ‘little quirk’ I picked up during my skere student days. Now I’m just lazy. But can you actually reuse your tea bag? Is it unhealthy, or are there other catches?
Many boxes and tea bags say ‘for 1 cup of tea’. So I wonder how many people actually use a tea bag for just that one cup of tea. I can’t be the only one who does this, right? And those wet tea bags left lying around—yes, I do that too. I’m sorry to everyone who lives with me or has ever done so.
Ditch-water mode
What do you know? I (and hopefully many others with me) can breathe a sigh of relief. It isn’t dangerous to reuse your tea bag. Patricia Schutte, a former nutritionist at Het Voedingscentrum, told Gezondheidsnet that there are no risks associated with reusing a tea bag. “Tea isn’t particularly susceptible to bacteria,” she says. Should there nevertheless be any bacteria, they’re immediately killed by the boiling-hot water. Completely safe, then.
Sustainable Dina
Good news: even completely ‘drained’ tea bags can still be used. How? There are various hacks for that. For example, they’re perfect for neutralizing odors and can even clean your greasy pans. You know, I realize now that I’m not lazy at all. And I’m not Miserly Gerda, either. I’m simply incredibly sustainable!
Also read:
- No, no, no, don’t put that cup of tea in the microwave
- What’s in supermarket tea? And is that expensive yoga tea really that healthy?
- 3 common misconceptions about tea
Sources: MAX Vandaag, Gezondheidsnet
