Cleaning > OdorsAugust 29, 2007

Dry Tea Leaves as Deodorizer

I used to have a small bought gel-type deodorizer in my car that was "raspberry tea" scent. When it ran out, I washed out the container and kept it. A few weeks later my daughter commented that the car was stinky. I had been cleaning my cupboards and had found a couple of old cans of loose tea leaves. I had tried making the tea and drinking it but it wasn't very tasty any more. So I dumped the leaves (about 1/4 cup or 100 cc) into the deodorizer container and put it in the car. The next day, no smell! It has been there for three months and the car still doesn't smell.

I have also used loose green tea leaves and old unused tea bags in our toilet rooms and laundry room. This technique works well in a small space, but not so well in a larger room.

Many spray or gel deodorizers in Japan advertise "fight odor with green tea extract" I figure, why buy the product when I have the real thing? Black tea works too!

By Cantate from Tokyo, Japan

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By Laurel (Guest Post) 09/01/2007

Can you use regular old Lipton/orange pekoe tea to deodorize your car? Mine STINKS! :o)

By
08/31/2007

I also put a couple of old teabags in my vacuum bag to keep it from smelling.

By Linne Dodds (Guest Post) 08/29/2007

Also keep a couple of damp used tea bags to put on bumps, bruises, minor burns, toothaches, bug stings & bites. Toss the old ones the next time you make tea.

By Linne Dodds (Guest Post) 08/29/2007

Thanks for the great idea. I keep a couple of used tea bags handy, as they are great to press on bumps & bruises & BUG BITES .
Other than that they go in the compost pile.

By
08/29/2007

Quantity: about 1/4 cup for a small enclosed room (the largest room I tried this in is about 6'x3') or car.

I used the same amount in one container in a larger room (9' by 6') and it didn't work as well. I think it might work if I used two containers on opposite sides of the room. You may have to experiment for the size of your room, air flow, etc.

In the larger room, I sprinkled tea leaves over the tatami floor and left them for about 8 hours, then vacuumed them up.

Cantate

By
08/29/2007

Please indicate the quantity of leaves you suggest to use in a room.
Thanks.

By
08/29/2007

What a great idea!

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