'Households urged to put tea bags in fridge'

Spring has finally arrived in the UK, and many other countries, which means for many households, it's time to dig the rubber gloves out and get stuck into some cleaning. Historically, cleaning the house in spring was to rid your home of dust, soot and oil that had accumulated over the winter, but nowadays it's more for that feeling of starting afresh.

As the spring season is a time of fresh growth and renewal, this is often carried through into our homes, triggering the need to declutter and tidy. While wiping surfaces, cleaning the floors and dusting hard-to-reach corners may be the obvious tasks to start with, it's also worth giving your fridge some attention too. It's an area of the kitchen that can become subject to spills and stains, and if it hasn't been cleaned in a while, it can start to give off a nasty odour.

Leftover foods and spillages are usually the culprits of bad fridge odours, but even after removing these, some odours can still cling on. But instead of emptying the entire contents of your fridge and spending hours scrubbing away at it, you could just put some tea bags inside instead.

image credit Claire Schofield

While tea bags are primarily used to make a tasty beverage, they also prove pretty useful as a deodoriser as well. The porous paper of tea bags not only makes them effective natural moisture absorbers, but the tea itself also contains tannins, chemical compounds that have antioxidant effects and help fight odourous bacteria and eliminate unpleasant smells.

It's a great natural alternative to keeping your fridge smelling fresh, rather than resorting to harsher chemicals which are in most household cleaning products.

In its online advice on making use of leftover tea bags, Food Republic said: "Most people use baking soda as a fridge deodoriser, thanks to its alkaline properties that neutralise acidic odour molecules.

"However, baking soda doesn't necessarily add a pleasant smell, and it can get in the way. (This is especially true when your fridge is packed too tightly, which is a common mistake everyone makes.)

"That's where tea bags come in. Tea leaves are high in tannins, naturally absorbent, and balance acidic pH. All of these features can help trap odour molecules while giving off a subtle, fresh aroma. Plus, it's a clever way to reuse tea bags you'd otherwise toss."

To eliminate unpleasant fridge odours, cleaning experts recommend placing a bowl of used tea bags in a bowl or open container and placing this at the back of your refrigerator.

Then simply leave them there for a few days and they will slowly absorb bad odours to leave your fridge smelling lovely and fresh with very little effort.

In its online advice on eliminating fridge odours naturally, home and kitchen appliance manufacturer AEG UK said: "Tea contains tannins, which have natural antibacterial properties that help combat odor-causing bacteria in the fridge.

"The porous structure of tea leaves also aids in absorbing and neutralizing odors. Place your used tea bags in an open container or bowl in the fridge to harness their odor-absorbing properties."

Words and image above seen here

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~ enjoy your day ~

Dear reader, this blog is presented in a magazine style, something for everyone. There are a variety of articles, studies, thoughts, photographs, music and recipes! Please note, however, that not all recipe suggestions may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan