Can You Really Use Black Tea To Clean Dark Cabinets?

If your dark-colored kitchen cabinets are looking like they need a deep clean, you're probably wondering what natural ingredient is best to use. You don't want to use something harsh that damages the paint or laminate finish, and chemicals can have negative effects on you and your family. Not to mention, they're often expensive to purchase. But nothing more than black tea can provide a fast and affordable cleaning solution that skips the harsh chemicals, leaving you with a showroom-ready kitchen. And if you're looking to repurpose used tea bags around the home, then this trick is for you. 

Although vinegar is a popular non-toxic cleaner, it's not ideal for cabinets of any type. It can strip them of their finish, but tea is a much more mild alternative to an otherwise acidic cleaning agent. Tea contains tannins, a type of chemical compound known for cleaning and polishing wood surfaces. Combined with a little elbow grease, some black tea can easily be added to your list of genius tips for cleaning your kitchen cabinets. And if you want to clean your whole home, you can use those tea bags on wood floors, leaving all surfaces squeaky clean. 

To remove dirt and grime from your dark-colored kitchen cabinets, begin by brewing some black tea to clean with. You can use tea on laminate or hardwood, making it an affordable and versatile cleaning agent. Once steeped, you'll want to saturate a soft cotton cloth with the tea, using it to wipe your cabinets clean. Like wood, laminate cabinets are susceptible to scratches, so soft cloths are ideal. Aside from removing dirt, dust, and grease from your kitchen cabinets, tea has another key benefit. If your wooden cabinets have any small scratches on them, black tea can help color in these areas. This is why this trick is ideal for dark-colored wood. 

The beauty of this alternative is that you can use it all over your house, including your furniture, floors, bathroom cabinets, and anywhere else in need of some TLC. Tea is an excellent cleaning agent because it's affordable and doesn't expose your furniture to any harsh chemicals. However, if you find that reusing old tea bags isn't strong enough, consider brewing two to three tea bags for a more highly concentrated cleaning solution. As with any new cleaning ingredient, always spot-test somewhere inconspicuous before cleaning an entire cabinet surface with black tea.