Friday, March 4, 2011

100% Organic Cotton Reusable Tea Bags - Great Idea!

     Once again, on my quest for organic and reusable items I realized that individually wrapped tea bags are a waste...and I don't know what's in/on them! That's a little unnerving, especially for someone trying to watch what kind of chemicals and materials we are exposed to. So I went on a search (on eBay again) for reusable organic tea bags. Oh, reusable tea bags are out there, but not all organic ones. I was so glad when I found GraceNotes listing on eBay for 100% organic reusable tea bags! Even the string is organic!
     Basically this is what you get in the mail. I love the tea bags and the little info on the sticker, but my only suggestion would be to cut out the plastic bag ad put them in tissue paper or some other non-plastic packaging. I'm not a big fan of plastic since it is very hard to recycle. Other than that, the packaging is very cute and offers you step by step info on using your new tea bags!
     This is what your tea bag looks like out of the bag before use. It's really cute; simple but charming with the beads on the side. You take a teaspoon of your tea and just put it in the little tea bag, then cinch up the strings and it's ready to go! You can tie your strings in a single knot if you like, but I find mine stays closed fine by just pulling it tightly closed with the strings. You use it as you would with a disposable tea bag: just add water!
     When I first tried mine out I thought I didn't use enough tea because the water didn't seem as dark as when I used the disposable tea bags. So I added more tea and steeped it in my cup longer. Boy did that make some strong tea! I did not need to any extra tea to it, the flavor was fine and just as I normally like it with the recommended amount. Of course, you can add more or less to your liking. But don't let the lighter color fool you, if you happen to experience this as well, the tea flavor is still strong.
     You can slightly see the strings with the beads hanging down. I had a small issue with my strings dripping a little, but after moving the beads up higher on the strings and then snipping the extra thread, my drip problem was pretty much solved. What I was told was that they are now making them with shorter strings, but in case you experience any dripping string issues that's how you fix it. :0)
     This is what your tea bag will look like after you've used it. You can let it dry out and then remove the tea, or empty and rinse it while it's still damp. There are cleaning and care instructions not only on their website, but on the little package as well. The price for these is EXTREMELY reasonable! Especially for all organic materials. On the GraceNotes eBay listing you can purchase one tea bag for $2.25 with free shipping. On the GraceNotes website they are $1.75 each + shipping, or $4.00 for 3 tea bags + shipping. Shipping costs seem to be $2.00 for 4 items and it goes up to more with the more you add. Still a great price! :0) They are durable, reusable and chemical free - all worth the cost!

     So please either stop by their website or their eBay listing and pick a few up. You can use these in a cute tea gift basket with a few different kinds of loose tea and a nice cup. These tea bags make a great gift and you are helping to cut back on disposable tea bags, which are a total waste! I believe even a few small "green" steps can make a big impact so why not start with these?

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