It’s Ok To Use Tea Bag Twice, Just Refrigerate It

Can a single tea bag do double duty? Citing the potential for bacterial growth, the consumer services department of Thomas J. Lipton, makers of Lipton tea, says that tea bags should always be discarded after use. But R.C. Bigelow, makers of Bigelow tea, says go ahead and reuse the bag, providing you wrap it in plastic and store it in the refrigerator.

Joseph Simrany, president of the Tea Council of the U.S.A., favors the Lipton approach, saying that it’s the safest strategy.

Stanley Segall, a professor of nutrition and food science at Drexel University in Philadelphia, says that the potential for mold to grow overnight is slim and he sees no danger in a frugal tea lover keeping a bag to use another day, especially if it’s stored in the refrigerator.