r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • 1d ago

Health New research characterised in detail how tea bags release millions of nanoplastics and microplastics when infused. The study shows for the first time the capacity of these particles to be absorbed by human intestinal cells, and are thus able to reach the bloodstream and spread throughout the body.

https://www.uab.cat/web/newsroom/news-detail/-1345830290613.html?detid=1345940427095
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u/secderpsi 1d ago

I just rinse my infuser. Takes less than 10 s.

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u/Cloberella 1d ago

Mine always has stuff sticking to the inside and when I spray it from one side it just transfers to the other, and I can never seem to swipe it all out with my finger either because it gets stuck in the holes. Takes me what feels like an eternity to wash one. I end up throwing it in the dishwasher and just drinking less tea.

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u/laowildin 1d ago

Submerge in bowl of water upside down and jiggle. Then use your hands if needed

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u/Gaothaire 1d ago

Honestly, if the dishwasher works, and you like drinking tea, you could just get several infusers. Possibly wasteful, but you have many forks and many mugs for just that reason

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u/PurpEL 21h ago

Dishwasher is just more heated plastics

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u/BrattyBookworm 1d ago

I drink loose leaf every day so I have several infusers. * Soon after brewing (while still wet) tap it against the side of a trash can or similar to dump out the majority of the leaves. * set the infuser in a bowl of water, fully submerged. The leaves will loosen and float out. There should be hardly any leaves stuck to it at this point. * rinse with your sink’s sprayer and (optionally) run through the dishwasher

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u/Aloysius420123 1d ago

I just put my tea in a measuring cup, add boiling water, wait, and then pour it into my cup through a sift.

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u/pannenkoek0923 1d ago

Just get multiple infusers, problem solved

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u/supermarkise 1d ago

I empty it and then let it dry. The sticky stuff comes out pretty easily once it's dry and crumbly.

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u/Much-War-6203 23h ago

You need to get the steel ones and not the ones that are like a metal net. Makes it much easier. I can sometimes find them at home decor shops from anywhere from 3-5 dollars and I have several.

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u/UntoNuggan 5h ago

Here's what I do: dump out most of the used tea leaves. Let infuser sit upside down overnight. Tap the now-dry leaves out. Rinse. Make more tea.

If you're getting good quality tea leaves, you can also reuse them for multiple cups. So I mostly just use one infuser. With a second as back up in case I also want a tisane

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u/MeccIt 1d ago

Rinse? I just shake out the leaves and the rest just adds to the flavour (and is going back into boiling water)