Recently, in preparation for a talk about the benefits of tea, I discovered several uses for spent leaves:

• Rub a frying pan with damp tea leaves to remove the smell of fish, garlic or onion.

• Scatter dried leaves on houseplants and water them with cold tea. Acts as fertilizer.

• Burn dried tea leaves to drive off mosquitoes.

In China and Japan, pillows stuffed with green tea leaves are sold as a sleep aid. I was also told that green tea leaves are stored with out-of-season clothes and stuffed into shoes to keep them smelling fresh. But the most unusual product has to to be Bald Guyz Head Wipes - disposable green-tea-infused pads to wipe the shine off that bald dome. Check out baldguyz.com.

If you’d like to learn more tea trivia, join Elizabeth Knight on tea-themed sipping and shopping tours of New York City. The next one is scheduled for May 19th. Visit www.teawithfirends.com for details.