13 Surprising Ways To Use Banana Peels For Everyday Life!
So you consider banana as a superfood and never miss it in your daily diet?
You add it to your smoothies, your banana bread, your oatmeal, and even use them as a substitute for eggs in baking.
But what happens when the peel comes off? I’m guessing most of you just throw it away into the trash. Well, it’s time you stop this banana peel in the trash nonsense.
There are some amazing things that you can do with these banana peels and in today’s article, we will tell you about the variety of uses that you can put banana peel to.
These can range from whitening your teeth, relieving itches to fertilizing your plants, and many more.
Stay tuned to find out about all of them!
1. Relieve Itches
Are you tired of going through gallons of that disgusting pink calamine lotion every summer? Well not anymore!
Banana peels contain polysaccharides, which can quickly reduce inflammation and relieve itches.
The next time you have poison ivy or bug bites, skip the pink stuff and pick up a bunch of bananas instead. Rub the inside of a banana peel over the rash and see those rashes go away.
2. Polish Your Silver
The next time you notice your silver jewelry or crockery becoming dull and tarnished, try using a banana peel.
The banana peel contains potassium which can help clean metal objects and make them shiny. Just blend the banana peels with water to make a paste.
Then rub your silver with this paste for a couple of minutes. You will notice that your silver has regained its luster and shine.
3. Fight Acne
You can also use Banana peels for acne treatment.
Banana peels are rich in vitamins and minerals beneficial for your skin. They contain Vitamin C, Vitamin E, iron, potassium, and zinc.
These nutrients can fight acne and reduce skin inflammation. They also help in restoring your skin’s natural glow.
To use this banana peel benefit just use the banana peel on the affected skin and leave for 5–10 minutes. Then rinse with water. Repeat daily to observe the best results.
It is important to note that these home remedies for skin acne can take time and gradually show results. Don’t expect to witness a change overnight.
4. Fix A Scratched CD or DVD
Do you want to play those old CDs or DVDs but cannot because of the scratches, well, banana peel is here to your rescue.
Just Rub the back of the disc in a gentle circular motion with the inside of the peel. Then wipe off any residue with a soft cloth, lightly spray the disc with glass cleaner and buff it until it looks clean.
The wax in the peel will fill in scratches without harming the plastic finish, so the disc can play smoothly without skips.
5. Reduce Wrinkles
In this 21st century, everyone wants to stay young, and since everyone cannot afford plastic surgeries, lasers, and all the other scientific methods we have a natural way for you to look younger.
You get facial wrinkles when the skin loses its elasticity and it loses its firmness. The antioxidants and vitamin C in bananas can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
First, prepare your skin. Use a mild cleanser to get rid of oil and dirt on the skin. Don’t scrub or be harsh on your skin, especially if you have acne.
Now take a ripe banana and cut its peel into chunks and rub the inner part directly on your skin for 10 to 15 minutes in a circular motion.
Keep a check if the peel is turning black from the inside. If that is the case, it means that the peel needs to be replaced now.
Now, let your skin absorb all the moisture for at least 4–5 hours. You can do this before going to sleep so that it stays on your face overnight.
Then rinse off with cold water. Do this daily for the best results.
6. Relieve Headaches and Migraine Pain
This might sound a little weird but Banana peels can provide you quick relief from both these pains.
Just lay a banana peel on your forehead and place an ice compact on the peel. It should provide relief from even the most serious migraines.
It works because the cold helps your head absorb the potassium from the banana. This has been shown effective in helping people relieve headache pain, and it’s completely safe to do.
7. Remove Yellow Stains From Your Teeth
Banana peels are rich in potassium. This helps in reducing the visibility of yellow stains from your teeth.
You can have yellow stains because of the consumption of certain foods and beverages. These stains don’t go away easily.
However, with the use of banana peels, you can remove them easily.
After brushing your teeth, rub your teeth with the inside part of the banana peel. Rinse your teeth after this and you can do it daily till the stains finally disappear.
8. As a Spray-On Fertilizer
Feeding banana peels to plants is not just an old wives' tale. There are practical reasons why many people use this superfood as a substitute for chemical fertilizers.
Banana peels are quick to rot, so if you bury them, they offer rich stores of essential nutrients to the soil. You can also use them to make a foliar spray to give a nutrient boost to your plants.
Take a few banana peels, put them on parchment paper, and place them in a sunny area outside. Let these dry until they are completely dry.
Now take a few eggshells, leave them sitting on your counter while the peels are drying so they are fully dried out as well.
After the banana peels have completely dried, place the pieces into your food processor with the eggshell and pulse until you have a fine powder.
Now add the powder and 1 tablespoon Epsom salt to a spray bottle. Add water to your spray bottle until it’s just about full.
Swirl and shake the spray until the salts and the powder has dissolved into the water and you are ready to use the spray.
9. Make a Fruit Fly Trap
If flies are the main problem, and you are looking for a non-toxic way to deal with them, then using a banana with the peel is your answer.
Just chop it up, place it in a plastic container, and pour in some apple cider vinegar. Then punch some holes in the lid large enough to allow the entry of fruit flies.
The scent of the vinegar and banana will attract them, and they’ll enter through the holes and ultimately down and die in the liquid.
While this contraption may not be able to trap every single pest in the garden, it will help you get rid of quite a few.
10. As a Shoe Polish
What do Shoe Polish and Banana peels have in common? It’s Potassium!
But banana peels may be better because they have natural oils also in addition to potassium which makes them an amazing natural shoe shiner.
Make sure you use slightly green bananas for this, as their skins do not shed as much fibrous banana matter onto your shoe as compared to the ripe ones.
Just peel the banana and rub the inside of the peel on your shoes and watch as the scuffs disappear. Use a soft cloth to remove any residue. Now you’re ready to hit the town in your fruity fresh shoes.
11. To Keep Your Meat Tender
Banana peels act as a great meat tenderizer.
To keep your roasts moist, place a ripe banana peel on top of the meat before it goes into the oven. That way, you’ll be able to cook the meat properly without sucking away any of that juicy flavor!
This works for chicken, beef, or pork.
You can also add them as you marinate the meat and let it be for about half an hour. They can provide the required moisture as you roast it making it juicy and tender.
12. As An Antidepressant
Drinking banana peel water has been shown to relieve anxiety and depression.
It is jam-packed with tryptophan, which is key in creating serotonin, the chemical that can help alleviate depression and also assist you with healthy sleep.
Although eating raw banana skin can be an unpleasant experience, it can be tough and bitter. The answer is to wait for the fruit to ripen, making the peel thinner and sweeter, before using it.
Just boil a small pot of water and add a whole banana with the ends chopped. Continue boiling for ten minutes. Strain through a colander into a mug and drink every day for best results.
13. Reduce Under Eye Puffiness
You’ve heard about cucumbers on eyes, but what about banana peels?
Banana peel helps to keep the skin under your eyes hydrated and protect your eyes from the harmful sun rays.
It can also help reduce the risk of cataracts. Allow a piece of banana peel to sit on the under-eye area for a few minutes then rinse.
For an extra-refreshing treatment, freeze banana peels for 15 minutes before applying. Another method you can use is to scoop out the white fibers from the peel and mix it with aloe gel.
The potassium peel and moisturizing aloe gel will help to treat under-eye bags and circles. Do this twice daily for a week to eliminate dark circles, eye bags, and puffy eyes.
The next time you eat a banana, instead of throwing away the peel, try to use it in one or multiple ways that we mentioned, and let us know how that worked out for you in the comments section below.
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