It’s no secret that bananas are delicious, nutritious, and full of the kind of natural sugar you need for a brief run around the block – to get more bananas, of course. However, as anyone who has ever eaten a banana knows, there’s one problem with this delectable fruit: the peel. Sure, it provides a readymade bag for the fruit inside, but what’re you supposed to do with the peel afterward? Waste it??
Absolutely not! With a bit of ingenuity, the peel itself can work wonders. Everything from smoothing down warts to whitening your teeth can be had with a simple banana peel. So, sit back, peel a banana, and enjoy these clever hacks.
Repair Old CDs
As iPods and mp3s came onto the scene, people began to forget about CDs. Some threw away their entire collection of songs, while others simply let them fall into disrepair.
If you want to relive the glorious 90s by rocking out to some compact discs, then make sure to bring along a banana peel. More likely than not, the CD will have some scratches. To fix that, wipe the peel on the scratched side. Then, use a soft cloth and some glass cleaner to clean and polish it.
Pull Out Splinters
As carpenters are well aware, splinters are stubborn. If they don’t want to get out, they won’t. However, as most carpenters may or may not know, banana peels can help. All you have to do is press the peel’s slippery side against the splinter-filled skin.
Then, hit it with the tweezers again. The enzymes in the banana will separate the buried splinter from your skin, making it rise to the surface. Once there, you’ll find that it’s much easier to coax out.
Whiten Your Teeth
A three-second stroll down any pharmacy aisle makes it abundantly clear that many people want their teeth to be whiter. Not only that, but they’re willing to pay a hefty price to do so. If you want whiter teeth without the hefty price, consider using a banana peel.
First, brush your teeth. Then, rub a banana peel onto your molars, canines, and other teeth for at least two minutes. Repeat daily for a week or two to let the citric acid clear up any dark stains.
Add Nutrients to a Compost Pile
Although a banana peel might function like a plastic bag for a banana, it’s far more helpful to the earth than a plastic bag. So, instead of throwing it in the trash, consider throwing the peel in a compost pile (assuming you have one).
If deeply buried in the compost pile, banana peels can work wonders. They’re high in phosphorus and potassium, which adds vital nutrients to the entire compost mix. In hot weather, they’re particularly good at breaking down fast. Don’t forget to take off the tags beforehand!
Ripen Your Avocados
There’s nothing worse than having to wait around a few days for an avocado to ripen. (Alright, there are a few things worse, but it’s still pretty annoying.) So, to speed up the process, use the power of bananas.
Here’s how: grab a brown paper bag, place a single banana inside, place a few avocados inside, and (tightly) close the bag. Then, wait a few days to allow the banana’s ethylene to kickstart the avocado’s ripening process. Finally, reopen the bag and make some hipster toast or guacamole dip.
Reduce Sunburn Pain
Beach vacations are fun, but sunburns aren’t. Anyone with sensitive skin who forgot to lather up multiple times throughout the day is well aware of how unfun they are. The pain can be unbearable. Luckily, with a banana peel, it can be reduced.
A banana peel won’t fix everything, but it will act as a cool compress for some fast-acting (and natural) relief. Remarkably, banana peels can also be used on painful sores, stings, and bites. So, bring bananas and extra sunscreen next time you hit the beach.
Shrink Your Warts
Warts, like sunburns, aren’t fun – nor are they pleasant to look at. Luckily, a wart’s size can be significantly reduced using a banana peel. All you have to do is measure out a piece of banana peel, wrap it around the wart like a bandaid, and let it sit for a while.
If you do it before sleep, by morning, the wart will reduce in size. If you repeat it a few times, it may even disappear completely. That being said, a visit to the doctor can also help.
Tenderize Your Chicken
In many South American and Asian countries, banana leaves and meat go hand in hand. Or, rather, the meat goes inside the banana leaves. That’s because the leaves make the meat remarkably tender. Luckily, if you don’t have any banana leaves on hand, you can also use bananas!
After placing your chicken in a pan, place a peel nearby. As the chicken roasts, the moisture from the peel will transfer to the meat, allowing for a juicy treat that doesn’t dry too quickly.
Exfoliate Your Skin
We’ve found several uses for the peel—but what are you going to do with all that excess fruit? Well, you can always eat it. But bananas can benefit you in other ways. They can be great for managing skincare.
Brown sugar and mashed banana make for a great gentle skin scrub. For a more potent formula, throw in some sea salt or oatmeal. For a more thorough pore-purge, mix the mashed banana with some ground-up apricot pits. Your skin (and your bank account) will thank you. You can even use the peel as a brush (if you have any left).
Buff Up Your Boots And Silverware
This one is great if you need to put a little shine back into your shoes or silverware on the cheap. Pluck away any stringy bits and rub the inside of the skin onto any cloudy tableware or rough-looking leather. After a few minutes, clean the piece with a soft cloth and admire your reflection.
Banana peel might take to some materials more than others—especially where leather is concerned—so make sure you test this on a small spot before you go to town on the whole armchair. And just make sure you don’t leave the banana peel on the floor once you finish polishing your shoes.
