Here are 10 Surprising Ways Why You Should Never Throw Away Banana Peels

The bananas are an awesome fruit.  One of man’s favorite fruits — delicious, ergonomic, nutritious, and fiendishly yellow. You might eat that delicious banana and then compost the peel, but did you know that it actually has lots of worthwhile benefits? Peels are full of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins, so next time you enjoy a banana, hang onto the peel and try out some of these awesome uses. 

1. Grill meat

From pork to beef to especially skinless chicken, the lowly banana peel can help the meat retain its natural juices on the grill. Placing them on top of the meat before flipping will create a skin-like barrier so that the meat will retain its natural moisture.

2. Fix a scratched CD or DVD

If the disc isn’t playing properly, just rub a banana peel on it! Use a gentle circular motion with the inside of the peel, wipe off the residue with a soft cloth, and then spray the disc with some glass cleaner fluid. The peel’s natural wax will fill in the scratches without harming the CD.

3. Stop aphids and ants from eating your plants

These little buggers will mess up your houseplants! Get rid of them by cutting up two or three peels, you can either shred the peels and sprinkle them around your plants, or bury the banana peels in your garden. The aphids should disappear in a day or two. . 

4. Improve your Complexion

Massage a piece of ripe banana peel over your entire face once every few days. The acids and nutrients in the peel can help to exfoliate and nourish your skin, making you look younger and healthier appearance.

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5. Shine your shoes

A great alternative to shoe polish is a banana peel. Simply rub your shoe with the inside of the peel. When you’re done, buff the shoes with a soft cloth. Bananas are full of potassium, which is also in shoe polish. Plus, the banana’s natural oils soak into leather which helps make your shoes last longer!

6. Whiten Teeth

Avoid harmful chemicals and processed ingredients by going the natural route — The potassium in banana peels is thought to help whiten your teeth,j ust rub fresh banana peel on your teeth daily! It removes stains and freshens them up.

7. Clean up those ink stains on your body

If soap and water aren’t doing their job, rub the inside of a banana peel and watch the stains disappear. The banana oils will bind to the ink oils, and loosen the particles from your skin. Simply rub it off and erase your regret at keeping a leaky pen in your pocket.

8. Remove a splinter

Cover the splinter with the inside of a banana peel and secure it using medical tape. Leave it for a few hours or overnight. Supposedly the enzymes in the peel soften the skin, meaning the splinter will come right out. 

9. Soothe itches

Rub moist peels on any bug bite, sting, or any other itch. It’s the natural solution to a natural problem! The acids and vitamins soothe the pain and itching.

10. Banana Peel Juice

By now it’s no secret that there are a lot of vitamins and nutrients in the peel of a banana. Take advantage of all of that extra nutritional value by juicing your peels. Simply add peels to a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes to extract the juices, remove peels, and let cool. You can then add the resulting banana peel juice to smoothies or other drinks for a boost of vitamins and minerals. Make sure to wash the peels first to remove wax, dirt, and other contaminants before cooking them! 

Source: shareably

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