When you peel a banana that you want to eat, you may typically throw the peel in the trash without much thought. While it may be a habit that you have, it is a good one to get out of because banana peels are beneficial in different ways.
What are banana peels good for?
Instead of tossing them in the trash, use the peels for various purposes. You may be surprised to learn of all the neat things you can do with these peels. Discover how to reuse banana peels in different ways below.
Apply the Inside of a Banana Peel to Your Face
When learning how to reuse banana peels, it is good to know that the peels are great for your face and complexion.
- It is best if you rub the peel gently around all areas of the face. Make sure that you are applying the inside of the peel to a clean, dry face. It might sound a bit silly, but the banana peel can hydrate the skin, fight wrinkles, and even fade acne scars.
- It works to tighten the skin, leaving you with a more youthful appearance. You can even rub the peel gently over your eyelids to reduce puffiness.
- If you want to fight aging signs, minimize acne scarring, or put a stop to puffiness, banana peels are a must. The natural solution can work wonders on your skin.
Make a Soothing Banana-Flavored Warm Beverage
You can make a soothing banana-flavored beverage using banana peels. The first thing you would need to do is fill a pot with warm water and put it on the stove. Bring the water to a boil, and then lower the heat. Toss a few banana peels into the warm water and allow them to lightly boil in the water for at least five minutes.
After waiting at least five minutes, carefully remove the banana peels from the hot water using tongs and pour the water into a cup. You can drink the flavored water by itself or add more to it. A lemon slice and spoonful of sugar are two ingredients that taste great with the banana peel beverage, commonly referred to as banana peel tea.
Use the Banana Peel as Compost in Your Garden
If you have a garden in your backyard, consider using the banana peels as compost. There is nothing quite as good as fresh compost for the different plants you are growing in the garden. Whether you are growing fruits, vegetables, or even assorted flowers, you can add compost to the soil to encourage healthy growth.
You can combine banana peels with other items that work great as compost, including twigs and assorted kitchen scraps you have from preparing meals. You may want to save a peel each time you eat a banana.
You can put the peel in a plastic Ziploc bag and keep the bag in the freezer until it gets full. Once you fill the bag with peels, you can put them together with other kitchen scraps to create the perfect compost.
Polish Your Silverware With the Peel
Did you know that banana peels work great as a natural polish? If your silverware looks a bit dull, the perfect way to add a bit of shine to forks, knives, and spoons is to rub the peel against them.
- Start by pulling your silverware out and setting it in an empty basin inside your kitchen sink.
- Rub the inside of the peel against each piece of silverware for a few seconds.
- After you have rubbed the peel against each piece, rinse the silverware with cold water to remove any banana residue.
- You may want to wash the silverware to avoid having a slight banana taste on your forks, spoons, and knives.
- Once you finish this simple process, you may notice that your silverware looks new again.
Polish Your Shoes with Ripe Banana Peels
Although it works great as a natural polish for silverware, that is not the only thing that you can polish with a banana peel. If you have shoes that need a good polish, rub a banana peel against them. You will instantly see the difference that the peel can make on your shoes.
Why spend an excessive amount of money on shoe polish? Using banana peels is a smart way to get the job done without spending any extra cash.
Rub the Peel Against Your Teeth For Whitening Purposes
Would you like to have whiter teeth? If you purchase whitening toothpaste but are not seeing the results you were hoping to achieve, try using the banana peel. The potassium and magnesium found in the banana peel can help lift stains from the teeth.
While there is no guarantee that you will have incredibly white teeth after one use, banana peels are naturally good for the teeth. Even if you are not worried about whitening the teeth, you might still want to use the banana peels on your teeth to prevent stains from developing.
After all, it is easy to end up with stains on the teeth from various foods and beverages, including coffee, wine, ketchup, and even spaghetti sauce. It is a natural solution to add to your oral hygiene routine for healthier, cleaner teeth.
Save the Banana Peels Instead of Trashing Them
It is not uncommon for people to peel a banana and toss the peel in the trash because it is inedible. Instead of doing that, consider saving your peels because you can use them for different things.
If you want to use a natural product on your face that can help you combat signs of aging and leave you with clearer skin, rub the banana peel over your face each day. Even if you are not worried about acne scars or aging, you can still use the banana peels.
These peels will come in handy when you want to polish silverware, keep your teeth healthy, or even create compost to use in your garden. Now that you know how to reuse banana peels in different ways, it makes the most sense to start saving them each time you decide to eat a banana.