I eat a banana every morning with my coffee. I love the flavor and it's easy when I'm in a hurry. But I always end up with a peel, obviously, and it just goes right into the compost. It seems like a waste. I know that it'll get dealt with properly, but is there nothing that they can be used for?
It turns out, there are a few different ways you can use your old banana peels before you throw them in the compost.
1. Get Rid Of Splinters
Splinters are almost guaranteed during the summer time, and they're a pain in the butt to get out. Instead of poking and prodding with a pair of tweezers, stick a banana peel on the affected area for 20 minutes, with the white side down.
The peel draws the wood out of your skin and makes it easy to pull out!
2. Soothe Bug Bites
Bug bites are also a big issue during the summer, especially if you love camping. The inflammation under your skin is what causes the itch, which is where a banana peel comes in handy!
Using the same method as with the splinter, the starch in the peel will keep the swelling and itching to a minimum. This also works on plant rashes, such as poison ivy, so make sure bananas are on all your packing lists!
3. Create A Fly Trap
If you've got fruit flies running wild in your kitchen, then listen up! Put the peel at the bottom of a mason jar, then insert a paper cone into the top. The flies will be attracted to the fruit smell and enter the cone, but they won't be able to escape.
If you don't have a mason jar, a regular glass will do the trick!
4. Fix Shoe Scuffs
The peel of a banana is full of potassium, and so is the leather your shoes are made of! If you notice a scuff on your shoe, use the peel of a banana to buff it out. Add a little shoe polish and it will be good as new!
5. Fix Scratched CDs
Scratched CDs and DVDs are heartbreaking, because it usually happens to the ones you love the most. Instead of spending $20 to replace it, you can just use a banana peel instead!
Rub the peel (white side down) over the scratch and then wipe off the residue. Because of the natural wax in the peel, the scratch will get filled in without damaging the disc.
6. Whiten Your Teeth
After eating your morning banana, you can also clean up your teeth! The white side of the peel contains a lot of citric acid, which lifts stains from the top layer of your teeth.
Simply rub the white side of the peel on your teeth every morning, and in a few days you'll notice a difference.
7. Keep Your Chicken Juicy
Fewer things are more disappointing than a dried-out chicken breast. Luckily, there's an easy way to prevent this from happening!
When you're grilling chicken, place a banana peel on top of it. The peel acts like a skin on the chicken and locks in moisture so you'll always have a juicy piece. It also adds a nice aroma to the chicken, which is never a bad thing.
8. Get Rid Of Pen Marks
Pen and permanent marker marks seem to show up on your hands without you even realizing. Soap and water don't always do the trick, but you certainly don't want to walk around with stained hands all day.
All you have to do is use the peel of the banana and rub it on the affected area. The oil in the banana peel loosens the ink and makes it easy to wipe right off!
9. Encourage Your Houseplants
No, the peel won't act as a mini cheerleader for your plants, but it will encourage them to grow! To stop the leaves of your houseplants from wilting, rub a banana peel on the leaves every day. The juices will help rejuvenate the plant, and it will also clean off any dust or unwanted debris on the leaves which could otherwise halt the plant's growth.