10 Surprising Uses for Banana Peels

Banana Peels for Pimples

Want to get rid of acne? Try using a banana peel! Simple rub the pulpy side of the peel onto clean side like it's lotion. It has both anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties that will prevent pimples.

All-Natural Teeth Whitening

Before you spend a small fortune on teeth whitening strips or procedures, try a banana instead. The inside of their peels contain both citric acid (a bleaching agent) and salicylic acid (an astringent that fights plaque). Rub one on your teeth after brushing for two minutes and they’ll lighten stains naturally without harming your enamel.

Polish Silver with a Banana Peel

Instead of throwing away a banana peel, get out your tarnished silver and put it to work—the inside of a banana peel can be used to polish silver jewelry! Just rub the peel against the piece and then buff with a dry cloth. The tarnish will come right off.

Restore Shine to a Plant’s Leaves

Easily dust your houseplant by rubbing the inside of a banana peel on each leaf. Not only will it remove dust and nourish the leaves, but it will leave them even shinier than before.

Bananas for Burns

If you sustain a burn in the kitchen, reach for a banana. Press the inside against the burn and it will help ease the pain.

Wart Remedy

Get rid of warts with banana peels! At the end of each day, place a small piece of banana peel, pulp side down, on top of the wart and hold down with some medical tape. Remove in the morning and repeat for about two weeks. A chemical called mucilage in the bananas will kill the wart over time.

Banana Itch Reliever

Every summer, many families go through gallons of that disgusting pink calamine lotion. Not anymore! The next time your kids come home with 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 to ditch the itch—banana peels contain polysaccharides, which quickly reduce inflammation.

Ease Bruises with a Banana

Bananas to the rescue yet again! A simple way to help bruises fade fast is with a banana peel. Just apply a piece of banana peel, flesh side down, to the bruise, cover with a bandage, and leave on overnight. By the morning, the bruise will have faded slightly.

Fertilize Your Plants

Banana peels are excellent natural fertilizers, and the minerals they provide are not readily found in many synthetic fertilizers. Cut your banana peels into pieces and bury just on the soil for a treat your plants will love. (Here are some of our other...

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