Brilliant uses of banana peels

Pakistanis consume billions of bananas each year, making the fruit one of the most popular foods in our country. As compiled from takepart.com, Reader’s Digest, and Prevention magazine, here are reasons to never trash banana peels again.

To grill a juicier piece of chicken

You’re a grilling expert, except when it comes to skinless chicken breasts or beef steaks that desperately need some tenderising. Meat has a tendency to dry out faster than you can flip it in the oven or pan. To avoid tough, dry meat, place ripe banana peels into the roasting pan before placing them in the oven. The peel will create a natural barrier that acts like skin, helping the meat to retain its natural juices while maintaining a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

To make a natural fruit-fly trap

Eliminate flies once and for all by designing a trap. Gather a plastic container, a banana peel, a hammer, and a small nail. Using the nail and hammer, poke holes in the lid of the container. Place the banana peel inside, snap on the lid, and leave it where the flies tend to gather. The sweet smell of banana will attract the fruit flies, leading them to crawl in but they won’t be able to fly back out through the tiny holes. Get rid of the trap after a day or when most of the flies have been caught.

To stop a scratched CD/DVD from skipping

If your favourite disc refuses to play smoothly, fix it right away with a banana peel. Rub the back of the disc in a gentle circular motion with the inside of the peel. Wipe off any remaining residue with a soft cotton cloth, then lightly spray the disc with a glass cleaner and buff it gently until it looks clean. The natural wax present in the peel will fill in scratches without destroying the plastic finish, so the disc can play without the irritating skips.

To lift ink stains from skin

We’ve all been there, you’ve got ink-covered hands and soap and water just aren’t cutting it. To naturally de-ink your skin, eat a banana and grab the peels. Rub the fleshy white side onto the discoloured areas and watch the stains fade away almost immediately. The natural oils in the peel will attract the oils in the ink, weakening the pigment’s bond with the skin, aiding in easy removal, minus the scrubbing with soap that would’ve left your skin dry and red.

To soothe an itchy bug bite

Summer has approached and mosquitoes have begun feasting on us. For fast, chemical-free relief from an itchy bite, rub the inside of a banana peel against the reddish, bumpy inflamed area. The Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry recommends rubbing the infected area with the lining of a banana peel for immediate cooling effect. The peels are full of polysaccharides, which will seep into skin cells to halt swelling and inflammation within minutes, while promoting the healing process.

To whiten teeth on the cheap

No need to spend a fortune on professional whitening treatments at the dentist. Let banana peels do the job instead. Make it a point to rub the inner white side of a peel against freshly brushed teeth for about two minutes daily. The combination of plaque-busting, astringent salicylic acid and gently bleaching citric acid in banana peels will efficiently lighten surface stains on teeth without eroding the enamel. With this clever trick, you’ll have bright pearly whites by the end of the week.

To buff away scuffs on leather shoes

We spend a bunch load on leather shoes but, sadly, the scuffs and stains on the toes are just unavoidable. To get them back in mint condition, lightly rub the spots with the white side of a banana peel, then wipe with a clean cotton cloth. The peel’s potassium content (a key ingredient in leather polish) will be absorbed into the leather and diminish the marks almost immediately, leaving your shoes looking pristine.

To brighten up houseplants

In the dusty Pakistani weather, the leaves on houseplants begin looking dingy every other day after you clean them with a wet cloth. Don’t bother misting them with water since that just spreads the dirt around. Instead, wipe down each leaf with the inside of a banana peel. It’ll remove all the dust and gunk on the surface and replace it with a lustrous shine that’ll last for a week.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24^th, 2015.

Like Life & Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.