Here’s my next monthly post on things to do with items you might have in your kitchen. Aside from being a wonderfood – filling, nutritious, and great for making banana cake – bananas are also a good source of Vitamin B6 and Potassium.
But did you know that:
- Banana skins can be used to clean the leaves of houseplants, leaving them shiny and clean.
- Remove warts.There is a school of thought that says rubbing the inside of a banana skin on warts gets rid of them. The high levels of potassium is what does the trick, and I do recall my grandmother doing this.
- The inside of the banana skin is also useful for putting the shine back into leather and silver. Rub the inside of the skin onto the item that needs a shine up. Then buff with a cloth. (Note: test on a small area first).
- Bananas provide a great hangover cure. Mixed with honey in a milkshake, the banana settles the stomach and the honey boosts blood sugar levels.
- Banana skins placed around the bottom of rose bushes (and other plants) act as a deterrent to aphids. Cut the skins up and dig them into the soil.
- If you want to attract butterflies into your garden, leave out a ripe banana for them to feed on. Note: this will also attract bees and wasps so place it where these won’t cause a problem.
- Mixed with egg and a little almond oil, banana also makes a nourishing face mask.
And you thought they were just for children’s lunch boxes.
Photo credit: Ian Ransley
Posted under Food ideas, Top Tips
This post was written by Vandy on March 1, 2009
