Five Reasons You Should Never Thrash Your Banana Peels

If you’ve been throwing a banana peel straight in the trash, you may want to stop as you have been failing to take advantage of a number of home and health benefits it provides.

They Will Clean Your Plants
Just like any home accessory, indoor plants can get an unattractive layer of dust on them. Sliding the inside of a banana peel over the leaves will lift the dust so your plants look healthier. Unlike a spritz of water, the peel will actually remove the dirt instead of just pushing it around.

They Can Ease Your Pain
A study in the Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand found that banana peel extracts contain anti-inflammatory properties. That could be why some say pressing the peel against a bug bite, poison ivy rash, or sunburn can provide some relief.

When the itch or pain is killing you, this cheap health hack is definitely worth a try.

They Are Edible
You’d probably never think to take a bite out of a thick, bitter peel, but people in other parts of the world actually do use them in cooking. Banana peels may seem inedible, they are actually very nutritious. It contains high amounts of vitamin B6 and B12, as well as magnesium and potassium. It also contains some fiber and protein.

To get all these benefits, wash the skins—the riper, the thinner and tastier—then boil them for at least ten minutes to soften up the texture. You can also blend raw peels to make healthy smoothies.

They Can Help Keep Meat Tender
If you can’t eat the banana peels itself, when you roast skinless chicken breasts, throw a banana peel into the pan before putting the meat on top. The peel will keep your meat from drying out so your poultry is tender when you chomp on them.

Use Them To Polish Your Shoes
Bananas might be famous for their potassium, and the mineral also happens to be a key ingredient in shoe polish, which some say is why the peels make for a cheap cleaning hack.

Simply get rid of any extra strings from the inside of the peel, then use the inside to rub your shoes. Once the leather is up to snuff, buff your shoes with a paper towel. You will get shoes that are good as new without the smelly chemicals.