Make a face mask

Make a face mask
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Who needs Botox when you have bananas? That’s right: You can use a banana as an all-natural face mask that moisturises your skin and leaves it looking and feeling softer. Mash up a medium-sized ripe banana into a smooth paste, then gently apply it to your face and neck. Let it sit for 10-20 minutes, then rinse it off with cold water. Another popular mask recipe calls for ¼ cup plain yoghurt, two tablespoons honey, and one medium banana.

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Eat a frozen “banana-sicle”

Eat a frozen “banana-sicle”
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As a summer treat for friends and family, peel and cut four ripe bananas in half (across the middle). Stick a wooden ice-cream stick into the flat end of each piece. Place them all on a piece of wax paper, and then put it in the freezer. A few hours later, serve them up as simply yummy frozen banana-sicles. If you want to go all-out, quickly dip your frozen bananas in 170 grams of melted butterscotch or chocolate morsels (chopped nuts or shredded coconut are optional), then refreeze.

Make sure to avoid these common cooking mistakes that ruin your food.

Polish silverware and leather shoes

Polish silverware and leather shoes
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It may sound a bit like a lark, but using a banana peel is actually a great way to put the shine back into your silverware and leather shoes. First, remove any of the leftover stringy material from the inside of the peel, then just start rubbing the inside of the peel on your shoes or silver. When you’re done, buff up the object with a paper towel or soft cloth. You might even want to use this technique to restore your leather furniture. Test it on a small section first before you take on the whole chair.

Use these smart tricks to keep your shoes stink-free.

Tenderise a roast

Tenderise a roast
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Banana leaves are commonly used in many Asian countries to wrap meat as it’s cooking to make it more tender. Some say the banana itself also has this ability. So the next time you fear the roast you’re cooking will turn tough on you, try softening it up by adding a ripe, peeled banana to the pan.

Brighten up houseplants

Brighten up houseplants
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Are the leaves on your houseplants looking dingy or dusty? Don’t bother misting them with water; that just spreads the dirt around. Rather, wipe down each leaf with the inside of a banana peel. It’ll remove all the gunk on the surface and replace it with a lustrous shine.

These are the best air-cleaning plants for your home, according to NASA.

Deter aphids

Deter aphids
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Are aphids attacking your rosebushes or other plants? Bury dried or cut-up banana peels an inch or two deep around the base of the aphid-prone plants, and soon the little suckers will pack up and leave. Don’t use whole peels or the bananas themselves, though; they tend to be viewed as tasty treats by possums, rats, rabbits, and other animals, who will just dig them up.

Use as fertiliser or mulch

Use as fertiliser or mulch
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Banana peels, like the fruit itself, are rich in potassium, an important nutrient for both you and your garden. Dry out banana peels on screens during the winter months. In early spring, grind them up in a food processor or blender and use it as a mulch to give new plants and seedlings a healthy start. Many cultivars of roses and other plants, like staghorn ferns, also benefit from the nutrients found in banana peels; simply cut up some peels and use them as plant food around your established plants.

 

Remove warts

Remove warts
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Warts are stubborn and gross, so needless to say nobody wants one. A natural way you can go about removing one is by using a banana peel. Cut a piece of ripe banana peel to cover the affected area using the inside and keep it there overnight by using some medical tape. In the morning you should notice some improvement and you can repeat the process nightly until it’s gone!

Follow these simple tips if you want to avoid dry and itchy skin.

Attract butterflies and birds

Attract butterflies and birds
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Bring more butterflies and various bird species to your backyard by putting out overripe bananas (as well as other fruits such as mangos, oranges, and papayas) on a raised platform. Punch a few holes in the bananas to make the fruit more accessible to the butterflies. Some enthusiasts swear by adding a drop of Gatorade to further mush things up. The fruit is also likely to attract more bees and wasps as well, so make sure that the platform is well above head level and not centrally located. Moreover, you’ll probably want to clear it off before sunset, to discourage visits from nocturnal creatures.

 

Assist with first aid

Assist with first aid
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Banana peels have anti-inflammatory properties, which means they are great when it comes to bug bites, minor scrapes, plant allergies, and sunburn. All you have to do is put the banana peel on the affected area and press it like you would a cool compress. You can repeat this process until you feel some relief.

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