Nine Uses for a Banana

1. To get a scrape to heal faster, after disinfecting the wound with disinfectant, rub the wound with the white side of a banana peel for one minute. The peel is packed with Vitamins B6 and C, antioxidants that stimulate the healing process.

2. To whiten your teeth without the expense of commercial tooth-whitening kits, massage your teeth with the inside of a banana peel, rubbing in a circular motion for 2 minutes. Repeat once a day for two weeks. The texture of the peel gently removes yellowing tartar and plaque while infusing the enamel with whitening minerals such as potassium, calcium, and vitamin D.

3. Give indoor plants a great shine by stroking each leaf with the white part of a banana peel. The texure and oils of hte inner skin serve as a mild abrasive and polish in addition to feeding the plant nutrients from the peel.

4. When you see the signs of a wart developing, cut a dime-size piece of banana peel and place it white side down on the wart. Secure with a bandaid. Leave on overnight and remove it in the morning. Reapply nightly for two weeks or until the wart disappears. The pulp on the inside of the peel contains mucilage, which kills warts without chemicals.

5. To relieve the itchy annoyance of a mosquito bite, rub the inside of a banana peel against the inflamed area. The polysaccharides seep down into the skin cells and stops the irritation almost immediately.

6. If you've managed to get some ink on your skin that won't wash off with soap and water, rub the white side of a banana peel on the area and the ink should disappear. The natural oils in the peel attract the oils in the ink, weakening the bonds of the pigment.

7. Got a scratched CD? Well, rub the white side of a banana peel in a circular motion for 30 seconds. Then wipe with a lint free cloth sprayed with glass cleaner to remove any leftover film. The CD should play fine again. (NOTE: I gave this a try and, amazingly, it worked!)

8. To get rid of aphids and ants in your garden, cut up 2 or 3 banana peels, place on a cookie sheet and bake at 200 deg for 15 minutes or until they shrivel. Then dig a 1" deep hole in the ground at the base of the plant and place the dried pieces in the soil. The high concentration of potassiumin the banana skin will make the aphids leave and the buried bits are lethal to ants.

9. To revamp leather that is scratch and scuffed, rub the white side of a banana peel on the scratch/scuff, then buff with a clean cloth. The potassium (a key ingredient in leather polish) will be absorbed into the damaged leather and diminish the marks.