20 Clever Uses for Bananas You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner

By Reader’s Digest Editors, RD.com

Updated: Nov. 04, 2019

Next time you contemplate tossing an overripe banana in the compost, think again. It turns out even the
banana peel can be a useful tool around the house. Here's how!

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Make a face mask

Who needs Botox when you have bananas? That’s right: You can use a banana as an all-natural face
mask that moisturizes 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 yogurt, two tablespoons
honey, and one medium banana.

Try one of these homemade face mask recipes!

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Eat a frozen “banana-sicle”

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 six ounces melted butterscotch or chocolate
morsels (chopped nuts or shredded coconut are optional), then refreeze.

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

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Polish silverware and leather shoes

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.

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Tenderize a roast

Banana leaves are commonly used in many Asian countries to wrap meat as it’s cooking to make it more
tender. Some folks in these areas 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.

Make life simpler with these easy meal prep ideas!

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Brighten up houseplants

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.

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Deter aphids

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 raccoons,
squirrels, gophers, rabbits, and other animals, who will just dig them up.
Check out landscaping expert Carson Arthur’s indoor gardening tips for winter.

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Use as fertilizer or mulch

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.

Discover these genius uses for orange peels!

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Remove warts

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 skin in winter.

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Attract butterflies and birds

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 raccoons and other nocturnal
creatures.

Here are more tips for attracting butterflies to your backyard.

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Assist with first aid

Banana peels have anti-inflammatory properties, which means they are great when it comes to bug
bites, minor scrapes, poison ivy, 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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Ripen an avocado

Are you an avocado enthusiast? Though you could eat all the avocado toast and guacamole in the world,
sometimes avocados just don’t ripen fast enough. In order to satisfy your avocado craving for all your
cooking needs, use a banana to help speed up the ripening process. Bananas release ethylene, which
triggers ripening in avocados. Simply place a banana in a brown paper bag and roll it up with an
avocado. Check it daily until it is ripe enough.

Did you know that the healthiest part of the avocado is in your garbage?

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Slough off dry skin

In order to keep your skin feeling smooth and radiant, create a body scrub with a banana. There are
many different variations depending on the kind of scrub you need. For a gentle scrub, you can mix a
mashed banana with brown sugar. For a medium scrub try mixing in oatmeal or sea salt. If you really
need a heavy-duty scrub, grind apricot pits at home and add it to your banana to really dig deep into
your pores.
Speaking of dry skin, make sure you’re not making these showering mistakes.

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Add to compost pile

With their high content of potassium and phosphorus, whole bananas and peels are welcome additions
to any compost pile, particularly in so-called compost tea recipes. The fruit breaks down especially fast
in hot temperatures. But don’t forget to remove any glued-on tags from the peels, and be sure to bury
bananas deep within your pile (otherwise they may simply turn out to be a meal for a four-legged
visitor).

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Whiten teeth on the cheap

Everyone wants pearly whites, but do you really want to spend all that money on treatments? Banana
peels contain citric acid, which will help lighten surface stains on your teeth. For natural teeth whitening
at home, after giving your teeth a good brush, simply rub the banana peel on the surface for about two
minutes every day. Your smile will not only be whiter, but brighter!

Use these tips to save your teeth from coffee stains.

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Get rid of splinters

Splinters can be a real pain, literally and figuratively. The natural enzymes in banana peels can help
loosen splinters that just don’t want to seem to get out of your skin. Press the inside of the peel on your
skin for up to 30 minutes and it will help move the splinter to the surface for an easy plucking.

Don’t miss these brilliant uses for petroleum jelly!

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Make banana “ice-cream”

If you don’t have the time or calories to spare, try making ice cream out of bananas. All you have to do is
freeze your peeled bananas and blend it in a food processor or blender. The result is an ice cream-like
consistency and a satisfied craving. Try adding some peanut butter or shredded coconut as toppings.

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Create a dog treat

Dogs love human food, but most of the time our cherished pooches cannot digest what we eat.
Bananas, however, are foods that our pets can enjoy. They are high in fiber, magnesium, and potassium.
Mash up a banana and add it to your dog’s favorite food so they can chow down.

Consider purchasing these human foods that are good for your dog.

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Restore dry hair

Bananas are great ways to combat that stringy and brittle feeling. To make a banana hair mask, puree
one to three really ripe bananas (depending on your hair length) and then massage it throughout your
scalp to your ends. Let it sit for 15 minutes and then rinse it in the shower followed by a shampoo.

Try this doctor-recommended trick to save thinning hair.

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Ease heartburn

Bananas are an alkaline fruit, which means they may help neutralize acid in the stomach. You can eat
bananas regularly as a home remedy for heartburn and GERD. Add a banana to your breakfast to help
coat the stomach for the rest of the day.

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Prevent a scratched CD from skipping

Gently rub the scratched part of the disc with the inside of the peel in a circular motion. Wipe off any
residue with a soft cloth and then shine it with some glass cleaner. The wax in the banana peel may help
fill in the scratches so you can enjoy your treasured disc once more. Be sure you eat at least some of the
bananas you’re buying.