Here are 14 new and little-known uses for banana peels.

From teeth whitening and silver polishing to writing magic notes, banana peels are the tool you’ll never want to throw away. Try our 12 practical uses for banana peels and let us know what you think.

Banana peels are loaded with potassium, manganese, lutein (a powerful antioxidant), calcium, iron, carbon, and tannin – an abundance of minerals that mean banana peels are useful for many things.

1. Whiten your teeth

Take a picture of your teeth now so you have something to compare at the end of your experiment.

• Peel a ripe banana from bottom to top. You want the banana to be ripe so that it contains more minerals, and you need to peel it from bottom to top like a monkey so that the stringy flesh stays attached.
• Take your peel and rub the fleshy side (not the yellow side) on your teeth, both top and bottom. Make sure they are completely covered with the banana peel paste.

• Leave it on your teeth for 10 minutes, keeping your mouth open and your lips away from your teeth (like a silent grunt). It might sound a little odd, but no stranger than going to bed with a mouthguard, I think.
• After allowing air to circulate over your teeth for 10 minutes, use a dry toothbrush to brush your teeth in circular motions for two to three minutes. Make sure to brush each tooth, on both sides.
• Rinse with clean water and you’re done. You might want to brush your teeth with your regular toothpaste at this point.

Repeat the banana skin treatment for at least 14 days. Compare your new teeth with the photo of your old teeth. Brighter?

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