Say you’re traveling like a male elephant (that is to say, you’re traveling alone), and you meet a special someone along the way. You make plans to meet up for dinner.
You get all gussied up, but alas, travel has taken a toll on your shoes — they’re scuffed, worn, and not presentable at all. How will you look sharp and make a good impression?
First, eat a banana.
Then, use the peel to polish your shoes. Here’s how:
Step 1: Make sure that your shoes are clean. As you can see, these shoes are clean but quite scuffed and in need of a polish.
Step 2: Peel a banana and eat or discard the tasty insides, leaving just the peel.
Step 3: Rub the moist inside of the peel against your shoes.
Step 4: Buff with a soft, dry cloth until your shoes shine. I found it was most effective to buff them out before the banana residue dries.
Much improved!
Some other things you can do with a banana peel:
** Remove splinters by using some surgical tape or a band-aid to secure a piece of banana peel over the splinter. The enzymes in the peel will help to move the splinter out and heal your skin.
** Relieve bug bite itch by rubbing the inside of a banana peel on the bites. It’ll reduce both irritation and swelling.
** If you’re on a road trip near home, save up your banana peels, then when you get home, puree them and put them in the soil by your tomatoes, bell peppers, and roses. The potassium will benefit your plants, and repel aphids (plant lice for those of you without plants), too.
— Lori
Lori Allen
Director, Great Escape Publishing
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