Aside from being one of the most nutritious foods you can eat, cucumbers have an amazing number of uses to improve your health, your wardrobe and your home. Don’t believe me? Just look at all the things you can do with those cukes:
- Rub a slice of cucumber on your bathroom mirror to stop it from fogging up after a warm shower
- Looking for a way to get rid of wrinkles or make cellulite less noticeable? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem areas for a few minutes. The phytochemicals in the cucumber causes your skin to tighten, firming it up and reducing the visibility of cellulite and wrinkles.
- Just downed a gorgonzola and anchovy salad and need a breath-saver? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds. The phytochemicals will kill the bacteria in your mouth that can lead to bad breath.
- Need some stress relief? Cut up a cucumber, place it in a pot of boiling water and let the vapors fill the air.
- Out of shoe polish? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over your shoe; it will provide a quick and durable shine that is also water repellant.
- Need a quick afternoon snack? Grab some cucumber slices; cucumbers contain most of the nutrients you need,including vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, folic acid, vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.
- Got a squeaky hinge? You guessed it – rub it down with a cucumber slice and the squeak will be gone.
- Place a few slices in a small pie tin and place it in your garden or flower beds to ward off grubs and slugs (chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent that is undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy).
- Looking for a totally ‘green’ method to clean your sinks and stainless steel? Cucumber to the rescue – run a slice on the surface you want to clean for a streak-free finish.
- And lastly, my favorite – need to erase pen, crayons or markers (this one is especially useful for parents with kids!)? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase those ‘decorations’.
So many uses for such a simply veggie! So enjoy your cucumbers and be sure to keep some extra around for its many other uses around the house! For more interesting fun facts on ways to tackle your day, check out Carolyn North’s new book – Serious Fun.