Clever uses for cucumber
Cucumber is a small and mighty vegetable packed with most of the daily vitamins you need, including: Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.
If you only use cucumber for dips and salads, you’re missing a trick! Here’s a few of our favourite weird and wonderful uses for cucumber…
Prevent window fog
Rubbing a cucumber slice along your bathroom mirror can help keep it from misting up when you get into the shower – with an added bonus of a spa-like fragrance.
Deter slugs
This clever trick can help deter slugs from your planters. Place a few slices in a small pie tin and leave nearby. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminium to give off a scent that repels garden pests – but is undetectable to humans!
Fight off a hangover
If you’re trying to avoid a hangover the morning after a party, this simple trick can help. Eat a few slices of cucumber before going to bed – the sugar, B Vitamins and electrolytes will help replenish the nutrients lost by drinking and help restore equilibrium.
Avoid snacking
If you reach for crips or sweets between meals, try this trick used for centuries by European trappers and traders, and eat cucumber instead. The quick meal thwarts starvation and helps you avoid snacking when you don’t want to.
Quickly shine your shoes
You can polish your shoes in a pinch using a slice of cucumber – the shine will last all afternoon and temporarily repel water, too.
Fix a squeaky hinge
A slice of cucumber is a brilliant natural alternative to a chemical spray like WD40. Wipe it along the hinge until it no longer squeaks.
Fix bad breath
Holding a slice of cucumber to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds can help eliminate bad breath after a meal. The phytochemicals in cucumber kill the bacteria that cause bad breath.
Remove crayon from walls
You can use the outside of a cucumber to gently remove unwanted crayon and marker from the walls. You can also use it to gently remove pen marks from paper!
Remove tarnish from stainless steel
Sliced cucumber can also help remove tarnish from stainless steel without strong or harmful chemicals.
Do you know any clever uses for cucumber? Share your wisdom in the comments below!
Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor
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