How Useful Could a Cucumber Be?

Not realising it but every time I use a cucumber in my salad or on a sandwich I was actually getting more than I bargained for. Who knew that the funny looking vegetable could be so handy around the home?

1. Just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc. Wow! What a vitamin kick!

2. As a great re-energiser when you feel a little sleepy in the afternoon, instead of grabbing for your sugar fix why not grab a cucumber with all those B vitamins and Carbohydrates it will be a pick-me-up that will last for hours.

3. Need a solution to your fogged up mirror in the bathroom? Rub a slice of cucumber along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and also create a refreshing fragrance.

4. Need to get rid of pests in your garden beds? Just a few slices of cucumber placed in a small aluminium tin in your garden will keep it free of bugs all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Who would have thought you could use a slice of cucumber to help remove cellulite? A cucumber has  phytochemicals which creates a tightening of the collagen in your skin, reducing the visibility of cellulite by firming up the outer layer. For a few moments rub a slice or two of a cucumber along your affected area. Give it a go on your wrinkles too ;-)

6. Need a new hangover cure? Before going to bed, after a night when you may have had a few too many alcoholic drinks, eat a few cucumber slices and the next morning you will be refreshed and ready to handle the day without a hangover. Cucumbers have ample sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, meaning you will not suffer from a hangover and a headache.

7. Got the afternoon munchies? Cucumbers have been used as a quick meal for centuries to thwart off starvation.

8. A shoe polish? Yes! Just rub a slice of cucumber on your shoe for that quick shine up on the spot. Its chemicals will keep them water proof and give a polish like shine. 

9. Just rub a slice of cucumber on any squeaky hinge, a quick fix when your out of WD40

10. Feel the need for a massage or facial! Slice up a whole cucumber and place the slices in boiling water, the boiling water will cause the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber to be released in the steam. The aroma created will be relaxing and soothing to the senses and it has been proven to reduce stress in students sitting their final exams and new mothers.

11. Forgot to buy some breath mints? Using your tongue hold a slice of cucumber to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth and free you of bad breath.

12. Are you one who who prefers chemical free cleaning? You can rub a slice of cucumber on any surface to clean and it will remove years of tarnish, make it shine and won't be harmful to your skin.

13. Got children who like to draw on walls? Use the outside of the cucumber and slowly rubbing it on the surface it will erase the pen, crayon and marks kids leave behind.