How to Make Floor Wax From Bananas
Floor waxing is essential to maintain the shiny gloss of wooden floors. However, if you find buying ready-made floor wax prohibitively expensive, it's possible to mix raw wax crystals and kerosene with banana peels to create a substance suitable for use polishing your wooden floors.
This home-made floor wax will give a comparable shine and smoothness to that of commercial products, and the oil in the kerosene counteracts the banana peel's stickiness to ensure the finished sheen isn't tacky.
Things You Will Need
- Large mixing pot
- 28 oz. paraffin wax crystals
- 3 1/2 oz. polyethylene wax crystals
- 6 3/4 pt. kerosene
- Peels from 10 to 15 full-sized bananas
- 10 sq. ft. muslin sheet
- 5 to 10 large glass jars
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Mix 28 oz. of paraffin and 3 1/2 oz. of polyethylene wax crystals in a large mixing pot. Melt over a low heat until the crystals are thoroughly melted and blended.
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Pour in 6 3/4 pt. of kerosene and stir thoroughly without removing from the heat.
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Add the fresh peels from 10 to 15 full-sized bananas. Add the peels one at a time and stir into the mixture until the peel has thoroughly disappeared beneath the surface.
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Stir for three minutes then boil at a low heat for 15 minutes to allow the wax in the banana peels to thoroughly mix with the oils of the solution. Remove the pot from heat and strain through a muslin sheet into jars or molds while still warm. Allow the wax to cool and harden thoroughly before applying it to floors.
The Drip Cap
- Floor waxing is essential to maintain the shiny gloss of wooden floors.
- This home-made floor wax will give a comparable shine and smoothness to that of commercial products, and the oil in the kerosene counteracts the banana peel's stickiness to ensure the finished sheen isn't tacky.
- Add the peels one at a time and stir into the mixture until the peel has thoroughly disappeared beneath the surface.
References
- Balve Granido; Science Head, Misamis Oriental Department of Education; Cagayan de Oro, Philippines
- Kathryn Allan; Chemistry Research Head, Victoria University; Wellington, NZ
Writer Bio
Nick Grimes was first published in 1998. Since then his work has appeared in the New Zealand Listener, Evening Post, City Voice, Turbine, Flicks.co.nz, and Gamesradar. He has a master's degree in creative writing from the International Institute of Modern Letters in Wellington, New Zealand.
Photo Credits
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
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