How many days should you leave banana peels in water? A comprehensive guide for health and gardening

October 1, 2025 •

5 min read

Banana peels are a surprisingly nutrient-dense part of the fruit, rich in fiber, potassium, and antioxidants. The answer to 'How many days should you leave banana peels in water?' is not a single number, as the ideal steeping duration varies significantly depending on whether you're creating a liquid plant fertilizer, a health tonic, or a beauty product.

Quick Summary

The required soaking time for banana peels depends on the intended purpose. Soaking durations can range from a quick boil for health teas to several weeks for fermented plant fertilizers. Different timeframes are necessary to extract specific nutrients while avoiding spoilage or pest issues, making it essential to use the correct method for each application.

Key Points

Duration is Application-Specific: The optimal soaking time for banana peels varies based on the intended use, such as fertilizing plants, brewing health tea, or creating a hair rinse.
Garden Fertilizer (2-7 days): For a slow-release plant fertilizer, soak chopped peels in water for 2 to 7 days, but be aware of fermentation and potential pest issues.
Health Tea (10-15 minutes): When preparing tea for human consumption, boil clean, organic peels for 10-15 minutes to extract beneficial compounds like potassium and tryptophan.
Boiling for Speed: Boiling is a quick method for making either a fast-acting plant fertilizer or a health tea, as it rapidly extracts nutrients from the peels.
Use Organic Peels for Health: Always use organic banana peels for any application intended for human consumption or topical use to avoid potential pesticide residue.
Beware of Spoilage: Any banana water mixture that smells foul or shows signs of mold should be discarded, as it has likely gone bad and can cause harm.
Proper Dilution is Key: Liquid banana peel fertilizer should always be diluted with fresh water (e.g., 1:5 ratio) before applying to plants to prevent nutrient imbalance.
Not a Complete Fertilizer: Banana water primarily provides a potassium boost and should not be used as a sole fertilizer source, but rather as a supplement to a balanced feeding routine.

How Soaking Time Varies by Application

The practice of soaking banana peels in water to extract nutrients is popular in both DIY gardening and natural health circles. However, the correct method and duration differ dramatically based on your goal. Ignoring these differences can lead to ineffective results or undesirable outcomes, such as attracting pests or creating an unpleasant odor. This guide breaks down the recommended timeframes and procedures for each application.

Making Banana Peel Water for Plants (The Gardening 'Tea')

For gardeners, banana peel water acts as a mild, potassium-rich liquid fertilizer. The process, often referred to as making 'banana tea,' is designed to extract water-soluble nutrients from the peels. Most gardening advice suggests a standard soaking time for this purpose, but slight variations exist.

Method 1: Room Temperature Soak

Duration: 2 to 7 days.
Process: Chop 3-4 banana peels into small pieces and place them in a jar or bucket. Cover them completely with water and seal the container loosely to allow gases to escape. Store the container in a cool, dark place. After soaking, strain the liquid and dilute it before use.
Considerations: This method, if left too long, can lead to fermentation, which may attract pests like gnats and fruit flies, especially when used on indoor plants. If the water develops a foul smell, it's best to discard it and start over.

Method 2: Fermentation

Duration: 2 weeks or more.
Process: For a more concentrated solution, combine chopped peels with water and a sugar source (like brown sugar) in a sealed container, similar to kombucha. The sugar accelerates fermentation, breaking down the peels more thoroughly.
Considerations: This method produces a more potent liquid but also increases the risk of foul odors and is generally not recommended for indoor use.

Method 3: Boiling

Duration: 10 to 45 minutes of simmering.
Process: For a fast-acting 'tea,' place chopped peels in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Simmer for the recommended time to quickly extract nutrients. Allow the mixture to cool before straining and diluting.
Considerations: Boiling is a much faster alternative to soaking, providing a quicker nutrient boost for your plants. It's often used when a sudden nutrient deficiency, like blossom-end rot in tomatoes, needs to be addressed.

Preparing Banana Peel Tea for Human Consumption

While consuming banana peels directly is not common, brewing them into a tea is a well-known natural remedy. This tea is often consumed for its purported benefits related to sleep, heart health, and antioxidant intake. Unlike the slow soak for plants, health tea is prepared much faster and is meant for immediate consumption.

Duration: 10-15 minutes of simmering or an overnight soak.
Process: For a relaxing sleep aid, boil a clean, ripe banana peel in water for about 10 minutes. Alternatively, some people opt for an overnight cold-steep, though a hot brew is more common to extract beneficial compounds like tryptophan.
Considerations: Always use peels from organic bananas to avoid consuming pesticides. The flavor can be slightly bitter, so adding cinnamon or honey is a common practice. Unlike gardening water, this is prepared for immediate, fresh consumption, not long-term storage.

Using Banana Peel Water for Topical Applications

Banana peel water can also be used as a hair rinse or skin treatment. This is typically done through a steeping or boiling method to create a liquid rich in minerals and antioxidants that can be applied topically.

Duration: Overnight or 10-20 minutes of simmering.
Process: Steep chopped banana peels in water overnight to create a hair rinse. For a faster method, simmer the peels for 10-20 minutes and let cool. This liquid is then strained and used as a final hair rinse after shampooing. For skin masks, a similar preparation can be mixed with other ingredients like yogurt.
Considerations: As with health tea, using organic peels is important. The main goal is to extract vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and a simple steep or boil is sufficient.

Banana Peel Water: Timelines by Application


Application	Method	Recommended Duration	Primary Nutrients	Key Considerations
Plant Fertilizer	Room Temperature Soak	2-7 days	Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium	Risk of fermentation and pests, requires dilution
Plant Fertilizer	Fermentation	2+ weeks	Potassium, broader mineral profile	Stronger liquid, higher risk of odor and pests
Plant Fertilizer	Boiling	10-45 minutes	Potassium, Calcium	Quick extraction, must cool and dilute
Health Tea	Simmering	10-15 minutes	Potassium, Magnesium, Tryptophan	Use organic peels, for immediate consumption
Topical (Hair/Skin)	Steeping/Simmering	Overnight or 10-20 minutes	Vitamins B6/B12, Potassium, Antioxidants	Use organic peels, extract compounds for hair and skin benefits

Best Practices for Making Banana Peel Water

Choose the Right Peels: Use ripe peels for the most nutrient content. For health and topical uses, opt for organic bananas to avoid pesticides.
Chop for Efficiency: Cutting the peels into smaller pieces increases their surface area, allowing for faster and more thorough nutrient extraction.
Dilute for Safety: When making liquid fertilizer for plants, always dilute the strained liquid before use (e.g., a 1:5 ratio with fresh water). This prevents potential nutrient imbalances.
Store Properly: If not using immediately, store plant-based banana water in a sealed container in the refrigerator to slow decomposition. For health tea, it is best to drink it fresh.
Monitor for Spoilage: Discard any mixture that develops a foul odor or mold, as it indicates the presence of undesirable bacteria.
Use Moderately: While banana peel water can supplement your plant's nutrition, it is not a complete fertilizer. Use it in moderation alongside a balanced feeding schedule.

Conclusion: Tailoring Your Soaking Time

In short, the appropriate duration for soaking banana peels is entirely dependent on your intended use. For garden fertilizer, a 2 to 7-day room-temperature soak or a quick boil is standard, but be mindful of pests and spoilage. For a human-grade health tea or topical application, a shorter simmering time of 10-15 minutes is more appropriate, with organic peels being the safer choice. By understanding these distinctions, you can effectively repurpose this household waste and harness its potential benefits for your plants and well-being.

For more information on the nutrient content of banana peels, you can visit Verywell Health. (Note: This is an optional outbound link suggestion.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Boiling banana peels is a faster way to create a plant fertilizer, while soaking at room temperature requires more time (2-7 days) but is also effective. The choice depends on how quickly you need the fertilizer.

Yes, you can use banana water on indoor plants, but it is important to use it with caution. The sweet odor can attract pests like fruit flies and gnats, so proper dilution and moderation are key.

If your banana water has gone bad, it will develop a foul odor, and you may see mold or a thick, discolored film on the surface. If you notice these signs, it's best to discard the mixture and start a fresh batch.

Yes, you can use banana peel water as a hair rinse. It is rich in vitamins and minerals like potassium that can help strengthen and moisturize hair. Simply simmer the peels in water, let it cool, and use as a final rinse after shampooing.

To store banana peel fertilizer, strain the solid peels and keep the liquid in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Use it within two to four weeks to prevent spoilage. For longer storage, consider freezing dried and powdered peels.

Soaking banana peels does extract some nutrients, but not all of them. For instance, most of the potassium in the peel is not readily extracted into water and requires decomposition by soil microbes to become available to plants.

There are several risks, including attracting pests like fruit flies, causing nutrient imbalance if overused, or introducing harmful pesticides if conventionally grown bananas are used.

Banana peels contain tryptophan, an amino acid that plays a role in producing serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood and sleep. This is why banana peel tea is believed to promote relaxation and sleep.