Last week I received an e-mail from Joyce, a family friend. In the e-mail she listed 13 different uses for cucumbers. I thought in this week’s article I would share 8 of those uses with you, the reading audience:

• Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you and I need every day. Just one cucumber contains B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, folic acid, vitamin c, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc.

• Feeling tired in the afternoon? Because cucumbers have B vitamins and carbohydrates, eating one in the afternoon will act as a quick pick-me-up that will last for hours.

• Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower?  Try rubbing a cucumber slice long the mirror. It will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

• Do you have grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds?  Place a few slices of cucumber in a small pie tin and place in your garden, your garden will be free of pest all season. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum which gives off a scent that drives pest away from your garden.

• For baggy eyes, place cucumbers slices over your eyes before going out. Your friends will think you are getting younger. The phytochemicals in the cucumber causes the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer, reducing the visibility of cellulite. They say it works great on wrinkles as well.

• For those of us who drink and have hangovers, try this. Eat a few cucumbers slices before going out for the evening. When you return home, eat a few more slices. You will wake up refreshed and headache free. The cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium.

• Cucumbers will act like WD-40 and stopped squeaky hinges.

• For bad breath, take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath. The phytochemicals will kill the bacteria in your mouth that causes the odor.

Joyce, thank you so very much for all of those great uses for cucumbers.

When cleaning with any cleaning product, always wear eye protection and rubber gloves to protect your hands. If you would like to share a cleaning idea or concept with the reading audience, call Ed at NWES (208-255-2266) or toll free at 1-877-311-NWES. E-mail them to nwees@hughes. net or send them to Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St. , Sandpoint, ID 83864, Attn: What Would Ed do? For more information about Ed’s company, check him out at NWESINC. COM.

n Copy written by Edmond E. Madan, certified forensic, fire, flood, mold inspection and remediation contractor. Ed is the president of Northwest Executive & Environmental Services, Inc.