Bananas turning brown before you’ve had the chance to enjoy them is an annoyance many of us have to deal with. But a clever hack circulating on Instagram could be the answer to one of the most common fruit frustrations.

According to cleaning and lifestyle influencer @sisterpledgecleans, the key to keeping your bananas fresh and yellow for up to a week longer is as simple as sealing the stems, not with cling film or foil, but with melted candle wax.

“Extend the life of your bananas with this simple hack!” the account shared with its growing following. “Just dip the stem in melted candle wax to seal in freshness and slow down the ripening process.

"The wax creates a barrier, preventing ethylene gas from escaping and keeping your bananas yellow and delicious for longer!”

Bananas, like many fruits, produce ethylene gas, a natural plant hormone that accelerates the ripening process. Most of this gas is released from the stem.

By dipping the stem in wax, you effectively seal it off, limiting the amount of ethylene that escapes and slowing the internal ripening chain reaction.

The technique is similar in principle to more well-known tricks, such as wrapping the stems in cling film or foil, but many are finding the wax method to be more effective, and arguably more eco-friendly.

Once the wax sets, it creates a hard, airtight seal that stays in place better than loose wrappings and doesn’t need to be replaced after each banana is pulled from the bunch.

The process is simple and uses materials you likely already have at home. Simply melt an unscented candle in a small dish or a heat-safe bowl to melt the wax.

Then, carefully dip the ends of the banana stems into the melted wax. Be sure not to get wax on the banana itself, the goal is to coat just the stem area.

Allow the wax to cool and harden before returning the bananas to your fruit bowl.

That’s it. The bananas should now stay firmer and yellow for several days longer than usual, giving you an extra week before they turn soft and speckled.

In addition to sealing the stems, experts recommend keeping bananas at room temperature as refrigeration can cause the skins to blacken faster, even though the fruit inside remains fresh.

Using a banana hanger helps reduce pressure on the fruit and allows even air circulation.

Keep bananas separate, if you only need a few to ripen, break them off the bunch to slow the process for the rest.