Did you know that you can make your own homemade fruit and veggie wash? In this day and age, chemicals are everywhere. These chemicals are getting into our bodies and causing us serious harm. It’s in the air, it’s in our water, it’s in our everyday household items, and it’s even in our food. This is why it is so important to wash our produce when we get home from the grocery store.
Why is washing produce so important?
When food is being grown on a farm, a farmer needs to use certain pesticides to help prevent damage done to their crops until harvest time.
If you have ever grown a garden, bugs are the biggest downfall to any crop. So, in using these pesticides, it keeps the bugs at bay, as well as rodents and invasive plants. The chemicals found in these pesticides are resting on top of the produce and these chemicals stay there from the time application to harvest, to packaging, and then through shipping all the way to the store where we buy them.
Washing our produce removes the dirt, bacteria and pesticide chemicals makes our fruits and vegetables much safer to eat.
Chemicals found in pesticides.
I knew that there were pesticides on my produce, but I didn’t fully understand how many different chemicals there was in these pesticides. Doing a little research on the chemicals found in these pesticides and what effects they could have on your mind and body was a real eye opener. Here is a list of the main chemicals found in pesticides;
- 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid (2,4-D)
- Aldrin/Dieldrin
- Atrazine
- Chlordane
- Chlordecone
- DDT, DDE, DDD
- Endosulfan
- Endrin
- Glyphosate
- Heptachlor/ Heptachlor Epoxide
- Hexachlorobenzene
- Methoxychlor
- Methylene Chloride
- Pentachlorophenol
- Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
- Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids
- Toxaphene
These chemicals may cause serious harm to us over time. Not washing your produce is putting these chemicals into your body. This includes neurological issues, cause issues with child conception, and of course cause many types of cancers.
If you would like to learn more about the harm all of these chemicals may bring to your body, feel free to check out the CDC website after you finish reading this post. The link will be found at the end of this post.
NEVER use bleach to wash your produce!
Bleach is such a harmful chemical and can cause damage to our lungs just by smelling that ever so clean bleach smell. Even when diluted with water, having bleach on or even near your food is never a good idea.
Produce is sprayed with a bleach and water solution before it is shipped off to grocery stores. This is said to kill off any harmful microbes that may be on the produce. However, it does not remove any pesticides.
Should I wash my organic produce?
Yes! You should always wash your produce. Even coming out of your own garden, it is always best to wash your produce. Organic does not mean “pesticide free.” Even farmers who are certified organic growers, still need to use pesticides to save their crops from harm.
Pesticides used by organic farmers do not contain human made substances as regular pesticides do. Chlorine and hydrogen peroxide are two examples of synthetic substances that can be used on organic farm crops.
Buying organic I know can be more expensive than buying the regular produce. But it is however overall, much safer when it comes to being in contact with harmful chemicals. If you cannot afford organic produce, do not fret! You can still buy the regular produce just remember to wash what you bring home. And if you are able, buy organic when you can.
How to make homemade fruit and veggie wash
Making a homemade produce wash is so simple and take no time at all to pull together. All you need is three simple ingredients. All of them are probably found right there in your kitchen.
- Water
- Vinegar
- Baking Soda
That’s it! those are the only things you need to make your homemade fruit and veggie wash. Simple right? It is important to state that it is not just about how you wash your fruit and veggies. The steps following the washing are as equally important. Here are the steps to take from start to finish to washing up your produce;
- Fill a large bowl (or fill up your sink) with cold water.
- Add a 1/4 cup of 5% vinegar to the water
- Add 1 Tbsp. of baking soda (fizzing is normal when using both vinegar and baking soda)
- Mix well with your hand
- Add in your produce and allow to soak for 2 minutes (this is important, more information below)
- Swish the produce around with your hand
- Rinse produce well
- Lay out a towel and place your produce on the towel to dry. Should take a few hours to dry. (this step is the most important step, more information below)
- Once produce has completely dried, store your produce
When cleaning berries, only use a water and vinegar wash. The baking soda will make the berries go bad faster.
Why soak your produce for 2 minutes?
Soaking your produce for 2 minutes allows the vinegar and baking soda to do its job in removing not only harmful pesticides but also removing any bacteria or dirt that may have got on the produce during the packaging process or the shipping process.
Leaving your produce in the wash for longer than two minutes will not cause you or your produce any harm. However, it will cause your produce to go bad faster. So, it is important to not walk away from your produce during this time.
Setting a timer would be the best option so you know for sure that you are not going over that two-minute mark.
Why should I dry my produce before storing it in the refrigerator?
The importance behind making sure your produce is completely dry before storing is just to prolong the shelf life of the produce. When you put wet produce in the fridge, that moisture builds up. This build up can cause sogginess, wilting and even mold growth. Produce goes bad so quick as it is. Wouldn’t it be nice if your produce could last more than just a few days?
Why should I use vinegar to wash my produce?
Vinegar is a great liquid for killing off bacteria. That is why it is the main ingredient in homemade natural cleaners as well as many other household uses, which you can find out more here if you are interested. Soaking your produce in vinegar will reduce the bacteria levels. It will not kill all bacteria.
Keep in mind, there is bad bacteria that is harmful, but there are also good bacteria that our bodies need to be healthy. It is so easy to think that all bacteria and germs are bad for us. This is not true at all.
Remember to rinse your produce well to remove any chance of there being a slight vinegar taste on your produce.
Why should I use baking soda to wash my produce?
Baking soda has been shown through research that it can remove more pesticide chemicals than a bleach and water solution. Soaking allows the baking soda to wash away those gross pesticides.
Do I have to use baking soda and vinegar to wash my produce?
No, you do not. I know a lot of people are not so keen on the smell of vinegar. And if your produce is not rinsed well there can be a lingering vinegar taste to your produce. If you would rather use just baking soda, you can. Just don’t add any vinegar to your water. The same goes for if you would rather use vinegar instead of baking soda, just don’t add the baking soda to the water.
When using only vinegar, soak your produce for the regular two minutes and rinse well.
When using only baking soda, soak your produce for 12-15 minutes to ensure majority of pesticides are removed.
Want to learn more about the harmful chemicals listed above earlier in this post, click here to learn more.