A Step By Step Guide On How to Wash Your Fruits and Vegetables

wellness -


If there was a club made for advocating the washing of fruit I'd be a loyal member — not so much President or even someone on the Board because I don't think I want that responsibility. But...I'd attend the virtual weekly meetings and totally repost flyers and—I'm getting too deep into this. 

Let's talk washing your produce and why it's important.

If you're anything like me, you grew up believing a simple rinse under the sink was enough to cleanse the bacterial heathens up off your fruits and veggies. Wrong

I'm not sure at what point along my wellness journey I started taking the bathing of my produce more seriously, but I did and now we're here so...consider this your call to action to follow suit.

So first thing's first — WHY.

Why go beyond the basic rinse and wash?

First thing's first, non-organic produce more than likely has chemicals and pesticides that none of us need to be consuming. And while organic produce may not have these things, they still may contain unwanted bacteria. So, either way, it's important to wash your produce in a vinegar wash to get rid of all these toxins.

Nonetheless, according to the Food and Drug Administration, 48 million people get sick from contaminated food each year. Ain't nobody got time for that. And then of course, there's COVID-19 aka the biggest mass genocide in forever, but I digress. Let's keep talking produce. 

So Why Vinegar?

Vinegar helps to kill any spores on your produce and can help prevent mold from forming earlier. It'll also help preserve the produce. 

Apple cider vinegar, in particular, has various healthful properties, including antimicrobial and antioxidant effects.

So boom.

Note: In the past I've also added baking soda which is effective in cleaning off pesticides, but I've stopped in efforts to keep everything as natural and fresh as possible. However, it's your world. 

How Much Vinegar Should I Use?

Generally, you can use 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water. And if you're throwing in baking soda, use about 14 grams per liter of water. Lots of math I know, but remember — it ain't that deep. 

Okay Now What? 

It's time. 

How Do I Even....

Read closely. 

Step 1: Wash yo hands + wash yo sink. 

Seems pretty obvious, but let's just make sure we cover all bases here. I use an anti-bacterial soap and sponge to thornily scrub and rinse my sink before anything goes down. Just sayin'.

Step 2: Fill it up.

The sink that is. Fill the sink up with water as so. 

Step 3: Add the goods.

And by goods, I mean the vinegar. I prefer apple cider vinegar, but I'm not mad at white vinegar. Your world folks. If you have children, this is a great place to start getting them involved. 

Step 4: Po' up. 

The produce, pour up the produce into the sink and get it ready for a swim. Option to gently place or dunk your fruits and veggies in one at a time or collectively. Whatever works. If there's any bruising or damaging on the produce, chop it off and keep it pushing. 

Step 5: Bath over, time for a rinse. Remove the produce. 

I'll admit I feel we should probably all shower after a bath, but on most bath days I just bathe and keep it pushing. But our fruits are not us. 

Post-bath, begin removing your produce in whatever order you see fit. With a clean brush or sponge, firmly (enough depending on the produce) scrub your fruits and veggies under cool running water. 

Step 6: Dry and store. 

Use a clean cloth or paper towel to dry off your produce and further reduce any bacteria that may still be present. Store your stuff as you may and call it a great fucking day. Excuse my French, but I got excited and soon enough you will too... 


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