Which Is Best Way to Wash Fruits and Vegetables (and Why)

Fruits and veggies can harbor some of the most common sources of food-borne contaminants.

Pathogens in many forms can live on the surface of your foods, along with dirt, particulate matter, and other harmful substances.

All of these can impact your digestion and stress your immune system.

In order to protect your health, it’s a smart practice to wash your fresh fruits and vegetables before eating them.

Below, we’ll look at a few of the most common contaminants that can be found on your produce, and the risks they can pose to your health. From there, we’ll examine the best way to wash fruits and vegetables to reduce pathogens and contaminants.

We’ll finish up with some simple yet highly effective food safety tips to help you avoid cross-contamination in your kitchen.

Read this blog post all the way to the end to make sure you’re properly protecting yourself against food-borne contaminants and pathogens.

Common Contaminants on Produce

Being mindful of contaminants on produce helps you make safer choices for you and your family. A few simple precautions can go a long way in keeping your meals fresh, clean, and worry-free.

Bacteria and Viruses

There are so many opportunities for fresh produce to pick up bacteria and viruses.

Often, the bacteria will grow on the vegetables and fruit during their growing phase and ripening process, or when they are being picked or harvested. The handling of produce can also lead to bacterial or viral contamination, or contamination may occur during transportation, storage, or stocking.

The U.S. Government has released a list of the most common food-borne pathogens, a list which includes:

• Listeria
• Shigella
• Clostridium perfringens
• Bacillus cereus
• E. coli
• Norovirus
• Hepatitis A
• Botulism
• Campylobacter
• Salmonella
• Vibrio Species Causing Vibriosis
• Staphylococcus aureus

To reduce the risk of foodborne illness from these pathogens, thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables before eating or using them in meals. This also helps prevent spoilage caused by moisture.

Pesticide Residues

Pesticides are used by the vast majority of industrial farmers. Even many organic farms will use approved natural pesticides.

Pesticides are potent enough to kill the insects and pests that could prey on the produce, and the chemicals they contain can be harmful to you, too, if not washed off.

Dirt and Debris

Dirt and debris tend to accumulate through every stage of the growing, harvesting, packaging, transporting, storing, and distributing process.

While most produce contains particulates that will be fairly harmless, it’s better to spend a few minutes washing the produce rather than risk dirt or debris particles (especially contaminated, pesticide-laden, or pathogen-carrying particles) entering your mouth via unwashed veggies or fruits.

How Do You Wash Fruits and Vegetables: Best Practices 

Washing fruits and vegetables the right way helps remove dirt, bacteria, and pesticide residues. A few simple steps will make a significant difference in keeping your produce fresh and your meals safe.

Wash Your Hands First

Always start off by washing your hands before you wash produce. The last thing you want is for any germs or pathogens that you may have tracked in from the outside world to get onto your food.

Spend a minute washing your hands with warm water and soap to ensure your hands are pathogen-free.

Using Cold Running Water

Always use cold water when you wash fresh produce.

Warm or hot water can cause the veggies to wilt. While it will kill off the bulk of bacteria, it can damage your veggies or cause them to age or rot faster. Use cold water to make sure your veggies remain undamaged.

You don’t need to use distilled or filtered water. Plain water from the tap will be more than adequate to reduce bacteria, remove pesticides, and clean your veggies thoroughly.

When to Wash

It turns out that washed veggies are more prone to accumulating bacteria and pathogens during the storage process.

Washing produce removes most of its natural defenses, such as oils and beneficial bacteria, making it more vulnerable to bacteria and pathogens in your fridge. No matter how often or thoroughly you clean, some will always remain.

Better you stick to cleaning produce just before eating to ensure it has no time for pathogens to settle onto their surface.

Washing Fruits and Veggies with Vinegar and Baking Soda

The Environmental Working Group has a list of the "Dirty Dozen". These are twelve fruits and vegetables most likely to be contaminated with pesticides, herbicides, bacteria, and other potential hazards [1].

This list includes:

• Spinach
• Strawberries
• Pears
• Green beans
• Peppers, both bell peppers and chili peppers
• Dark, leafy green vegetables (including kale, collard greens, and mustard greens)
• Apples
• Nectarines
• Grapes
• Cherries
• Peaches
• Blueberries

These are the fruit and veggies you should wash most thoroughly, using not only cold water, but also a bit of vinegar (a potent antiseptic, just like lemon juice) or baking soda.

Scrubbing Firm Produce: Techniques and Tools

For softer, more delicate produce, it’s enough to swish them around a bit (in a salad spinner, for example). That way, you clean them without bruising or damaging them.

To clean produce that is firmer—like apples, melons, or root vegetables—you can use a scrub brush with soft bristles to gently scrub their surface. You can rub using your hands first, then use the vegetable brush to get off any visible dirt that is harder to eliminate.

Leafy Greens: Effective Cleaning Methods

When it comes to leafy greens, the best way to clean them is to rinse them under the faucet. If you soak them, germs can spread.

Simply strip the leaves from the root, stalk, or core, and place the separate leaves one by one to rinse under the faucet with cold water. Don’t put them into a bowl of water as germs can spread that way.

Avoiding Soap and Detergents: Safety Reasons

Soaps and detergents will kill off pathogens effectively, yes. However, that can make you sick and it’s very hard to wash all residue off the produce.

Even if the fruits or veggies look clean, they still may have trace amounts of the soap or detergent chemicals that you will then ingest—not ideal!

That’s why we recommend sticking with simple cold water when washing fresh fruits and veggies, and only scrub certain fruits or veggies (like potatoes) when absolutely necessary.

Peeling and Trimming: When It’s Necessary

There will be times that the peels of your produce contain a lot of mud, dirt, or rot spots that you will need to get rid of.

Peeling will eradicate the vast majority of pathogens, contaminants, and particulates. Make sure to wash before peeling or trimming, then wash again for maximum cleanliness.

Drying Produce After Washing: Benefits and Methods

Using a salad spinner will be a great way to dry leafy produce, as well as fruits and veggies.

Remember to wait to wash until right before you eat your produce to avoid other contaminants. .

If you need it fully dried immediately (such as if you’re washing and peeling potatoes to make chips), you can pat the produce dry using a fresh paper towel.

Organic vs. Conventional Produce: Does Washing Differ?

Organic farmers will use some chemicals, albeit natural ones, to kill off pests and weeds. There will be some risk of contamination on the produce even if it’s organic. There may also be more mud, dirt, and soil particulates on the surface of the fruits or vegetables.

It’s smart to wash both organic produce from the farmers market and conventional produce the same way. Be thorough to make sure you’re adding only clean food to your meals.

Pre-Washed and Ready-to-Eat Produce: Should You Rewash?

If a food is labeled "pre-washed" or "ready to eat", you don’t need to rewash them. In fact, rewashing will just increase the risk of cross-contamination.

The pre-washed and ready-to-eat produce typically comes in vacuum-sealed, air-tight packages that tend to be free of pathogens and contaminants. They’re only exposed to contamination when you open them. It’s better to eat them as quickly as possible after unpackaging to prevent contamination.

What Washing Can’t Remove

It’s important to know that even thorough washing can’t eliminate all pathogens and contaminants.

Washing will remove most of the particulates, pesticide and herbicide residues, and harmful microorganisms, but it can’t remove all. 

If you are concerned about your food being potentially hazardous or contaminated, please throw it out.

Preventing Cross-Contamination in the Kitchen

The smartest way to prevent cross-contamination in the kitchen is to wash your cutting boards thoroughly before and after every use.

Use separate cutting boards and knives for raw produce and raw meat.

Make sure you’re washing in a clean sink with a clean brush, and make sure to use only clean paper towels or a clean cloth to pat veggies dry.

Also, store veggies appropriately:

• Leafy greens need a breathable produce bag.
• Root vegetables do best in a cool, dry place.
• Cut produce needs an airtight container to reduce the risk of pathogens forming or bacteria causing the food to spoil.

If you take simple precautions—wash your hands, use a clean produce brush, scrub produce, keep your knives and cutting boards clean—you should be able to eliminate the vast majority of surface germs. This will, in turn, reduce your risk of the food-borne illnesses that accompany eating raw produce.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What fruit should you wash before eating?

According to the EWG, the fruits you should always wash before eating include strawberries, blueberries, peaches, apples, pears, nectarines, cherries, and grapes. These are the fruits most likely to be contaminated with pesticides, herbicides, pathogens, or particulates.

Is baking soda or vinegar better for removing pesticides?

Baking soda is more effective at eliminating pesticides from unwashed produce thanks to its alkaline nature. The high acidity of apple cider and white vinegar makes them marginally less effective than baking soda for eradicating pesticides, but more effective at killing off bacteria. However, the most effective method the FDA recommends, is running all produce under cold water and scrubbing with a brush (as needed).

What happens if you don’t wash your fruit and vegetables?

Even though some produce might be initially washed, it still carries dirt, bacteria, and pesticide residues, not to mention all the hands it touched to get to your table. It is highly advised you wash all produce before consumption to minimize risk. We highly encourage you to wash your fruits and vegetables and If you’re not in the habit of washing your produce, you may end up getting sick.

What are the symptoms of pesticide intoxication from fruits and vegetables?

Pesticide intoxication symptoms can include nausea, dizziness, headaches, stomach pain, and vomiting. Washing produce under running water and scrubbing firm items can help reduce pesticide residue.

Resources

Guide to Washing Fresh Produce

Bacteria and Viruses