eli5 Does rinsing fruits & vegetables under water before eating actually do anything to clean them?

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eli5 Does rinsing fruits & vegetables under water before eating actually do anything to clean them?

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10 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Yes. Water is a universal solvent so will dissolve most things and carry it away. So any surface level dirt or bacteria can be washed away and clean it to some extent.

Anonymous 0 Comments

u/drafterman makes a great point, and to extend it, pesticides and herbicides are water-soluble meaning they are designed to wash off. With the amount of chemicals that our produce get exposed to, a good washdown is a fantastic idea.

Anonymous 0 Comments

There was an interview with a person from the CDC I saw several years ago when there was concern about romaine lettuce. He said they had research that showed rinsing fruit and veg (he said never use any soaps or other products) didn’t decrease the incidence of any food borne illnesses or reduce the amount of pesticides or herbicides but he still always rinsed his fruit and veg.

From that I basically changed my own policy in our house. If it was easy to rinse like an apple, then do it. But if it’s hard or annoying like lettuce and I don’t want to do it and will choose something unhealthy to eat rather than rinse my lettuce for a salad, I don’t do it. We’ve never gotten sick from contaminated fruit or veg and we eat way more fruit and veg now than we used to.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Other people handle that stuff before you buy it. That should be reason enough to give ’em a rinse at the very least!

Anonymous 0 Comments

Wash off cut pineapple- it’ll help decrease the bromelain amount, which helps avoid burning your tongue and roof of mouth.

Anonymous 0 Comments

My son in Africa had to do a bleach soak for anything uncooked. I am in immune suppression so I soak everything in oxygen bleach for 30 seconds when I come home from the store.

I add a bit of hot water to the dish pan to activate about 2-3 Tablespoons of the powder. Fill the dishpan with cold water, then the fruits and veggies, then rinse and put in the drainer. I put dirtier stuff like carrots in last. (Leave the small things like strawberries and grape tomatoes in their drainable containers.)

Also soap is not a problem. We wash our dishes and utensils in soap. Then rinse and dry and put them repeatedly in our mouths.

Bonus is how easy it is to make a salad with everything already washed and dried. Carrot and celery tops and bottoms cut off etc.

I store veggies in brown lunch or cloth bags. Being clean and dry, they last longer. Dirty stuff rots in plastic.

Anonymous 0 Comments

The big things you’re washing off are blood, urine, feces, and pesticides, all of which come off with water. Yea it’s def worth it especially since regulations have been laxed at federal level AND delays/shortages have probably encouraged less than best practice at some places

Anonymous 0 Comments

I’m not too concerned about diseases, but more about pesticides causing cancer and such. Is that a real concern?

Anonymous 0 Comments

Yes. I’ve soaked spinach and blueberries in water and there was more dirt in the bottom than I thought would be.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Does washing hands do anything to clean them?
Omg.