I've never washed a grape

[tastylancs]

And DH suddenly thinks its a major issue. Made a huge deal out of washing every single grape this evening. What??? Told me people recently got a bit poorly after not washing Spanish tomatoes. DCs are 5 and 9 and have eaten thousands of unwashed grapes between them. He's actually in a strop right now about my attitude towards grape cleanliness. Who is right?

Is think I read you can catch worms from eating unwashed grapes! I always wash fruit and veg. My mum did too and it's a habit. Mind you I have an allotment and my veggies are really muddy!

I don't wash stuff. STBXH used to nag me about it but do nothing about it himself.

New much more sensible man is a non-washer of fruit :-)

I have thought about production as per Things above but I've not been swayed. I don't get ill much at all.

Parents and ILs in their 80s, never washed fruit either - all in rude health

I completely believe that, but the way that produce is grown, stored and sold has changed dramatically in the last few decades.

Years ago I worked for a chemicals research company that developed fungicides for fruit and vegetables. I wash everything, properly. I wouldn't want my dcs to ingest chemicals that are handled in a lab using protective gloves and masks.

I never wash fruit

Ok, so there's pesticides etc.

So does dunking in a bowl of water / holding under a tap actually kill the bacteria and remove the pesticides?

All the 'washers' I know just use a splash of tap water.

I never used to until I found a spider clinging to a grape I was about to put in my mouth. Now it’s a quick rinse to get rid of spidery-ness.

Maisy washing grapes or any fruit or veg gets rid of up to 80% of pesticides. If you wash in salt water it removes even more. I just run mine under the tap.

Gritty lettuce anyone?

I wash fruit and veg most of the time but nothing more than a little rinse, and for packs in a tub, I was the whole pack when I get it, so for tomatoes and grapes one blast of the whole thing. I don't wash root veg though

But what about the pesticides? They aren’t good for anyone and particularly not children.
Grapes are really bad because of their higher surface area.

This isn’t about bacteria it is about mass produced farming techniques that we didn’t have 40 odd years ago.
You won’t get rid of all the pesticides and chemicals sprayed on them but you will go some way to getting rid of it.
For adults I imagine the potential harm is less but for kids I really wouldn’t want them exposed.

Baking soda will get rid of most of the pesticides. Soak in a bowl for 10 mins.

Studies have shown it’s the most effective way to get rid of them , not sure a quick rinse under tap does much, but might be marginally better than doing nothing.

If you don't wash your hands after going to the loo as one OP has said, can you identify with a fruit picker who might have the same approach.....OK don't wash fruit.

I didn't know about the baking soda tip.

I don't either.

I can't understand how a rinse of tap water gets rid of anything properly.

And I don't really fancy eating fruit which tastes of soap or Fairy Up Liquid.

I don’t wash fruit or veg but having second thoughts after reading this thread!

"And I don't really fancy eating fruit which tastes of soap or Fairy Up Liquid"

Neither would I. Surely no-one uses them to wash fruit and veg?

I have never washed fruit.

We never washed fruit or veg growing up but I generally do now for all the reasons mentioned above: chemicals, pesticides, dirty hands of pickers and packers, spiders, bugs, general dust and grime.

The bee population has been decimated due to organophosphates and other pesticide type chemicals. It isn’t Alzheimer’s nor Parkinson’s particularly but the fact that these chemicals are sprayed on crops on a massive scale that wasn’t the case in the past. We won’t necessarily know the effects for some years if and when links are made.
It is straightforward enough to rinse fruit and veg. They get covered in dust and pollution anyway so look better once rinsed too.

I buy prewashed.

I don't wash anything - no pride involved, I'm just lazy and it's annoying, cold water dripping down your sleeve.

I am careful to separate raw meat from things which are not going to be cooked, and/or cut the meat last and be careful how I touch it and then touch utensils, pan handles, etc. DH is more lax about this than me - and he's by far the one who gets an upset stomach more often, though I don't think it's full blown food poisoning.

9 times out of 10 I don't bother washing it, but if I can be bothered I rinse it under the tap, however I have often thought "what is the point of this" surely it doesn't actually do anything?

Not RTFT but why on earth would you wash grapes?! We've all just been eating them straight out of the punnet today!

I don't wash fruit or veg , I would be more concerned about wax on fruits . This will take a real scrub to remove . I don't buy fruit with it on . I don't like the idea of pre prepared fruit or veg , bags with gas in not a good thing . As long as we do-what we are comfortable with and eat as much fruit and veg as we can we cant do any more .