To have fed her DC unwashed strawberries?

[brilliantdances]

Neighbour will probably see this. Not sure I care. Perhaps she will see how silly she is!

She was desperate for someone to have her DD and I said I would, no worries, all fine.

Her DD shared a box of strawberries with DS today and long story short, she's picked her DC and her DC has told her this.

I have received a text saying ''Hi, thanks again for having Kate. Please can I ask though, next time wash the strawberries before giving them to her? They are dangerous if not washed properly and she could become so unwell. Would you really want that?''

I haven't replied and won't be. AIBU to have not washed them?! Would if I was at home but it was actually just a quick snack shared out

'clothes go through the washing machine with a good slug of Dettol laundry cleanser.'

Dettol laundry cleaner? What is that? Here's me just using Persil!

I offended MIL by washing berries picked from her garden: "we don't use any chemicals." I was thinking more of insects...

It is best to wash all fruit, (and by MN standards I'm not that germ phobic), but she sounds over the top and rude. You were doing her a favour. Odd behaviour.

I wouldn't answer and wouldn't babysit for her again

Having spent summers fruit picking I do wash all fruit

Having heard about the male students who were paid by the weight of picked raspberries, who discovered the weight could be increased by peeing on the fruit, I've washed every bit of fruit since.

@JackieWeaverHandforthCouncil

I always wish my fruit and veggies ever since my sister worked on a packaging assembly line one summer...also the Ecoli outbreak from cucumbers which killed lots of people in Spain.

That said I’d be so very grateful if someone looked after my child that it wouldn’t occur to me to be concerned that they’d eaten some unwashed fruit which although a risk is still a small one.

Maybe she’s got some kind of food anxiety who knows. Nevertheless, don’t rush to help her again.

The e coli outbreak was was cucumbers grown in contaminated water, which meant the e copy was inside the cucumbers

You could have washes them for hours and it wouldn’t have made a blind bit of difference

There was also a melon outbreak in the US - presumably no one washes melons..?

@Mummadeze

Sorry, but I agree you should wash them before eating. She doesn’t sound like she told you in a rude way. It is obviously important to her, even if it isn’t to you.

Not having a go at you, but I read the text and think it’s actually really rude! Politely rude but rude! It’s that final sentence - “would you really want that? - that’s so full of, I don’t know, judgement? Fury?

Never washed a strawberry here either. I would definitely not bother doing her any more favours. She sounds very irritating.

as a reply I’d probably go for “I’ll make sure it never happens again “ and then do just that by never having her kid.....

@Theunamedcat

As my dd would say

Bold of you to assume there will be a next time

Oh I’m nicking that one! Thank you mini @Theunamedcat

It's apparently not the pesticides it's the potential rat urine from storage.

I was told by an ex who worked for Defra.

Bit it's not horrendously dangerous; weils disease is mainly from water rather than tiny dried amounts you may find on stuff.

But I frequently eat unwashed strains from shop and garden 🤷🏻‍♀️

There is e.coli in soil. It's not the strawberries that are dangerous its soil.

It kills. Its that simple. Not all smokers die of lung cancer but youd be pretty stupid not to acknowledge smoking can kill.

[quote WaltzingBetty]@Comedycook

Do you genuinely believe that cold water and vinegar removes all pesticides and kills all pathogens?

[/quote]
No but it probably removes more than not washing at all

Sorry, haven't read the full thread, but I am sure the label on the box says "Wash before use". I always wash them as strawberries(and other fruits and vegitables" could have pesticides, dust etc. Obviously washing doesn't guarantee complete annihilation of potential pathogens but at least I try to limit as much as possible. There must be a reason why it says "wash before use " on the box.

Never washed a strawberry in my life. She was being v rude, too.

@Popcornbetty

'clothes go through the washing machine with a good slug of Dettol laundry cleanser.'

Dettol laundry cleaner? What is that? Here's me just using Persil!

New one on me too. Fairy’s always been good enough here. It’s a wonder we’re not dead @Popcornbetty.

Do people genuinely think spritzing some cold water over something gets rid of E. coli

You know if E. coli is there, unless you boil it, you’re pretty fucked.

Not gonna be a next time, is there OP?

Don’t bother answering.

Well my children must be near death after eating some freshly picked, direct from field last weekend.. Do you want to babysit mine

PopcornBetty I use detergent and also the Dettol cleaner in place of fabric conditioner, which we all react to. DD struggled with toilet training for a long time and even I have some hygiene standards so I started using the Dettol one. It doesn't seem to bother sensitive skin, either.

@MarsandPluto
Yes
Insurance purposes. So it’s hard to sue

Running fruit under cold water isn’t really going to do much to the strawberries anyway

I did get traumatised cutting strawberries in half the other day through and looked down to see two teeny tiny slugs on the plate next to them 🤢

Do the washers also wash raspberries/grapes etc?

Remarkable isn't it how so many of us have survived without homeopathic doses of vinegar on our soft fruits

@Taliskerskye

Do people genuinely think spritzing some cold water over something gets rid of E. coli

You know if E. coli is there, unless you boil it, you’re pretty fucked.

It's quite alarming that so many people seem to think a bit of water will do such magical things.