To ask how well you wash your fruit?

[Badoukas]

So lately I've been eating more soft fruit like raspberries, blueberries, cherries etc. The type you get in plastic trays from supermarkets, not marketed as organic.

Does anyone know if this kind of product is likely to have been sprayed with pesticides, and if so, how much rinsing does it actually need? I feel like I could be trying to do something healthy whilst simultaneously poisoning myself with nasty chemicals!

Always rinse under running water. Last time this was debated on MN I googled and saw lots of articles saying it does make a difference.

I don't, you can't wash it in any meaningful way, rinsing it under the cold tap is giving you a false sense of security!

id only rinse it if there was actual soil on it,

Using soap, and submerging in water, are both not recommended, incidentally!

Dil steeps all fruit and veg in bicarb or vinegar. She is obsessive about chemicals and pcps or something.

I don't think I've ever washed a piece of fruit in my life. Even straight from a bush!

I soak all berries, especially ones I grow or pick myself. I usually find a few little beasties 🐛

Actually, a lot of pesticides don't withstand water well (there is a whole other story about why this means they get into the water system easily - washed off - and why people spray so much).

But I also don't wash mine, unless I have good reason to think there's stuff on it.

No washing of fruit unless it is actually muddy. Pick and eat straight from the plant at home too.

I don't.

If I can see a bit of soil then I'll give it a splash but if it looks alright I just stick it in my chops.

Quick 30 minute eco wash and then 15 minutes in the tumble dryer, unless it's bananas in which case I peg them out on the line, (not overnight obviously!)

I rinse everything under the tap, even bananas and oranges. I also wash all meat and chicken so I accept I'm not from the majority sample group.

😂😂😂

I always rinse fruit and vegetables if I'm giving them to others but if it's for myself I usually don't. We really should though. I think it's mostly to wash off germs and residue of pesticides. If there's some nasty bacteria on them you'll know pretty soon after eating but with the pesticides I guess the problem is that they are carcinogenic so even if so far you've been fine it might impact your long term risk of getting cancer.

I don't wash fruit at all
Rinse veg if it's gritty/muddy but that's it

As long as you’re wearing your tin foil hat whilst consuming you should be fine op

I put it on a 90 degree machine wash with half a bottle of detergent and then I bleach it. Can't be too careful.

Stupid question maybe but do you wash the banana skin or the banana? If you wash the skin do you then wash your hands before peeling?

But rinsing with water doesn’t actually get rid of germs, does it? Otherwise after going to the toilet we’d just run our hands under the cold tap.

Always wash fruit and veg. If it’s not organic it will, in all likelihood, have been sprayed. The sprays are strong and killing off wildlife everywhere, it’s awful.

I wash fruit if it’s not organic - I’m not fussed about dirt, bugs or germs, but I’d like to rinse off chemicals. Also wash salad veg I’m eating raw, again unless I know it hasn’t been sprayed.

Not too bothered if others don’t though, and as a PP mentioned, when you buy it to eat it straight away that’s fine

@Kanaloa The skin, not the banana itself - a leftover from covid when I would even wash tins, milk cartons etc. I don't subsequently wash my hands, they're either washed before (first thing I do when I get home) or as i'm washing the fruit iyswim.

I don't wash fruit or veg. BUT, my DH used to work in transport and once spoke to a man who was high up in importing fruit and veg. DH joked about never washing them and the man visibly paled. He was very firm about how everyone should be washing fruit and veg (with an unspoken OR YOU WILL ALL DIE). So God only knows what shite gets sprayed onto our groceries.

We still can't be arsed,

But then surely when you peel the banana whatever you were washing off the skin will then transfer from your hands to the banana? Wouldn’t it make more sense just to peel the banana and eat it holding the skin so you’re never touching the clean inside? That’s the bit you eat, which you aren’t washing.

I don't peel it in such a way that I'm ever touching the bare banana with my hands.

I do this because I don't think water can really remove the germs.
I've heard washing them apple cider vinegar is good but I've never done it sounds like a faff