Do you wash a fresh lettuce or strip the outer leaves?

[Freddieready]

I used to always spend ages stripping and washing lettuce as I am concerned about bacteria that gets on the leaves when they are picked by hand. There have even been recent reports about all sorts of nasties getting on the outside. I have started to strip the outer leaves and cut off the stem so we only eat the heart of the lettuce which has not been touched. I feel that washing bugs and bacteria in water just wont kill any nasties. This works easy with Iceberg as not much is wasted, Romaine is more difficult, what do you do, wash or not?
I do not like to use the sanitised bag type as I feel it just does not taste the same for some reason.

I have to admit to being a little bit lax, I would tend to strip away any tatty looking outer leaves (helps I have two guinea pigs so no lettuce goes to waste in this house, they are little veg waste disposal systems ). I then wash everything that's left and shake/salad spin, but not that thoroughly (takes 2 mins or so) and I would happily eat any outer leaves if they look fresh and not dirty. I'm sure there is a certain level of risk left but so there is with any raw veg and we've never had any issues, nor have I heard of anyone in my acquaintance getting ill from unwashed salad. But obviously if it makes you feel better then washing more thoroughly is not going to be a bad thing other than the amount of time in takes?

I thought the most recent really nasty outbreak was actually in salad that had been pre-washed not whole lettuces anyway?

I buy mixed salad & give it a good wash in a colander before eating. No issues so far...

I know I'm supposed to wash it but I'm very lazy and don't bother.
Am still here.

Wash it thoroughly.

Aside from concern about bacteria, and if anyone's interested, if not just ignore, do you know how many times it's been sprayed with insecticide and who knows what before you buy it?

Don't know about lettuce specifically but was given some potatoes recently by a farmer who told me they'd been sprayed 15 times which is standard.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/may/31/herbicides-insecticides-save-british-countryside-meaows

I always wash lettuce but because of the sprays, not bacteria. I can definitely taste it if I don't. It's horrible and bitter.

On an iceberg lettuce I chuck the outer leaves, then wash individually the other leaves. Running under the tap.

Just an update as this is something that has always concerned me.......I do agree now with some of the posters that Lettuce has been strayed with insecticide and it is better to wash it off, however there is a far more important reason to was it, harmful bacteria from soil can cause very unpleasant stomach bugs, by washing it the water dilutes the germs making the bacteria much less harmful.

Grow your own on the window sill. I buy mixed seeds & just cut leaves when I want them. Delicious & no pesticides.