Make Your Own Vegetable Wash

Fruit and Vegetable Wash:

• 1/4 cup Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons salt

Fill a clean sink with cold water, a plastic dish pan works wonders, and add vinegar and salt and let sit 15 minutes, rinse. The vinegar cleans the fruits and vegetables, while the salt draws out any critters, dirt and anything else undesirable. It doesn't effect the flavor at all and vinegar helps take care of the sprays and wax they tend to use. Wash all fruits and veggies before putting away. Even the ones where you peel the skins.

By Dee

Answers:

Make Your Own Vegetable Wash

Let the fruit and vegetables sit in a strong salt and water solution for 30 minutes and rinse. (09/28/2006)

By Willem

Make Your Own Vegetable Wash

That Coconut tip got my attention. Is that one posted under Beauty tips, as well?
As I was taking a course in Homeopathy, I found that about an 8th of a spoonful of bleach, in a full sink of water, will take care of anything that might hurt you. And for the fears of drinking bleach, it sounded wrong to me, too. I'm told that many water-purifying systems are essentially doing the same thing. "Such a minute amount is not harmful." (11/27/2006)

By abbiegrrl

Make Your Own Vegetable Wash

I personally think the safest, easiest way to clean veggies and fruits is with a combination of peroxide and vinegar. I keep them each in spray bottles. Just a few squirts to cover the produce and let sit for a minute. Then I rinse them completely in distilled water. These two substances can effectively kill germs and residue from foods and do not harm or change the produce. You can also use this combination to clean counters. I have read several studies that they are just as effective as chemical cleaners.

As to the question of when or what produce to wash, whether you buy organic or not there is a great risk of buying dirty or contaminated produce. Everything must be washed before eating raw or cooking. Avoid anything that is bruised, browned or has broken skin as it will be contaminated inside the item. It is quite easy to take a few simple precautions with fresh produce, and no different than then necessary steps for handling raw meats, fish or eggs. Please note that using water alone is not effective at all for killing germs or removing residue from your hands, counters or produce. Soap is not recommended to be used on food items because of the possibility of being taken inside the item or not being rinsed completely, ingesting soap will cause diarrhea or vomiting. (10/08/2008)

By Sue W.