There’s this huge pandemonium going on where people are telling others it’s okay to wash their vegetables with dish soap. In all honesty, that’s not a wise choice. Aside from washing them with water, the best way to clean your produce is by making a vinegar wash for vegetables, as this is the best way to remove potential bacteria.
Stick with me, and I’ll show you how you can make the most Eco-friendly, budget-friendly DIY vinegar wash for your fresh veggies.
Why you should never use soap and water to wash your vegetables
You’re putting soap in your mouth. Ingesting soap, even a little at a time can result in soap poisoning which can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, a reduction of your blood pressure and alteration of your pH level.
” Before eating or preparing fresh fruits and vegetables, wash the produce under cold running tap water to remove any lingering dirt. This reduces the bacteria that may be present. Consumers should not wash fruits and vegetables with detergent or soap. These products are not approved or labeled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use on foods. You could ingest residues from soap or detergent absorbed on the produce.
-fisi.usda
Why you need to use a vinegar wash for vegetables instead of water
You never know what’s laying dormant in your local water supply. Sure you can wash your vegetables with spring water (not purified water – I don’t trust that stuff), but that will end up costing you a lot more in the long run than using a good vegetable wash.
Reasons you should wash your produce before eating it
- You don’t know who touched it before you.
- To remove any residual pesticides.
- You don’t know if it fell on the floor at the store.
- It’s just plain gross not to do so.
- Even if your vegetables says it was double or triple washed; wash it. I didn’t and got food poisoning. Why should I wash it, when the label said it was triple washed?
The #1 reason why you need to make homemade vinegar wash for vegetables
Just because something says it’s organic, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s made with products that are safe for human consumption. Cow poop’s organic. You wouldn’t eat that; would you?
Store-bought vegetable wash is a bunch of hooey!
Aside from the fact it’s cheaper to make your handmade vegetable wash, several companies who produce vegetable wash won’t even list the ingredients on the ingredient panel. Instead, they’ll say they use “unique citrus solvents”. What exactly is a citrus solvent? Several don’t even have an ingredient panel, but they’ll say they’re organic.
What’s wrong with that picture?
How can you trust a company that’s not forthcoming with what they’re putting in their product?
For all you know, you could be spraying horse steroids on your bell pepper.
That’s why you need to make a vinegar wash for vegetables
How to make a vinegar wash for vegetables
Ingredients & Supplies
- A spray bottle
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
- 4 cups of water
- 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions
Mix all ingredients and place them in the spray bottle.
How to use your new vegetable wash
- Place the vegetables you’ll be washing either in a colander or large bowl.
- Spray with your DIY vegetable wash.
- Let sit for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Rinse.
- Pat dry with a clean paper towel.
- If you’re washing green leafy vegetables, and you have a salad spinner, dry them with that. If you don’t have a salad spinner (you really need to get one; they’re so nifty)place them on some clean paper towel to dry.
- Only clean what you will be using at the time. If you wash all your leafy greens and put them away in the fridge, they will rot quicker. Read more about vegetable storage and how to keep your vegetables fresh.
Your turn
What other methods do you use to wash your vegetables? Share in a comment.
Until we meet again,
Stacey
Great recipe thank you! I need to get a salad spinner. I can remember people saying not to wash mushrooms because they would absorb the water. Ugh!
You’re so welcome! I remember the first time I washed mushrooms. I didn’t know any better and washed them before putting them in the fridge. It was a sight. LOL. Salad spinners are amazing. Once you use it, you’ll be wondering how you survived so long without one.
Thanks, Stacey! I’ve been just rinsing my vegetables (I hadn’t thought of all the stuff that could be on them 😬) I’m making a batch of your cleaner today.
Although studies have shown washing (not rinsing) your produce off with water is effective to a degree, water alone isn’t going to remove the residule pesticides. I buy mostly organic produce but I still wash everything off because I’m afraid they’re may be rementants of bug turd on it. LOL. Hey…I’m a safety girl.