Picture this: You return home from the grocery store or farmers’ market with a haul of fresh produce. While unpacking your fruits and vegetables, you begin to wonder: Do I need to rinse all of them or just some of them? Is rinsing produce necessary? Is water enough, or should I use vinegar or soap?
Fortunately, there are some tried-and-true, expert-backed ways to rinse produce. Keep reading for a breakdown of what you need to know about rinsing produce so you can wash your produce safely and effectively.
Yes, produce should be rinsed—but there’s a correct way to do it. Some rinsing methods are not effective (and could make things worse), so it’s important to rinse your produce the right way. Read more below to find out what rinsing removes and how to properly rinse your produce after a grocery store haul.
It’s necessary to rinse fresh produce to avoid contamination from harmful germs that cause foodborne illness (food poisoning), which can lead to unpleasant symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, and fever.
Fresh, unwashed produce can contain the following contaminants:
- Dirt
- Bacteria, such as Listeria, E. coli, and Salmonella
- Fungi
- Pesticide residues
- Trace amounts of chemicals
- Contamination from harvesting and handling (germs can be passed on from contaminated soil, unclean hygiene practices during harvesting, and even from your grocery cart)
Rinsing produce removes dirt, lowers pesticide residue levels, and reduces the amount of bacteria and other germs found on the surfaces of fruits and vegetables.
While washing produce helps minimize contaminants and lower your risk of contracting foodborne illness, it does not eliminate contaminants entirely.
There are some official guidelines from food safety agencies you’ll want to keep in mind when rinsing produce.
Recommendations from the FDA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention include:
- Always wash produce before eating, cutting, or cooking it. The USDA does not recommend washing produce before storing it because this practice can lead to bacterial growth and increase the risk of food spoilage.
- Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap, before and after rinsing (and preparing) fresh produce.
- Don’t wash produce with soap, bleach, detergents, or commercial produce washes. These can leave residues that should not be consumed or may make you ill.
- If produce is labeled as “pre-washed,” then it is not necessary to wash it again.
- For fruits and vegetables with peels, wash or scrub under running water—regardless of whether you plan to eat the peel. Otherwise, germs on the peel or skin of produce can get inside the food when you cut it.
There are a number of different ways to rinse produce based on the type. Discover best practices for rinsing produce below:
- Leafy greens: Rinse leafy greens thoroughly for at least 20 seconds. Tip: Use a salad spinner to remove excess moisture and allow washed greens to dry before storing them (you can pat dry with a paper towel, air dry, or use a clean cloth towel).
- Berries: Gently rinse under cool running water before eating.
- Root vegetables: Use a clean scrubber to remove dirt from hardy vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and melons. “Let whole potatoes soak in clean water for a few minutes before scrubbing—this helps stuck-on dirt come off more easily with a scrub brush,” Jen Bruning, RDN, LDN, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, told Health.
- Fruits with skin: Rinse thoroughly to remove contaminants from the outer layer of fruits with skin (such as apples and cucumbers). Even if you choose to peel these foods, they need to be washed before consuming them.
- Hot peppers: Wear gloves while washing and keep your hands away from your eyes and face. This will help prevent an uncomfortable burning sensation in areas of the body that are touched after handling, caused by capsaicin, an active component of hot chile peppers.
- Mushrooms: Rinse mushrooms to remove dirt using a soft brush or wipe with a wet paper towel.
- Herbs: Place the herbs in a bowl of cool water and swish them around to wash them. Remove the herbs and gently pat them dry with a paper towel.
“Both organic and conventionally grown greens need to be washed,” Amy Reed, RDN, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told Health. “Some growing practices may use manure in the process, which is why it is important to remove dirt no matter how the produce was grown.”
According to Reed, vinegar and baking soda can be used to wash fruits and vegetables, but it is not necessary unless that is your preference. Rinsing produce with water is effective for removing dirt, decreasing bacteria, and reducing levels of pesticide residues.
To prepare produce safely, it’s important to rinse all fruits and vegetables before consuming, cooking, or cutting them.
Rinsing produce helps remove dirt, bacteria, pesticides, and other chemicals that can build up on foods during the harvesting and handling stages.
While rinsing produce doesn’t completely eliminate all contaminants, it significantly reduces the risk of contracting a foodborne illness.
