Washing Your Produce

Water does most of the work

Hold produce under cool running water and rub it gently with your hands, or use a soft brush for anything firm. That combination of running water and a little friction lifts far more than letting things soak. Skip the soap and the commercial produce washes — soap can leave its own residue, and plain water keeps proving it does the job.

The vinegar question

A quick dunk in diluted vinegar or salt water can help lift a little more surface residue and slow spoilage on delicate fruit. Think of it as a nice extra, not a necessity — plain running water is still your workhorse.

Greens and berries, specifically

For leafy greens, pull the leaves apart, swirl them in a big bowl of cool water, and lift them out so the grit stays behind — then dry them well. For berries, wait to wash until you’re ready to eat; washing early adds moisture that makes them mold faster. A fast vinegar-water rinse right before eating is the exception — it can buy them a few extra days.

The skins you don’t even eat

Scrub firm produce like potatoes, carrots, and melons with a brush. And always wash a melon before you cut it — otherwise the knife drags whatever’s on the rind straight through the flesh. Even things you peel, like citrus and avocado, deserve a quick rinse for the same reason.

What a rinse can’t do

Washing lowers what’s sitting on the surface — it can’t remove what a plant took up as it grew. That’s the whole reason to lean organic for the thin-skinned, heavily sprayed produce on the Dirty Dozen, and worry less about the sturdier Clean 15.