How to Clean Pesticides off Fruit & Vegies

There is strong evidence that pesticides are linked to chronic diseases such as different types of cancers, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson, Alzheimer, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), birth defects, and reproductive disorders.

It’s not always possible to buy organic. Sometimes it’s just too expensive for our budget or it’s just not available. Even organic produce can contain pesticides.

You can cut the peel off fruit and vegies to reduce the pesticides, but then you lose valuable nutrients (and really, are we going to peel every grape we eat!!)

It is however, possible to clean your fruit and vegies to get some of the toxins off. Of course you won’t be able to reduce the toxins that have absorbed into the produce as it is growing. But, something is better than nothing!

Washing with just water isn’t really the most effective solution as a lot of produce is coated with wax which seals in the pesticides. Some people recommend dishwashing detergent, but I don’t recommend it because of the chemicals in the detergent (and ewwwww… soapy fruit!)

Here are two ways you can clean your fruit and veg and get some of those pesticides off.

1. Homemade Wash

Fill up your clean sink or a large bowl with room temperature filtered water.

Add in organic apple cider vinegar (one part to two parts water), bicarbonate of soda (one to one hundred) or salt (one to ten).

Add your fruit and veggies, agitate and soak for around 15 minutes if you can. Rinse, dry and store as normal.

You will be amazed at the scuzzy stuff left behind!

You can do the wash as soon as you get the fruit and vegies home (recommended if you have kids that like to tuck in) or wait and just do it before you prepare something.

2. Buy a Commercial Wash

There are several fruit and vegetable washes on the market that will help you remove dirt, oils, waxes mould spores and some pesticides from your produce.

Add a few squirts to a sink or bowl of water, agitate, rinse and dry.

Try Koala Eco Natural Fruit and Veggie Wash or Abode Fruit and Vegetable Wash.

So there are some ways you can clean pesticides off fruit and vegies!

Have you got something to add? What do you use?