How to Make Your Own Fruit and Vegetable Wash

If you’ve ever pulled off a stalk of celery only to find a dead spider curled up in the dirt, then you’re probably still recovering like I am. Did a cold water rinse really remove every last bit of spider residue? Use a homemade fruit and vegetable wash so you never again have to check your chicken noodle soup broth for bugs.

While it might be easy to grab cleaning products for every single part of your home, using natural homemade cleaners is a lot less expensive and a lot less taxing on your health. The same goes with something as simple as fruit and vegetable wash. Sure, spray bottles of produce cleaner aren’t going to have the same things as spray bottles for window cleaners, but they still contain untested chemicals that the FDA doesn’t recommend.

Natural products contain fewer (if any) hazardous chemicals that can irritate your skin, eyes and lungs. They’re also less likely to cause environmental damage. Oh, and they also take up way less space under your sink. Without further ado, let’s make a fruit and veggie wash that’s safe to use and effective in removing dirt and pesticides.

How to Make a Fruit and Vegetable Wash

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What You’ll Need

• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

Step 1: Mix the ingredients

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Put all the ingredients in a spray bottle. Use a funnel to make this process easier.

Editor’s Tip: If you need to clean a lot of fruits and vegetables at once, double or triple the recipe as necessary.

Step 2: Spritz produce

Spritz the produce that needs cleaning. Set the produce aside for a few minutes to the let the cleaning solution do its magic.

Step 3: Rinse and pat dry

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Rinse the fruits and vegetables under cool water, rubbing away any dirt with your fingertips. Pat the fruits and vegetables dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.

Tips for Using a Fruit and Vegetable Wash

• Make sure you use this wash before peeling any skin. This will keep any bacteria from entering the flesh of the fruit that you’ll be consuming.
• If rubbing the fruits or vegetables with your hands isn’t cutting it, gently scrape away dirt or waxy residues with a soft bristle brush. This is super helpful when cleaning produce that’s part of the Dirty Dozen.