Wash Your Hands First Before handling any produce, thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water to avoid transferring any germs onto the fruits and vegetables.
Use Clean, Cold Water Rinse fruits and vegetables under cold, running water. Avoid using soap or bleach, as they can leave harmful residues. Simply rubbing them with your hands or using a soft brush is enough for most produce.
For Hard-Skinned Produce, Scrub For fruits and vegetables with thicker skins, such as potatoes, cucumbers, or melons, use a vegetable brush to scrub away dirt and contaminants. This is especially important for produce you’ll eat with the skin.
Soak Leafy Greens For leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, or kale, fill a bowl with cold water and soak the leaves to loosen dirt. After soaking, gently rinse each leaf under running water.
Dry with a Clean Cloth or Paper Towel After rinsing, dry produce with a clean cloth or paper towel. This helps remove any remaining bacteria or pesticide residue and prevents water from harboring pathogens.
Peel or Cut Away Outer Layers Peel or trim off outer layers of produce like onions, carrots, or cabbage, where pesticides and contaminants are more likely to be present.
Use a Vinegar Solution for Extra Cleaning If you want to go the extra mile, soak produce like berries or apples in a vinegar-water solution (1 part vinegar to 3 parts water) for about 5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. This can help remove pesticides and bacteria.