How To Make Your Own Veggie Wash

Christine Fiorentino
·3 min read

You probably already have the essential ingredients for making this in your house.

Food that comes from the earth, while vibrant and bountiful, rich in health and wellness benefits, and so fun to cook with all year round, is often covered with dirt, residue, and more. Furthermore, if that food is not organic or straight-from-your-own-garden, it’s highly likely that it’s been treated with chemicals and pesticides, and coated with wax, which is all very unhealthy to ingest, especially over long periods of time. This is why it’s so important and worth the time to take a few extra minutes to give all of your produce a good soak and rinse before consuming it. Produce wash is designed to aid in the removal process of these pesky little things clinging to produce.

While there are many types of produce wash products available on the shelves of the grocery store, they’re not always the most effective, affordable, or genuine. In fact, all you need is two items, both probably already sitting in your pantry, to give your produce a deep and gentle rinse: white vinegar and baking soda.

I’ve sworn by this method for years, and it’s been a game changer in my kitchen. Trust me, you’re just 10 minutes away from produce that sparkles!

What You'll Need

  • Large bowl

  • White vinegar

  • Baking soda

  • Room temperature water

  • Large colander or mesh sieve

  • 1-2 sheet pans

  • 1-2 very absorbent kitchen towels

How To Make 2-Ingredient Produce Wash

  • ½ cup white vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon baking soda

  1. Place your produce in a large bowl. Fill the bowl with enough cool water to submerge it completely.

  2. Add 1/2 cup white vinegar and 1 tablespoon baking soda with the bowl, and use your hands to gently stir everything together until combined.

  3. After about 10 minutes, rinse the produce and place it in a single layer on as many sheet pans as needed lined with absorbent kitchen towels. Let the produce sit at room temperature to dry completely before storing (to avoid premature mushiness).

This method for washing produce isn’t just simple and incredibly budget-friendly, it also does the trick for a deep-clean to remove potential dirt, pesticides, chemicals, and even little pesky bugs from your produce. Wait until you see how much muck is removed from your produce and how it sparkles after just 10 minutes in this veggie wash. This is especially true for fruit laden with tons of crevices, ridges, and seeds, like strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries.

Have Fun Prepping Your Produce

One of the best things about this veggie wash, aside from the fact that it’s both natural and effective, is that it provides a fun opportunity to get kids and family involved in the grocery and cooking process. Kids love hands-on opportunities, and anytime my daughter sees me pull strawberries from the bag, she knows it’s time to grab the big bowl, the white vinegar, the baking soda, and her cooking stool. I’m not worried about her playing with chemical-based products because we’re just using a couple of our everyday pantry ingredients. She loves to listen to the fizz of the baking soda as it hits the water, use her hands to stir everything together, and then see how much dirt comes off of the strawberries after 10 minutes. This is just another fun and exciting way food, cooking, and the kitchen brings us all together!

Related: How To Clean Fruits And Vegetables So They're Safe To Eat

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