Just a few years ago, a product such as “fruit and vegetable wash” caused bewilderment and mistrust among housewives. Everyone made do with plain water, and for children they additionally scalded the components with boiling water. Today, many suppliers of plant-based products actively use waxes and other products to coat the skin. This increases the shelf life of products and facilitates their transportation. Do not forget that without the use of fertilizers, nitrates and other not very useful substances Agriculture today is not possible. And it’s definitely not possible to completely wash off such substances with clean water.
How to properly wash vegetables, fruits and herbs before use?
Before you buy professional products or start making natural ones, you need to figure out how to wash fruits and vegetables according to all the rules. Not all of the above manipulations are considered mandatory; some of them can be waived if the fruits were collected from your own garden bed.
- When you have to deal with imported components, you should use a soft brush. Gently rub off the wax that is traditionally used to cover the fruit. If the protective layer is not removed, the fruit and vegetable wash will not reach the skin itself and will not fulfill its purpose.
- People prone to allergies do not have to give up their favorite foods. Often, long-term soaking of fruits in cold water (at least an hour) allows you to get rid of substances that cause a violent reaction in the body.
- When processing products intended for children, it is customary to remove the skin from them. But even in this case, you should not refuse to pre-clean the workpieces.
Advice: If yellowish or gray spots are found under the removed peel, it is better to avoid using this product. The first type of formations indicates an excessive amount of nitrates in the pulp, the second indicates the beginning of rotting processes.
- If there are traces of dirt on vegetables or fruits, do not scrub them with a hard brush. It is better to soak the food in warm water for a short time, after which cleaning will not cause any problems.
- Few housewives wash onions, but this must be done. Moreover, before this you need to cut off the part with the antennae and remove the dried husk.
- Citrus fruits are sometimes canned before transportation, so they must be scalded with boiling water. Only after this the fruit is peeled or zested.
- Most fruits and vegetables prefer to be processed under running cold water using a brush or profile composition. But this approach can harm the grapes; it is better to wash them in the shower.
- Be sure to cut off the roots of the greens and remove dried or darkened leaves.
In addition, you need to remember once and for all that household chemicals in the form of liquids and gels intended for processing dishes are absolutely not suitable for washing fruits, vegetables and herbs. It is almost impossible to wash them completely, which is why the taste of the food is distorted.
Popular industrial products
Profile compositions literally filled modern market, but this does not mean that they are all equally effective and safe. When choosing a suitable product for washing fruits and vegetables, you should pay attention to the following products:
- Eat Cleaner. The products of this brand are represented not only by traditional liquids, the choice of which is quite wide, but also by napkins. They are very convenient to use on the road, in nature, during a spontaneous snack with fruits or vegetables. All products contain components of exclusively natural origin. It is noteworthy that after using some products, the fruits do not even need to be rinsed.
- Very easy to use liquid soap, which after use is simply washed off with plenty of water. It is so effective that it copes with dirt even on the surface of melons, watermelons, and pumpkins.
- Numerous fruit acids in the mass are responsible for the cleansing function. They not only remove all excess from the surface of products, but also have an antibacterial and antimicrobial effect. 100% neutralization is ensured harmful components. At the same time, the cost of the product is quite affordable, which is ensured by its domestic origin.
- This proposal is practically no different from the previous version. But it contains additional components that care for the skin of the hands. This, and the imported origin of the brand, affect the cost of the products.
- The product contains glycerin, aloe vera, essential oils citrus fruits, emulsifiers and plant extracts. This product is 100 times more effective than traditional hot water.
Before washing fruits and vegetables with professional means, you need to make sure that they do not cause allergies in family members. To do this, you don’t have to try the product, just apply it to the skin and make sure that there is no redness after a few minutes. But the compositions should be used according to the scheme that is given on their label. In some cases, a few drops of gel or liquid are diluted in the water in which the fruit is placed. In others, the product is applied directly to the skin of the product.
Folk remedies and rules for their use
If for some reason you don’t want to deal with products of factory origin, this does not mean that when processing food components you can limit yourself to boiling water or cold water. In this case, one of the following folk remedies should act as a detergent:
- Salt. If you add it to water, and place berries or fruits in the resulting liquid, you can get rid of bugs that are not always visible to the naked eye. Plus, salt also acts as a disinfectant; the main thing is to thoroughly rinse off the salty composition after using it.
- Soap. It should be a regular brown bar, not its flavored or antibacterial counterpart. Just wash your hands or a sponge well, and use the resulting foam to wash the vegetables and fruits. It is better not to try this method on greens; they can quickly become saturated with a specific pungent odor.
- Vinegar solution. It is recommended to prepare it not from table vinegar, but from apple or wine vinegar. Mix the components in equal proportions, use the resulting composition to soak the selected fruits for 2-3 minutes. Do not rub the skin; the penetration of liquid into the pulp can change its taste. Then we thoroughly rinse off the mass, which not only disinfects the skin, but also removes wax residues from it.
- A mixture of baking soda and lemon juice. One of the most intense remedies, for the preparation of which we take a glass of cold water, a teaspoon of baking soda and lemon juice (do not replace it with acid!). The resulting product is recommended to be used as a spray when processing fruits, vegetables, and herbs. The finished composition is stored in the refrigerator.
Regardless of the cleaning method used and the type of product used, the components should be immediately used for food or use. Removing the protective coating triggers the processes of oxidation and bacterial growth, i.e. products begin to deteriorate.
The spirit of the times has become the appearance on the shelves of stores, markets and online hypermarkets of fruit and vegetable washing products. These are separate or universal products that can also be used to wash children's dishes and baby accessories. The main function of such products is to remove not only germs and dirt, but also harmful chemicals, which are often generously supplied with fruits and vegetables from stores. Buy fruit washing detergent - environmentally friendly and safe - at the Utkonos online hypermarket.
As you know, a huge amount of fruits nowadays comes from distant countries. Since they have to travel a far from short and fast journey, pesticides, which are chemical substances, are used to give them a marketable appearance. Pesticides are used even at the stage of fruit growth and sprayed on them until they ripen. They protect fruits from fungi, weeds, and harmful insects, and at the same time they are toxic and unsafe for humans.
Another reason for using such products was the use of wax to ensure that fruits and vegetables:
- had a more attractive, marketable appearance
- were not damaged during transportation
- better preserved.
Although wax is allowed as a food additive, it is still a preservative. Therefore, in order to avoid the slightest risk, especially when feeding fruits and vegetables to children, it is recommended to use products that can be used to wash not only the fruits and vegetables themselves, but also the dishes for washing fruits and vegetables. The composition of such products, which you can find in our catalog, includes natural and exclusively organic ingredients: essential oils, herbal extracts, glycerin, water, etc. The products have the property of decomposing in nature and are environmentally friendly.
Housekeeping girls know from childhood that berries, herbs and fruits must be washed under running water. This is enough if we are talking about berries from our own garden. But what to do with fruits and vegetables “carefully” grown by the agricultural industry? Not to mention pesticides and herbicides, which accumulate in the fruit and are unlikely to be washed from the surface of the fruit, there are chemicals and waxes that are used to treat fruits for better storage. In addition, everyone who has been to fruit and vegetable warehouses scares us with horror stories about rats and incredible insects that frolic there on our fruits.
So, what and how to wash vegetables and fruits? Just not with dishwashing liquid! Even if this liquid is environmentally friendly, it is difficult to completely wash it off the surface of berries and greens. Therefore, if you are going to use an additional cleaner, it should be a completely natural, or better yet, an organic vegetable cleaner - food you can eat. You can make this product yourself or buy it.
At least several “edible” fruit and vegetable washing products are available in Moscow:
Bentley Organic, Vegetable, fruit and salad cleaner, 500 ml (426 RUR) Buy.
This remedy is the number one choice: first, it is made from acids: citric, malic, lactic and aloe vera are all natural antibacterial, antimicrobial components that you can eat. Secondly, it is certified organic by the English Soil Association.
Bentley Organic Fruit Wash dissolves and removes stains, kills 99.9% of pathogens: clinically proven - and this is the third argument in favor of Bentley Organic.
Safefuard Fruit and Veggie Wash, 750 ml (230 rub.)
This remedy is in third place simply because little information is available about it. And it itself is much more represented in Russia. The composition again contains aloe vera plus citrus essential oils, olive leaf extract, vegetable glycerin and a vegetable emulsifier. The manufacturer reports that the product removes dirt a hundred times better than water. Perhaps more detailed information We have no information about this remedy.
Instructions for use suitable for all three products, especially since their compositions (especially the first and second numbers) are very similar: you need to dissolve the product in water, put the fruit in it for 30 seconds, then rinse with running water to wash off the taste of the product (it is incredibly sour) and leave only the taste of the fruit.
Mako Clean Fruit and vegetable washing product, 500 ml (RUR 313) Buy.
. It is made in Russia, has an absolutely similar composition to Bentley Organic, but is not certified as organic. But it costs much less.
The product is effective and edible. Tested for myself.
Eat Cleaner Wipes for washing fruits and vegetables, 10 pcs (450 RUR) Buy HERE.
Convenient napkins that will come in handy for anyone who snacks outside the home. It is enough to wipe the surface of your favorite fruit and vegetable to not only remove dirt, but also the wax that is used to cover, for example, apples. The composition contains citric acid, sodium citrate obtained from citrus fruits, sea salt, vegetable glycerin and a certain cleansing component designated as “natural plant detergent" What this means is unknown, especially since this ingredient is not listed in the English composition found on the Internet.
Nevertheless, napkins are very popular among fans of the iHerb online store.
Sodasan Fruit and vegetable wash, 500 ml (560 RUR) Buy HERE.
Sodasan spray is essentially a liquid soap that is sprayed onto the surface of vegetables or fruits and then washed off. Contains a mild cleansing component (Alkylpolyglucosides), organic soap (saponified vegetable oils), alcohol, citric acid, grapefruit extract and soda. A convenient option for home use, especially for washing melons and watermelons.
And in conclusion, tips on how to prepare a cheap product and how to wash vegetables and fruits:
- Vinegar + water: regular or Apple vinegar mix with water in equal proportions. Use as a solution for washing vegetables. After washing, rinse fruits/vegetables under running water. Acetic acid kills pathogenic bacteria and dissolves the wax used to treat fruits.
- Lemon + soda + water: 250ml water, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon baking soda - mix. The resulting solution can be used as a spray: spray the fruit, wait 1-2 minutes, rinse under running water. Kills bacteria and dissolves contaminants. The resulting one can be stored in the refrigerator.
Homemade cleaning products can be an excellent alternative to commercially produced ones. They will cost less and are believed to be less toxic. It is difficult to say how true this is. However, making your own cleaning products can be an excellent chemical practice, understandable to everyone and with a very specific result at the end. What is the best composition to wash the gifts of nature before eating? We will look for an answer to this question today. After all, at home you can not only do this, but also do a lot of other things that are very useful in every family.
First of all, let's talk about the main components that are used in the manufacture of cleaning products at home. And about the properties of these components. It should be noted that you can resort to making your own cleaning products only after taking all precautions. It is also necessary to ensure that there are no allergic reactions to the components of cleaning products. You should not assume that there are no allergies to natural components. The pages of the resource Kisswebpages.com outline the basic principles of making homemade cleaning products and the components from which they are made.
Baking soda. Has cleaning and deodorizing (i.e. eliminating bad smell) properties. Softens water, increasing the cleaning properties of soap. It is a fine powder.
Borax (borax, sodium salt boric acid). It also has cleaning and deodorizing properties. Is an excellent disinfectant.
Soap. It is used in liquid, powder form, as well as in pieces and in the form of shavings. Maybe at home. Soap bars can be crushed for subsequent dissolution in hot water. Please pay Special attention for those types of soap that do not contain synthetic flavors, dyes and other additives.
Washing (soda ash), sodium carbonate. Removes grease and stains. Has disinfectant properties and softens water.
Table vinegar (6% or 9%) or lemon juice. Removes fat.
The simplest all-purpose cleaner can be made by mixing vinegar with salt or dissolving four tablespoons of baking soda in 900 milliliters of warm water.
Now let's talk about disinfection. Disinfection refers to the removal of some of the harmful bacteria from a surface. In fact, no surface treatment can completely remove bacteria from it. Surfaces should be washed regularly with soap and hot water. Or dissolve half a cup of borax in 3.75 liters hot water and use this product to disinfect and deodorize surfaces. Isopropyl alcohol is also an excellent disinfectant, but use only gloves and never allow children to use it.
It's time to move from theory to practice. First, let's make a product for washing fruits and vegetables, which is very important right now, at the beginning of summer, when fresh fruits of nature begin to appear.
We need 1 glass; 1 glass of table vinegar (6% or 9%); 1 tablespoon baking soda, plus 20 drops grapefruit seed extract, which is known for its antifungal and antibacterial properties.
To prepare this remedy, mix all ingredients in a large bowl, much larger than the volume of substances used. The fact is that the chemical reaction of baking soda with vinegar will cause splashes, which can get onto surrounding surfaces if the dishes are too small.
Pour this mixture into a spray bottle. Using a spray bottle, apply it to vegetables and fruits. Leave them to sit for ten minutes and rinse off with water.
Do you agree with the idea that homemade cleaning products are less harmful? Or, in your opinion, does it make no sense to make them at home? It's easier to go to the store and buy.
To prepare almost any dish or dessert, we need vegetables and fruits. Before you start cooking, the fruits should be thoroughly washed. This is especially true for those fruits and vegetables that we eat with their peels. How to wash them properly and, most importantly, with what? Answers to all questions in our special material.
Any fruits and vegetables, even if they come from your own garden, must be thoroughly washed before consumption. This is necessary in order to rid the fruits of dirt, dust, microbes and residues of various chemicals that are used to treat fruits and vegetables during the growing process. If the food is poorly washed, then there is a high probability that harmful microorganisms will get into the food and then into your intestines, which can lead to very disastrous consequences.
There are several rules that will help you wash vegetables and fruits correctly. If the vegetables were grown in your own garden, and you know for sure that no harmful substances were used during cultivation, then it will be enough to simply rinse them under running cool water. But if these are purchased fruits and they contain various pesticides, they have been treated with wax and other means, then you need a special means for washing vegetables and fruits.
Purchased fruits and vegetables, the quality of which you are not very sure of, first of all need to be washed off wax. This can be done with any means that we will discuss below, and you can use a special soft brush that will help remove wax or other substance.
It is important to mention here that for washing vegetables and fruits you should have a separate brush in your kitchen that you will not use anywhere else.
Before you start washing fruits or vegetables for children, the product should be soaked in cold water for some time. Just enough water is needed so that the fruit is completely covered with it. This will get rid of various harmful substances and then they can be easily washed before use. It is worth noting that soaking and washing the fruits is necessary only in limited quantities. Wash as many vegetables or fruits as you need at the moment. You should not wash the fruits for future use, as they will quickly begin to deteriorate.
Vegetables should be cleaned of dirt before washing. This can be done under running water using a regular brush. If you need to wash cauliflower, then it is first divided into inflorescences. Root vegetables are simply cleaned of dirt by first soaking them in warm and then cool water. Cucumbers and tomatoes should be soaked exclusively in cool water. It is better to first scald citrus fruits with boiling water, and then begin to wash them. Melon, watermelon or pumpkin do not need to be pre-washed. It is better to pre-soak apples, pears, grapes, plums and peaches in cool water.
The best folk remedies
Many housewives advise using ordinary soap or a gel designed for washing dishes to wash fruits. We do not recommend using such products, since they contain chemicals, the remains of which can penetrate the body and cause severe poisoning. You cannot even use washing or baby soap as many do. All the same, particles of substances contained in soap remain on the peel and are very difficult to completely remove.
The most the best remedy, which is in every kitchen, is lemon juice and the most common baking soda. In this tandem, products are often used to clean any surfaces in the kitchen, since baking soda in combination with citrus fruit juice perfectly gets rid of grease stains. This product will also perfectly clean the skins of fruits and vegetables, ridding them of harmful bacteria and more. And the main thing is that this product is completely safe for the body of any person.
To prepare it, you will need a glass of plain water and one spoon each of tea soda and lemon juice. Mix everything thoroughly and get a ready-made product for washing fruits. To make it more convenient to use, we recommend placing it in a clean spray bottle. The product should be shaken before each use.
It is best to store this mixture in the refrigerator. It is very easy to use. We rinse any fruit with water, then spray it with our product and leave it like that for a couple of minutes. Afterwards, rinse thoroughly, using a brush if necessary.
The most common table vinegar will also help in this difficult task. When choosing vinegar, please note that it should not be a concentrate. You should use a maximum of twelve percent vinegar, which can be consumed immediately. Dilute it in equal proportions with purified water. You can safely wash your favorite fruits in the resulting solution. Afterwards, rinse them with running cold water. Vinegar easily rids fruits of various plaque, germs, dirt and other harmful substances.
If there is no soda or vinegar in the house, then ordinary salt will do. To help thoroughly wash the fruits, a solution should be made from it. For one liter of warm water you will need exactly four large spoons of any salt. As soon as the salt crystals are completely dissolved, you can safely wash vegetables or fruits in this solution. Afterwards, do not forget to rinse them with clean water and only then can they be consumed.
In order not only to clean the fruit from dirt, dust and wax, but also to disinfect it, you can treat it with hydrogen peroxide. For a liter of warm water you will need only one large spoon of this product. Mix everything thoroughly and wash the vegetables or fruits with the resulting liquid.
Rating of store products
Strange as it may sound, today you can find a special product for washing fruits and vegetables in almost any store. Now you can find a Japanese, Korean or even English product that is made from safe ingredients and does its job perfectly.
- One of the popular remedies that receives positive reviews- This Kyukyutto. The product copes well with wax, removes various contaminants, has an antibacterial effect and does not leave a “sticky” feeling on the fruit at all. This Japanese product contains no chemicals, only plant and mineral substances.
- Bentley Organic is a wonderful product from UK manufacturers that contains natural acids. The product perfectly removes dirt and germs. In addition, it is easily washed off from the skin of the fruit and does not leave any foreign odors.
- Mako Clean- detergent for fruits and vegetables from Israeli manufacturers. The product comes in a convenient bottle with a spray nozzle; it sprays easily, so you can even take it with you. The product contains only natural ingredients, including aloe vera juice and various food acids. After washing it does not leave any odors and does its job one hundred percent.
- Sodasan is a remedy from a famous German brand. The product is great for washing vegetables and fruits. It is conveniently sprayed onto the surface of the fruit and is very economical to use. Excellent for removing wax, dirt and traces of various harmful chemicals. It is even suitable for washing berries. Contains only natural and safe substances.
For information on how and why you need to wash vegetables and fruits, see below.
