Fruit and vegetable wash facts for kids

A vegetable wash is a special cleaning product that helps remove dirt, wax, and pesticides from fruits and vegetables. You use it before you eat them.

Why Wash Fruits and Veggies?

Even if fruits and vegetables are organic, they can still have tiny bits of dirt, wax, or even germs on them. A vegetable wash aims to help get rid of these things. It can also help remove pesticides that might be left on the surface.

What's in a Vegetable Wash?

You can find many different kinds of vegetable washes in stores. These usually contain special ingredients that help clean. Some common ingredients might be things that help water spread out, or substances that grab onto dirt particles.

You can also make your own homemade washes. These often use simple things like watered-down hydrogen peroxide or vinegar. However, it's important to be careful with hydrogen peroxide, as it can be unsafe if it's too strong.

Do Vegetable Washes Really Work?

Big organizations like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) say that plain cold water is usually enough to wash fruits and veggies. They do not specifically recommend using special vegetable washes.

There isn't much proof that these washes get rid of all harmful germs. But they can help remove dirt and wax from the surface of your produce.