The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates that around 48 million people every year get sick from eating contaminated food. Although most people know that they must handle animal products appropriately to prevent illness, fruits and vegetables can also carry harmful germs.
The truth of the matter is unwashed fruits and vegetables pose a big risk to you and your family due to bacterial contamination and pesticides. In recent years, many outbreaks of foodborne illness have come from contaminated cantaloupe, spinach, tomatoes, and lettuce.
Fortunately, there is a relatively effortless solution that may rid your freshly picked harvest of unwanted chemicals and here is the Natural DIY produce wash that is super simple to make with only 3 ingredients (that you may already have in your pantry.)
What you'll need
Funnel
3 cups of distilled water
1 cup distilled white vinegar
Glass spray bottle
1 Tablespoon of Lemon Juice
Colander
To Make:
Using a funnel, pour the distilled water and white vinegar into a sterilized glass spray bottle. Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice. Place the lid on the bottle and gently shake to combine thoroughly. Label the produce wash with the contents and date of creation and store in the refrigerator. To use, place fruits and vegetables in a colander and spray them with the produce wash until everything is fully saturated. Allow the cleaning solution to sit for approximately 30 minutes. Rinse with cold water while using your hands to gently wipe the produce. All the fruits and vegetable to dry and store as required or in produce reusable bags.
Check out our zero waste section for an all natural veggie brush scrubber made out of coconut.
This vegetable and fruit cleaner has a shelf life of a month kept in the refridge.