What Science Says About Washing Pesticides off Fruits and Vegetables

published Aug 17, 2015
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Post Image
(Image credit: Rachel Joy Barehl)

There are lots of ways to wash pesticide residue off of fruits and vegetables. You can scrub with a vegetable brush, use a purchased vegetable wash, or just use water straight from the tap.

But what does science have to say about this?

There is apparently no method that will ever remove all of the pesticides, including what’s absorbed into the flesh itself.

What surprised me, though, is that scientists say that that if you’re just rinsing and using tap water, it’s better to run water over the fruit or vegetable rather than placing it in a bowl of water. Apparently the force of running water will drive off more pesticides than just dunking alone.

Since I live in drought region, a quick rinse to me seems a lot more drought friendly than filling a big bowl!

Read more: Washing Off the Pesticides from The New York Times