Cold running water. That’s it. Piece of pie.
The FDA says to rinse produce under plain running water while gently rubbing it — no soap, no produce wash, nothing fancy. Just water. And one thing most people skip: rinse it *before* you peel or cut it. If there’s bacteria or dirt on the skin, your knife drags it right into the flesh the second you slice through.
Soap, detergent, and bleach are off the table completely. The University of Minnesota Extension is clear on this — never use soaps, detergents, or bleach solutions on produce. Same warning from the Washington State Department of Health. These products aren’t made to go inside your body, and they can leave residue on produce that you’d then eat. You’d be trading a little surface bacteria for actual chemical residue. Not a good trade.
For harder fruits and vegetables — think apples, potatoes, cucumbers — you can scrub with a clean produce brush under running water. For softer stuff, just rub gently with your hands. The goal is to physically remove dirt and reduce bacteria, and water does that job well enough on its own.
One exception worth knowing: if your bagged salad greens are already labeled “pre-washed” or “ready-to-eat,” washing them again isn’t necessary and may actually introduce new contamination from your sink. Check the label.
And don’t bother putting produce in the dishwasher either. Same problem — heat and soap residue. Running water is genuinely the safest method, and you don’t need to overcomplicate it.