How to Wash Fruits and Vegetables the Right Way (FDA Tips)

Do you wash fruit with soap? You shouldn't. Here's the right way to clean fresh produce, in seven quick steps from the FDA.

1. 1: Wash Your Hands

Start with clean hands. Twenty seconds, warm water and soap, before and after you handle produce.

If there's a bruised or damaged spot, cut it away before you prepare or eat it.

Hold it under plain running water, and gently rub. No soap, and no produce wash needed. Soap can soak into the food.

Rinse it even if you're going to peel it. Otherwise, the knife can carry dirt and germs from the outside into the part you eat.

For firm produce, like melons and cucumbers, scrub with a clean vegetable brush.

Then dry it with a clean cloth or paper towel. That helps remove even more bacteria.

For a head of lettuce or cabbage, pull off the outermost leaves. And if a bag says pre-washed, or ready to eat, you don't need to wash it again.

Checked against the official sources above. Steps can change as apps update - tell us if something looks different: wischavenindustries@gmail.com