How to Make Homemade Vegetable Wash

To prevent food born illness, wash produce thoroughly before you eat it.

A healthy diet must include a myriad of fruits and vegetables, but if you are not careful, the produce you consume can do more harm than good. Fresh fruits and vegetables grow in the ground and farmers sometimes use pesticides and fertilizers to grow them, so they need to be cleaned before consumption. Fortunately, you don't need to go out and buy an expensive wash for your produce -- you can make one with a few common pantry staples.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Empty spray bottle
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• Scrub brush

1. Add 2 cups of water, 2 tbsp. lemon juice and 1/4 cup of baking soda to an empty spray bottle. Use caution because the baking soda and lemon juice may react to one another and foam up.

2. Put the lid on the spray bottle. Shake the contents of the bottle well before using.

3. Spray your produce liberally with the homemade vegetable wash. Allow the produce to sit with the wash on it for 5 minutes before rinsing under stream of cold water and scrubbing it clean with a scrub brush.

References

• All recipes: Natural Fruit and Vegetable Wash
• "The Food Connection: The Right Food at the Right Time"; Sam Graci; 2010