How to Wash Fruits & Vegetables With Hydrogen Peroxide

Unless the fruit or vegetables we buy are organic, it is important to wash them before eating. Many fruits and vegetables have pesticides, herbicides or a chemical fertilizer residue sprayed on them. You also need to wash the fruit and vegetables to remove dirt, bugs, wax or bacteria. These microorganisms come from the soil, dust, fungi and the hands of people who picked, packed and placed the food in the store. An easy and economical way to do this is by mixing hydrogen peroxide in the water.

Things You'll Need

• 3 percent hydrogen peroxide
• Dark spray bottle
• White distilled vinegar
• Spray bottle
• Water

Instructions

1. Pour 3 percent hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle. You can buy hydrogen peroxide in the pharmacy section of grocery stores. Use a dark colored spray bottle or keep it in the cupboard so no light gets in.

2. Pour white distilled vinegar into another spray bottle. It does not have to be a dark spray bottle.

3. Spray the fruit and vegetables with the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. Spray in any order that you want, but do so in equal measures.

4. Rinse the fruit and vegetables with water.

Tips & Warnings

• If you do not have a dark colored spray bottle, remove the lid on the bottle of the hydrogen peroxide and replace it with a spray nozzle instead.

• Do not combine the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide together. This weakens the solution.

References

• Chowhound: Washing Vegetables and Fruits
• MedHelp: Washing Your Fruits and Vegetables
• Susie J.: How to Clean Bacteria Off Fruits and Vegetables