Reading this article makes me wonder how, at least so far, I've lived without developing any serious diseases.
Starting today, I’m making some major changes in housekeeping and food preparation habits, starting to the way I wash fresh produce.
How do you wash your vegetables and fruit?
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My wife washes all vegetables and even has a handy centrifugal lettuce shaker/dryer. You put the lettuce in and wind the handle so that it spins incredibly fast and end up with dry, clean lettuce.
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Must admit I never washed any fruit and vegetables in the UK. It wasn't until I met the missus and she demanded I start doing it or she wouldn't be eating any fruit or veg I'd prepared.
Since coming to live here I now understand why she was so insistent. I do wonder how particular restaurants are about such things though.
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My aunt was very keen on the subject and she soaked veggies and fruit in water with a dash of bleach for a good 20', then rinsed them thoroughly. She also peeled apples. We had an argument once because she was horrified I was eating an apple with the skin (isn't this where most nutrients are?), as she said it was once in touch with pesticides.
I told her that if the pesticides were on the apple skin, they would also permeate the apple and thus she shouldn't be eating the apple, at all.
My uncle laughed because he probably heard her remark too many times, but never saw someone coming back at his wife with a solid argument.
I soak green leaves, but I add nothing to the water. I have only recently implemented baking soda for my cleaning since Arm & Hammers became available in Argentina. When I tried to look for baking soda in bulk, all I was told was available was tiny bags of baking soda for cakes or the one sold at pharmacy.
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My aunt was very keen on the subject and she soaked veggies and fruit in water with a dash of bleach for a good 20',
Bloody hell.....that's OTT.
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When she visited us in Argentina, she was horrified that I would mix underwear and tablecloths and clothes in the same washing cycle. ⚜️
She comes from a different generation. To me, doing separate washing cycle is a waste of energy and water. The same applies for any kind of cleaning in general. If you use 20 liters of water to wash a lettuce head, it is a waste. But if you need to soak and rinse twice, you are probably going to use that much water.
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Bloody hell.....that's OTT.
UK Man , if you read the article, you might think differently.
serafina , I had an aunt who added a few drops of Clorox to wash her vegetables as well as her dishes. But they lived on a ranch in Oregon and used well water, so she decided to be cautious rather than sorry.
Farmers all over the world use pesticides or, in very primitive places, animal manure. It makes sense that a simple rinse with water wouldn’t really remove either. But I’ve just never given it much thought.
Until now.
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UK Man , if you read the article, you might think differently.
My missus just uses tap water with arsenic in it to wash the veg.
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This lastest huge outbreak in the USA is different than past bacteria issues like e-coli and listeria which can eventually be solved by a proper wash of produce. This one is a parasite that cannot be killed by bleach or washed off as easy, and just cycles back into the food system. A big reason is that the farm owners do not provide proper facilities for the workers to take time off when they need the bathroom. Alcohol hand wash does nothing. If there are facilities, they perhaps leak into irrigation and other water supplies used for mixing pesticides. Among many reasons that allow human waste, which is the only source of this disease, to contaminate farm produce.
Better to read after dinner: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/21/well/eat/how-cyclospora-contaminates-food.html?unlocked_article_code=1.zlA.BWdu.BfFLy4cme18K -
BETTER TO READ AFTER DINNER - I LOVE THE WARNING!
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A good excuse for not eating salad.....my missus has to force me to eat the stuff.
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A good excuse for not eating salad.....my missus has to force me to eat the stuff.
Showing your West of Scotland roots.....
If God had wanted me to eat greens , he would have made me a rabbit and not a human being....
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BETTER TO READ AFTER DINNER - I LOVE THE WARNING!
Reminds me of the toilet scene in Dumb and Dumber
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I remember posting about those tiny flies attracted by fruit, mainly bananas and usually in summer, so we finally found a fruit net thingy! Hopefully it will keep the buggers out.
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We used to have them if there was any fruit left out. The missus now keeps all the fruit in the fridge limiting space for my beer.
