Depends on the fruit....grapes I do as you did...in a colunder running lots of water through. Oranges and other citrus that I will be using the rind of....with a scrub brush and soap!....same with melons, particularly those with a webbed skin.
I peel peaches, pears plums apples and bananas....unless I know where they came from....like a neighbor who says..."they may have worms..."

thanks Linda for your response. I guess there is fruit/veg. washes that you can purchase but I usually just wash them really well and hope I got most of it! :) I never peel pears and plums, but probably a good idea!

I make a mixture of half white vinegar and half water in a spray bottle.
I spray the fruits and veggies with it and then rinse.

Linda

I do as Linda.
I wash everything, even those I peel. Just my thinking, but if the skin is contaminated and I peel it won't it contaminate the fruit or vegetable.

I will do the vinegar & water also. Thanks!

Does anyone use grapefruit seed extract and water to wash fruit and veggies?

Here is a link that might be useful: Homemade Produce Wash With Grapefruit Seed Extract

I bought a gallon of Amway's LOC almost 15 years ago and still have 1/3 of it left. I use a couple of teaspoons to 16 oz. of water in a bottle that I keep under the sink.
When I get home from the market I set the fruits and veggies in the sink, squirt all with the L-O-C and rinse with cold water.
I have had two stem cell transplants where I had zero immunity of my own and my doctors insisted that ALL fresh food stuffs be cleaned...even the ones to be peeled or cut. If there are ickies on the outside you don't want it drug thru the cut skin to the inner parts.
You wouldn't believe the bright green color of broccoli after it has been washed!! Unbelieveable.

Here is a link that might be useful: L-O-C

Mary, I wash grapes pretty much like you did,
Lots of plain water.

Other fruits, (if doing one piece)
I put a drop of dish washing liquid on it,
Rub it around good with my hands,
And rinse with a lot of water.
If cleaning several,
I put warm soapy water in the sink,
Put them all in,
Swish them around some,
And rinse.

Depending on how I am going to use them,
Apples, pears, plums, peaches, etc.
Seldom get peeled.

Rusty

I rinse all produce under running water, which is the FDA recommendation these days. I keep a spray bottle of water and Grapefruit Seed Extract (linked above by barnmom) to spritz things like sprouts and all foods that may have had ground contact, which are associated with bacteria contamination.

For making sprouts at home, I make sure I use a citric acid and water solution (1 t. citric acid per 1 quart of water), for soaking and rinsing my sprouts to help prevent bacteria. The same goes for dehydrating produce. An acidified bath is suggested now as a way to prevent bacteria growth during drying.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: New Home Drying Recommendations

"----I have had two stem cell transplants where I had zero immunity of my own and my doctors insisted that ALL fresh food stuffs be cleaned...even the ones to be peeled or cut. ----"

For those of you, who have special needs in cleaning as well as sanitizing, look into getting an ultrasonic cleaner that is for cleaning fruits and veggies, not the kind for cleaning your jewelries.

dcarch

Is this what you're referring to dcarch?
(I wonder if my insurance would have been open to paying for it? lol!)

Here is a link that might be useful: Ultrasonic cleaner

Where in the world would one get grapefruit seed extract? ?

Rusty

When I buy loose fruit I think more about all the people who have handled them more than the pesticides. I know I always pick up and put down a few apples or whatever before I find the ones I want. I wash the outsides with dish liquid and water to remove whatever was on people's hands, except grapes and I rinse those in the colander. For melons I don't do much of anything since I don't eat the rind. Probably should though.

Rusty-

Most health food stores carry Grapefruit Seed Extract. A small, 2 fl. oz., bottle will last you a l-o-n-g time.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: iHerb - Nutribiotic GSE Liquid

Thank you, Grainlady.

The nearest health food store is over 50 miles from me.
But I will check it out the next time I go in that direction.

I'll also check out the shipping charges on the link.

But in all probability,
I'll just stick with my current dish washing liquid method.

Apparently it works,
None of us have gotten sick.

"When I buy loose fruit I think more about all the people who have handled them more than the pesticides."

Yeah, me too!

Rusty

From what I've read, pesticide residues are really hard to get off of the skins of fruits and vegetables, especially those that have waxy coatings. I almost always peel all of those types of fruits and veggies now--apples, pears, potatoes--all get peeled because I can't afford organic. If I'm using the peels, I wash with soap and warm water, that's what I read that does the best job of getting off the residues. Now, as for the germs that come from people's hands that might have handled them . . . that is a huge worry!! I'm taking microbiology class this winter and by far the germiest places are those that get repeatedly touched by human hands and not washed. For example, the bathrooms actually aren't that germy since they get washed, but the button for the elevator in the science building---WHOA! For hand germs, a mild acid solution might help. I'm somewhat lax about that but I always wash with repeated washes of water. Unfortunately, when it comes to germs, that just kind of spreads them around, but it's not pointless, it does dillute them, making it less likely that you'll get enough of the baddies to make you sick. I also read that running water, repeatedly is better than soaking, and a brush to get into the nooks and crannies is good. If you've got one of those spray hoses on your sink, it is perfect for this application. Rinsing with lots of water is definately better than nothing.

Most of the "germs" (bacteria) on fruits and vegetables won't harm us, so I don't think you have to be paranoid about it. But there are a few that can, and when your produce comes from thousands of miles away, handled by various businesses and employees along the way, a lot can happen to it. To me, this is one of the reasons NOT to get worried about poisoning your family with home food preservation. It's no more likely that you will poison your family than some Yahoo at the canning factory, if you're even slightly more intelligent than the average Yahoo. Learn about and understand the principles behind safe food preservation and then do what the science dictates, it's no more difficut than cooking.

As for grapes . . . sigh. I love them but rarely eat them, I know too much about them. Occasionally I will find some organic ones I can afford. In my dreams I have a grape arbor. My neighbors actually have one! I just haven't gotten around to it yet!

lpinkmountain... the seedless grapes are even sprayed more than the ones with seeds so I have heard. The fruit & veggies from other countries really worry me more so than in the U.S. (which is bad enough) Thanks everyone for all of these interesting & useful comments. I have washed the heck out of the grapes and used the vinegar solution also! Trying not to think what may be left behind! lol!

Posted by deborah_ps "Is this what you're referring to dcarch?
(I wonder if my insurance would have been open to paying for it? lol!) "

Yes, that's the kind.

By normal hand washing, it is difficult to get to all the tinny places and bubbles on fruits and veggies. Ultrasonic energy, by cavitation, can be most effective in getting into microscopic places and dislodge dirt and whatever.

This kind of ultrasonic cleaner also generates ozone to kill germs and neutralize chemicals.

dcarch

I'm less worried about picking up germs from fruit touched by others than fruit that was touched by someone who just picked their nose.

Gross. Sorry.

Remember when some sicko put poison in a
Tylenol bottle? So now all bottles of
just about anything have seals that show
they haven't been tampered with. Well...
with just about all countries hating the
USA, I'm worried about someone injecting
poison into fresh fruits or vegetables
that will be exported to the United States.
Think about it, it would be so easy for
someone to do, and how would you tell,
as there are no seals on an avacado
to tell it hasn't been tampered with.
Maybe I'm just being a little too paranoid.