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DIY Fruit and Veggie Cleaner!

Monday, June 25, 2018

Think about the journey your produce takes before it gets to you. Fruits and veggies get dropped on the floor, squeezed by random people, rolled down the checkout conveyor belt, and then touched again by the cashier. And that's all after it's been put on the shelf! 

I'm not a germaphobe by any means, but it does a world of good to clean our produce before we eat it! One of my favorite reasons is to save money! Clean produce lasts longer, and you are also more likely to eat it if it's clean and easy to grab. 

I find it easiest to clean all of my produce right after I get back from the grocery store. I promise it takes less than 10 minutes from start to finish! 
DIY Fruit and Veggie Cleaner // Pugs & Pearls Blog

When I unload my groceries, I put all the produce that I want to clean out on the counter. I clean almost everything. I don't bother with bananas, because the peel obviously gets discarded. I do, however, wash things with skin that I plan to cut through. The knife can take the dirt/germs down with it into the fruit or vegetable. 

DIY Fruit and Veggie Cleaner // Pugs & Pearls Blog

DIY Fruit and Veggie Cleaner // Pugs & Pearls Blog

Check out the grime and wax on that apple! That's all going to be gone in just a few minutes. Let's make our spray!
To make your spray:
Add the following to a spray bottle:
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 cup of water
Shake, and spray! Leave on for 2 minutes and rinse with water.
I like to spray over the sink, and have my fruit hang out in a colander while it soaks in. Leave the spray on for 2 minutes, or a little longer if really dirty. After you rinse, you are good to go! If a fruit is particularly waxy, you may need to rub it a little.

My spray bottle is from Grove Collaborative! New members get a bunch of free stuff if you use my link to sign up for an account.

DIY Fruit and Veggie Cleaner // Pugs & Pearls Blog
 After!

DIY Fruit and Veggie Cleaner // Pugs & Pearls Blog       DIY Fruit and Veggie Cleaner // Pugs & Pearls Blog

DIY Fruit and Veggie Cleaner // Pugs & Pearls Blog
 
DIY Fruit and Veggie Cleaner // Pugs & Pearls Blog

DIY Fruit and Veggie Cleaner // Pugs & Pearls Blog       DIY Fruit and Veggie Cleaner // Pugs & Pearls Blog

Check out that before and after!! That is with ZERO scrubbing! This spray brings life back into your produce. It's all natural, so you can feel comfortable using it on your food. I leave my spray in the fridge and you can use it for several grocery trips. 

Leave a comment below if you love natural cleaners! Are you diligent about washing your produce, or are you relaxed about it? 

14 comments

  1. Oh Blimey, now I feel bad. I never wash mine. It is organic but still, I feel gross now hahah! I have used lemon and baking soda a lot though to clean - it has so many uses. I can't lie and say I have read this and will change my ways but you never know. I don't even bother getting the mud completely off my spuds sometimes because it is organic and I think the b vitamins will do me good - that's terrible isn't it?! I shall be the first to confess my dirty veg sins and get it over and done with.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Haha, I appreciate your candor! I definitely agree, a little dirt won't hurt you. We've just had a lot of scares in the recent past of people getting really sick because of contaminated produce. I've had food poisoning once, and it was the worst experience of my life!

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  2. Ok, now I wonder how much crap I've consumed by not washing my fruits and veggies well. Eeeekkkk!! I was just looking to purchase fruit and veg cleaner, so glad you posted this because it's so easy to make!

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    1. I'm glad I had good timing! It's just SO easy to do, it's worth it.
      Don't think about it too much! We can't live in a bubble after all.

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  3. Love this! I rarely wash mine and it's kind of embarrassing looking at what you do now. I pinned this on Pinterest so I have this for the next time I go to clean :)

    Felicity | http://oliverandmoose.com

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    Replies
    1. Haha, don't feel bad! I just felt like I had to share, because it's so simple and it makes a big difference. Thank you for pinning and reading as always Felicity!!

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  4. I'm actually incredibly impressed with the amount of produce you buy! I feel like our food goes bad too quickly for me to buy that much... but it's just so pretty & yummy looking!! That spray is a GREAT idea!

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    Replies
    1. You know, I never really thought about it, but we do buy a lot of produce!! I like to snack on fruits, and I do a lot of cooking at home. For example, all of the oranges in these photos are for a recipe. And the tomatoes are from the garden! That's probably making it look like a bigger haul. The one thing that does seem to go bad a lot is bananas-but I freeze the brown ones for smoothies. I totally agree, produce can be beautiful!

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  5. This is such a great idea!! I usually wash my fruit as I need it but I love the idea of getting it all taken care of right after the grocery store. It is crazy the journey it goes on before it gets to our fridge. Sierra Beautifully Candid

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Sierra! I noticed a big difference in doing it all at once versus just as we needed it. For instance, I am more likely to grab a healthy snack if it doesn't require extra effort!

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  6. I have never thought about this before, great tip! you can definitely see the difference.

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  7. Well color me impressed! I also feel like I've been eating nasty produce because you are SO RIGHT when you talk about the journey it takes before it's in your hands. Ah. You may have just added a step to my grocery unpacking, but that's a good thing. :)

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  8. The difference is AMAZING! I'll confess that up until about a month ago I didn't do anything more to produce other than run it under the faucet for 2 seconds before I used it. I got a produce wash at Trader Joe's a few weeks ago and have liked it so far, but this sounds even easier!!

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  9. I love finding new recipes for natural cleaners! I’ll have to file this one to try!

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Hello!

Hi friends! I'm Kristen, and this is the Life and Style of an early 30's Floridian living the Best Life Ever, with her husband and three pugs. Runner | Avid Reader | Small Shop Owner

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