# Do you wash food with Soap? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 8, 2025, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-food-with-soap/1023771 "2025-10-08T06:38:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-food-with-soap/1023771/1 "2025-10-08T06:38:37Z")
We’ve had the discussion about washing food: that had input from someone in the farm sector, and transport sector, and retail sector, and they were unanimous that, having seen the way fresh food was treated in their sector, they washed. I rinse my vegetables because that’s what my mother did. But damn, if I want something clean, I use soap. I obviously don’t care enough about ‘clean’ vegetables. Is there anyone here who washes food using soap, instead of just rinsing it? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-food-with-soap/1023771/2 "2025-10-08T07:07:10Z")
I almost never do, because the risk of ingesting soap seems higher, this way, than the risk of pesticide (after a water-only rinse.) Either that or just too much hassle. I would only wash with soap if it were something like an apple that had knowingly touched something dirty like raw chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-food-with-soap/1023771/3 "2025-10-08T08:11:25Z")
Certainly some of the things people seem to be worried about being present on their food would not be easily removable without soap or disinfectant, but no. I wash with water; some things that are going to be peeled, I don’t wash them at all. ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-food-with-soap/1023771/4 "2025-10-08T08:25:02Z")
I wash apples with a little dishwashing soap. Although they have probably been washed after picking, for me, it’s a ‘just in case’ approach to remove any residual insecticide/chemicals that may remain on the skin. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-food-with-soap/1023771/5 "2025-10-08T09:24:31Z")
I just eat. We don’t have that weird wax put on fruit that was (and maybe still is) used to make fruit shiny here. If I got a waxy apple, for example, I might wash it,. Occasionally I peel potatoes if I am trying to impress people with superior grade mash, but I am 52, the chances of hereditary cancer are so much higher than any environmental contaminant… (Father died at 34, of lung cancer - never smoked - mother has had cancer twice, recovered) Wait - I do peel apples when making pie, but that is a texture thing. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-food-with-soap/1023771/6 "2025-10-08T09:38:05Z")
Never. Or almost never. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-food-with-soap/1023771/7 "2025-10-08T09:52:48Z")
> [@Dereknocue67](#): > > I wash apples with a little dishwashing soap. Although they have probably been washed after picking, for me, it’s a ‘just in case’ approach to remove any residual insecticide/chemicals that may remain on the skin. I wash apples not just because of that but also because birds poop on them. As amply demonstrated by the U-pick peck I had last month. I’ll use a _little bit_ of soap on the outside, then _rinse thoroughly._ I’ll also do this with melons before slicing them so nasty stuff on the outside doesn’t wind up on the inside on the part I’ll be eating. I’ll do a vinegar soak/rinse with lettuce and greens, sometimes with a bit of agitation and then ride in the salad spinner. I have a brush to scrub vegetables that could use a little extra, like root vegetables, the bottoms of celery stalks that collect sand and dirt, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-food-with-soap/1023771/8 "2025-10-08T10:00:48Z")
I’ve only ever “washed” vegetables by rinsing them. Unless there is obvious dirt, such as might be observed on radishes or potatoes. Then, I’ll scrub them. But soap? Never. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-food-with-soap/1023771/9 "2025-10-08T11:01:31Z")
I don’t, moreover it has never even occurred to me that I might. But now I wonder why: after all, I wash my hands with soap before eating, in particular when I’m eating something with my hands, so why shouldn’t I treat the food similarly? (That said, there’s never been an issue so far, so it doesn’t seem particularly called for, either.) ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-food-with-soap/1023771/10 "2025-10-08T11:30:06Z")
My wife is more worried about germs or pesticides, so she sometimes uses dish soap when washing fruit. I’ll give fruit a perfunctory rinse if I’m eating the peel, but I’m sure it’s not actually doing anything. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-food-with-soap/1023771/11 "2025-10-08T11:44:09Z")
In my 45 years of being in the produce industry, I’ve never heard of anyone using soap to clean their produce. In the food service industry we use a bit of bleach to sanitize produce and you can buy products meant for cleaning produce (ie Fit Organic), but dish soap, never. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-food-with-soap/1023771/12 "2025-10-08T11:57:32Z")
I use a plant-based fragrance free [soap like this](https://www.amazon.com/Seventh-Generation-Dish-Liquid-Clear/dp/B08MVQJFPY/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1B6C99Q0P00L5&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Gi_VbVmWoQkWYigyjA-lpsiKWDKvXqm9Xralvf6JJChkljbSYru5wtj-G0s21dCJDiz8UGOagVbZBRW-3H4ms3Oh5oenSQuFSnbEuV_UYzIp8pi0f5hPIWJm5XuBw3kE375DpjXvp9bkIEHaLj6zvKMRL5tadXrQpafKolmNIk3ZiRQ8H8b5T-4DdqzxbBDARms7Ym6kkoc8CvUhojHiPE42tdfR7xeqwY2KOHNOvalvrwrwx-2SLDQ5mSPO55dHQyA8E5wLDvooiTBcSy6IYtBIPjXhe9_p7TyUaBR0wS0.yAHOzkcZCpxi-ddzwNS0TWPhKecsCx80RRsPhsEP6qE&dib_tag=se&keywords=plant-based%252Bdish%252Bsoap&qid=1759925009&sprefix=plant-based%252Bdish%252Bsoap%252Caps%252C101&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1)[for](https://www.walmart.com/ip/2-pack-Seventh-Generation-Dish-Soap-Liquid-Free-Clear-19-oz/15642466761?fulfillmentIntent=In-store&filters=%5B%7B%22intent%22%253A%22fulfillmentIntent%22%252C%22values%22%253A%5B%22In-store%22%5D%7D%5D&classType=VARIANT&from=/search) fruits and some veg. Diluted half and half with water and sprayed on. [Similar to this](https://www.amazon.com/Fit-Organic-Produce-Wash-Soaker/dp/B008QN0I3C/ref=sr_1_6?crid=D5OBN44BWFTP&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HAucCzmtrHYFuW1EIt3bBDPaVhWaOuUFBTRiLHaJykbrhJFlpxy7jGuDo_imqvyJ4vq6b-rc2jz9sWobRjrWheSUYfcid84wMO13vFVAKitR-iTQt5efFKxe0vEXQMXWAcI0YiRAsfrIdDDWoyrW7fTv8WfF21FvwsgQpz5TDSSwYlHC965UmUFJZ6OUTTwwe6pcyr9SGbZUONuHY3LrPvNd7d5q-hiEsW2-qVnI-4tuTwJlUBtL6sJR3HlLQHTaquzeeoMaxgNwwI0VI0vg2WspyLWpILtRvJWgm9hoP8c.O1rECqgZNv7C1kvHHyAzuvw0ntBSzXs-Buf497UtpVk&dib_tag=se&keywords=fit%252Bvegetable%252Bwash&qid=1759925084&sprefix=fit%252Bvegetable%252Bwash%252Caps%252C100&sr=8-6&th=1) but way cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-food-with-soap/1023771/13 "2025-10-08T12:47:52Z")
The thought of trying to get all the soap (of whatever nature) off a head of lettuce is what keeps me from even thinking of putting soap on food. I’ll totally grant @Broomstick’s good point about produce you grow or pick yourself. But for us grocery store shoppers, the upstream cleaning done by the processors gets (enough of) the nasties off that my efforts would be waste. Or indulging of free-floating ick-ophobia. Also ref @Broomstick’s good point(s), IMO scrubbing dirt off root crops with running water and a stiff brush is a different matter. But even then, if I’m to peel a potato or a carrot I’ll leave whatever minor dirt is on the peels to be discarded. Tha same carrot or potato to be cooked with the surface included will get all visible dirt scrubbed off. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-food-with-soap/1023771/14 "2025-10-08T13:39:15Z")
Most of the time it gets rinsed, or maybe scrubbed a little if it’s a root vegetable. Only if it appears to be particularly gross does it get soap and water, and even then that’s only solid fruits and vegetables like cucumbers or apples, not lettuce or anything leafy like that. Although I have heard tales of people washing greens (collard, mustard, etc…) in the washing machine on cold with no soap, so there are definitely stranger ways to clean your veggies. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-food-with-soap/1023771/15 "2025-10-08T13:39:32Z")
I do for melons, as mentioned to reduce the risk of foreign contaminates making way to the part eaten. But all other veg and fruit just gets just a rinse, unless peeled. I am not sure rinsing does any actual good, except for mushrooms which can have bits of mulch, but it makes said food item “feel” cleaner. The reality - if pesticides and other icky things were causing problems, there would be WAY more people getting sick all the time, right? ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-food-with-soap/1023771/16 "2025-10-08T13:43:04Z")
Yes, a drop of dish soap and a good rinsing. Not only because of pesticide, but the thought of other people having touched the item. I’m not a germophobe (yet), but I think about these things. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-food-with-soap/1023771/17 "2025-10-08T13:48:57Z")
Never. I have never even thought of the idea of doing that. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-food-with-soap/1023771/18 "2025-10-08T14:38:03Z")
I grow fresh market produce, for sale and for myself. I often eat my own, and sometimes other people’s, without washing it at all; but, as I tell customers if the issue comes up, my immune system’s used to it. When I do wash produce, it’s with plain water; unless there’s visible bird shit, in which case I use a bit of Dawn dish soap (and eat the thing myself, not for sale.) I peel a few things for texture issues. Some pesticides are systemic — they’re all through the plant. You can’t wash those off. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-food-with-soap/1023771/19 "2025-10-08T15:04:57Z")
Never. Sounds weird and disgusting to me. Rinsing with water is enough. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2025, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-food-with-soap/1023771/20 "2025-10-08T15:25:53Z")
No soap, radio! [Radio Frequency Plasma Cleaning](https://vactechniche.com/rf-plasma-treatment/?srsltid=AfmBOoq3oBKC3gJ_sQ1t1dbrMlQhh5jCauHExAlyNy2BnBt6iBPa8yBi) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-wash-food-with-soap/1023771.md?page=2)