I don’t think that’s true. Some of the more common garden insecticides are applied in emulsion with water - but that’s not the same as the active ingredients being soluble or washable (not to mention that they often claim that rain won’t wash them off quickly)
Some pesticides are formulated to be absorbed by the plant. Washing will not remove them.
After I saw a sweet old lady drool onto a pile of green peppers at the grocer I always lightly wash produce before we eat it. I also rinse off sodapop cans and any other cans/bottles that have been sitting out in the dust of the store before I put it to my mouth.
Lenny Bruce, in his autobiography, recounted his memories of working on a Long Island produce farm and watching the other field hands pissing on the produce. He said he would never eat vegetables without rinsing them again. This was in the 1930s, but…
My brother worked in the produce department during high school and told us to always wash produce. There are still pesticides and dead bugs on the vegies and fruit among other things.
How do you know that?
Most people don’t have any clue that food might be the culprit when they spend a day or so in bed with a fever, between frequent trips to the bathroom. I’d bet that most people who claim to have never been sick from eating contaminated vegetables just don’t know what they’re talking about. They’ve just got a 24-hour flu, don’t you know?
“I ain’t dead yet, yuk, yuk, yuk…”
Are you folks talking about washing strawberries and raspberries? They’re not worth eating afterwards.
I never did until I watched a guy in a market eating cherries and spitting the pits back into the cherry bin. Even then, I was hit or miss on doing it. Our three years in Africa made it routine. If you don’t dip your veggies in a diluted bleach wash in that part of the world, you’re in for some very unpleasant times. We don’t still do it here, but we do wash them. I also rinse off chicken parts and chunks of meat, although after watching “Food, Inc.”, I may go back to dipping in bleach.
You realize that the people who have died a gruesome death from not washing thier fruits and veggies are not going to be posting thier expeirances here don’t you? 
But count me among the great unwashed. I figure if it doesn’t kill me it makes me stronger. 
Isn’t urine largely sterile?
Up until it leaves the body, yes, but that doesn’t mean things that were urinated on yesterday are safe or clean today. I think some of the components of urine are probably quite desirable to bacteria.
I wash all the produce before it goes into the refrigerator. I have to. If I don’t, it just haunts me that germy dirty lettuce or apples are in the refrigerator. I don’t care if it does or does not wash off germs and poison, if I SEE water flowing over a piece of fruit, I picture all the bad stuff just washing off and I feel better. Besides, think of all the grubby e. coli ridden hands feeling all the tomatoes on the shelf at the market, looking for a ‘good one’ - that tomato you bring home has to be washed!
I use The Force to kill bacteria on my vegetables.
I do that routinely, too. They’re not always super dusty, but sometimes they are. Cans have often been sitting around everywhere, collecting everything, then you pop that top and dump everything on the top of the can into your drink or into your mouth.
I had a landlord for a while that was going through various medical tests because of a bad stomach/bowel problem. It turned out he’d picked something up from the manure found on unwashed, organic produce. That’s when I got pickier about it.
A coworker…who had moved to the U.S. from Italy almost had a heart attack when we were walking along and I grabbed some fruit from a bush in my hand and then ate it.
WTFFAYDYI (what the ff are you doing you idiot!).
I looked at him.
Those could be poisionous he almost yells. No, I said, I’ve been eating that fruit since I was a kid.
It’s DIRTY!
I am…
I have worked in restaurants for many years. I am a certified food safety manager and hold a few other certifications. I have seen countless food handling inspectors in several states. Some of the rules are so overreaching and almost overly safe especially in remote work camps.
I have not come across any RULES about washing produce except for having a separate washing sink in some kitchens to avoid adding contaminates during the washing process.
I worked in over 20 restaurants. Certain things get washed some things no so much.
After watching my dog pee on Renee’s lettuce garden Saturday, you betcha!
Why is that?