# Wash the veggies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 23, 2001, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-the-veggies/55615 "2001-02-23T16:01:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ivorybill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ee59a6/32.png) [@Ivorybill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivorybill)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2001, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-the-veggies/55615/1 "2001-02-23T16:01:44Z")
Cecil admonishes us to wash our veggies (not vegetarians, BTW, 'though some may need it) [here](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/010223.html). Wash how? With what? Does it really do any good? Without some type of soap or neutralizing agent, won’t the worm eggs/larvae survive and the pesticides remain? (Apologies if this has been addressed before; an “all date” search of the boards turned up no threads directly related to this; a search of the SD archive was similarly negative.) ---
**Author:** ![Akatsukami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea666f/32.png) [@Akatsukami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akatsukami)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2001, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-the-veggies/55615/2 "2001-02-23T18:04:34Z")
Wash 'em in water plus whatever your little heart desires (and your little wallet can afford). As the Shadow of God on Earth, the Master of the Masters of the Universe, pious, beneficent, and ancient, the One Who Knows All, to whom Heaven has given scintillating wit beyond that possessed by mere mortals[sup]1[/sup], the Perfect Master Cecil pointed out in [Do laundry balls really work?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_007b.html), there is a certain amount of “mechanical action” (_i.e._, rubbing) inherent in stuff being washed. The worm eggs (and other nasties) are often (although not entirely) loosely embedded in gunk on the surfaces of vegetables, not clinging leech-like[sup]2[/sup] to the rinds themselves. As for the _evulll_ pesticide residues, it’s worth pointing out that: [list=1] [li]_Unwashed_ vegetables seldom have harmful amounts of pesticide residues on them[/li][li]Organic vegetables do not have a lower level of residues, and sometimes not even _different_ residues (and those that _are_ – oy! Lead arsenate is a “natural” pesticide, and by virtue of being “natural” it must be harmless to humans and non-persistent, right? :rolleyes: )[/li][li]Hi, Opal![/li][li]You can use proprietary washing products that are on the market, if you like (and, as I said, if you can afford them). But, they don’t appear to be more effective in studies than good old dihydrogen monoxide.[/li][/list=1] [sup]1[/sup][sub]Is my nose brown enough yet?[/sub] [sup]2[/sup][sub]Leeches, however, are _not_ a problem that you’re likely to have with vegetables.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Ivorybill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ee59a6/32.png) [@Ivorybill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivorybill)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2001, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-the-veggies/55615/3 "2001-02-23T18:36:24Z")
1. Not only is your nose brown, it’s in danger of being listed [here](http://www.well.com/user/cynsa/newbutt.html). 2. You’re right about the largely psychological interaction between the tiny amounts of farmer-applied pesticide residue on veggies (again, NOT vegetarians!) and human illness as well as between “natural” vs. “artificial” biocides. I just figured really fastidious folks would worry about worms AND biocide residue. 3. Hi, Opal! ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2001, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-the-veggies/55615/4 "2001-02-23T19:13:03Z")
Which, I suppose, leads us to [Fit](http://www.tryfit.com/), the fruit and vegetable wash that we’ve all likely seen on TV lately. I haven’t tried it myself, but they claim it cleans much more thoroughly than water and mechanical action. What the heck, maybe I’ll pick some up next time I’m at the store and give it a try. ---
**Author:** ![kiffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/d78d45/32.png) [@kiffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiffa)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2001, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-the-veggies/55615/5 "2001-02-23T19:16:49Z")
zucchini… well, ok if you’re in to that dildo… I can think of better places to put it. an axe handle… oh, dear… ouch! ---
**Author:** ![Ivorybill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ee59a6/32.png) [@Ivorybill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivorybill)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2001, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-the-veggies/55615/6 "2001-02-25T03:36:06Z")
**Bump** ---
**Author:** ![Akatsukami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea666f/32.png) [@Akatsukami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akatsukami)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-the-veggies/55615/7 "2001-03-01T19:01:57Z")
The [Christian Science Monitor](http://www.checkbiotech.org/blocks/dsp_newsdetail.cfm?doc_id=csmonitor_2001_02_28_eng-csmonitor_eng-csmonitor_004427_51_74923208775) on veggie washing. Among the conclusions: Fit’s good stuff, as good or better than industrial chlorine at killing bacteria. By the time it’s done _some_ of its job, however, you may have ruined the produce.