Fruit and Veggie Wash with Essential Oils

We all know we’re supposed to wash our fruit and veggies before we eat them, but most of the time, it’s a pain to do, especially when you’re just trying to get all the bags in from the car without losing a kid. I have a routine when I come in, though, that makes it fast, easy, and it’s completely safe for the whole family. My fruit and veggie wash is all-natural and cheap as you get, unlike those store-bought versions. Plus, if you use essential oils, you already have it in your house!

Fruit and veggies at the store are covered in dirt, containments, germs, and even wax! The wax is designed to make your fruit last longer and look prettier in the store, but it’s gross and not necessarily good for you. Getting it off can be tricky– water alone definitely won’t do the job, and I don’t know anyone who wants to spend the time standing at the sink, scrubbing every pepper, berry, and apple until they’re clean, but you also don’t want to use soap (obviously– gag). The best part is, washing them using this method keeps them fresher longer on your counter or in your fridge.

So, how DO you make your own fruit and veggie wash that’s safe for even the littlest members of your family? Easy!

Fruit and Veggie Wash with Essential Oils

1. Fill your (fairly clean) sink with water.
2. While the water is running, drop 5-10 drops of a citrus essential oil (I prefer lime, but lemon, wild orange, or grapefruit are good options, too!) under the running water.
3. To supercharge the wash, add half a cup of white vinegar (yeah, the really cheap stuff!).
4. Carefully drop all of your fruit and veggies that you want to soak into the sink and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes, flipping them over and mixing them up halfway through to make sure you get all the sides clean and wax-free.
5. Drain the sink and let the fruit and veggie wash dry off either in the sink or on a towel.

Tips

• For fruit and veggies you don’t want to/can’t soak (melons, lettuce, kale, spinach, or green onions for example), just make a glass spray bottle with the same proportions of ingredients and spritz onto the fruit or veggies before wiping it down.
• Use only the highest quality essential oil for this! You want them to be safe to ingest as well as powerful enough to kill all those germs and get the dirt and wax off. If you’re looking for the best price on exactly these oils, check out my shop page where I explain how to get 25% off of doTERRA essential oils!