My goodness no! These gadgets do not work better than recommended and proven methods for hand-washing of produce. Save your money.
Produce Cleaning Gadgets are Worthless
You’ll see online mentions of gizmos that purport to clean pesticides off your produce, and maybe even neutralize the pesticide. Some say they use electricity, others use ultrasound. Well, no one wants to eat pesticides or dirt, but do these things work? That’s an easy one: No! They work no better than the recommended hand washing in fresh water (perhaps with a splash of white vinegar added). This has been verified by testing and is also the way to clean produce as recommended by the Food and Drug Administration, the Agriculture Department, and so on.
Recommendations for Washing Produce
Use plain tap water. Do not use dish soap, detergent, bleach, disinfectants, or commercial produce washes. Adding a touch of white vinegar or baking soda does not improve cleaning but it does no harm either.
- Apples, tomatoes, peppers, grapes: Rinse under running water and rub by hand.
- Potatoes, carrots, melons, cucumbers, citrus: Rinse and scrub with a clean vegetable brush; wash melons even though you discard the rind.
- Leafy greens, herbs: Discard damaged or outer leaves; separate leaves, swish in a clean bowl of cool water, lift them out, then rinse and spin or towel-dry.
- Berries and delicate fruit: Put in a colander and rinse gently right before use; avoid extended soaking, which can damage them.
- Mushrooms: Brush off visible soil or rinse briefly, then dry promptly; avoid prolonged soaking.
