Cleaning Fruit With Vinegar (Why You NEED To & How To Do It)

• Why should you use vinegar to clean fruit?
• How to make the vinegar solution
• How to clean your fruit with vinegar
• Tips for cleaning fruit with vinegar

Fancy grabbing a sweet treat from the fruit bowl? While these are healthy snacks, you might want to pause before you bite into them. If you fail to clean your fruit and vegetables before eating them, you could be putting yourself at risk. The following guide will examine why you should clean your fruit with vinegar and how to get it right.

Why should you use vinegar to clean fruit?

Before we go any further, let's talk about why you should clean your fruit with vinegar. You may wonder what the point is if you have never heard of this sanitising hack. While it can sound like overkill, there are plenty of reasons to take this extra step before eating your fruit. Here are some of the things you should know first:

• Keep your fruit safe from bacteria. One of the main reasons you should clean fruit with vinegar is to lower the amount of bacteria on it. In 2021, reports revealed a possible ​​listeria and E-coli risk in the fruit found in UK supermarkets. Before you bite into that juicy apple, it's a smart move to make sure that you have cleaned it.
• Remove unwanted pesticides. According to the Pesticide Action Network UK, you can find a range of pesticide residues on supermarket fruits and vegetables. While the government monitors the levels, cleaning your produce well before consuming it is important. The commonly used pesticides include Neonicotinoids, Imazalil, and 2,4-D.
• Using vinegar is safe. Vinegar is one of the most natural cleaning products out there. When looking for a way to clean your fruit, the last thing you want to do is add more chemicals. That is a real mistake. Therefore, using a naturally occurring product, such as vinegar, is the answer. Since it is acidic, it can help kill some of the bacteria we have mentioned and lower the risk of pesticides.
• Protect yourself from viruses. If the pandemic taught us anything, sanitising things is essential. When fruit and vegetables are displayed in the supermarket, anyone can touch them. That can be a real issue, especially if people carry specific germs. You might find that you can pick up illnesses that other customers don't even know they have, for example. So, cleaning fruit with vinegar is a wise move.
• It's cheap and easy! At this point, you might think cleaning fruit with vinegar is a real pain. However, that is not the case. The truth is that once you learn how to clean fruit with vinegar, you can repeat it whenever you want. It is a straightforward, cheap process that takes you no time to get right.

How to make the vinegar solution

Before cleaning your fruit with vinegar, you need to make the solution. It's a common misconception that you slap a load of vinegar onto the produce, and that will do the trick. No, you need to create a DIY cleaning solution instead. Here's how to do it:

1. Combine white wine vinegar with water. You should have three times as much water as vinegar. (Apple cider vinegar also works here if you can find it!)
2. Freshen it up with some lemon. As you might imagine, vinegar can have a nasty old smell. To help lower this, you should add a few drops of fresh lemon juice to the mixture. Keep in mind that lemon is also acidic and often used as a natural cleaning product. For that reason, combining these two things is the ultimate combination.
3. Put it in a spray bottle. You don't want to be dipping your hands into the vinegar solution. With that in mind, one of the best things you can do here is to put the solution into a spray bottle. You should be able to pick one up from a supermarket or online. Get one that is the right size for your solution. It always pays to make bulk cleaning products.

How to clean your fruit with vinegar

Now that you've done the hard part and made the cleaning solution, it's time to get to work. Cleaning fruit with vinegar water is strikingly easy. However, you have come to the right place if you are new to this process. The following guidelines work with most fruits and vegetables. When you are ready to get started, follow the simple steps below:

Step 1: Rinse your fruit

Before you do anything else, you need to rinse your fruit. This will get the majority of germs and grime off them. Fill up your sink and pop each fruit into the water in turn. If that doesn't work, you can rinse them under a running tap. Next, set them on some kitchen roll before moving to step two.

Step 2: Spray your fruit

Now that you have rinsed your fruit, the next step is easy. One of the best ways to clean your fruit with vinegar is to spray them. Hold up each fruit (or vegetable!) in turn and give them a general spray. Of course, you should move the fruit around to ensure you get it from every angle. The aim is to make sure the spray covers it. Once again, you should set each fruit and vegetable down on the kitchen roll.

Step 3: Wait a while

Patience is a virtue! You will need to wait a while when you have sprayed each of your fruits and vegetables. As a general rule, when you are cleaning fruits and vegetables with vinegar, you should wait around five to 10 minutes. If you are impatient — or likely to wander off and forget what you are doing — you can always set a timer and return to the task.

Step 5: Rinse the fruit

Spoiler: You don't want to eat fruit that is covered in vinegar. Not only will that taste bad, but it won't be particularly good for you. To get around this problem, you should rinse the fruit and vegetables again. You can do this under a running tap or in the sink. Make sure that you get every part of the fruit. You don't want to bite into it one day and suddenly find it has a sour taste.

Step 6: Dry the fruit

It's time to make sure that your fruit and vegetables are dry. Now, you have two options from which to pick — you can either pat them dry with a tea towel or paper towels, or you can leave them on the side to dry. Pick whichever one suits you the best. Either way, ensure the produce is completely dry before you put it in the fridge or in the fruit bowl.

Tips for cleaning fruit with vinegar

• Make it a habit. Sure, cleaning fruit with vinegar is not the most fun. However, when you make a habit out of it, you will do it automatically. For example, you can always do it after you do the shopping. That way, it's less of a chore overall.
• Create the solution in batches. Let's face it: You won't make a new batch of cleaning solution every time. Instead, make a batch of it so it's ready to go whenever.
• Don't overdo it. While cleaning your fruit with vinegar is safe, you don't need to do it more than once. You might be tempted to do so, but it is a mistake.

Cleaning your fruit with vinegar is a safe and natural way to keep the produce safe from germs. In this guide, we have covered the basic steps you can follow if you want to do this. Follow the advice that we have shared to make sure that both your fruit and vegetables are 100% clean.

Looking for more ways to clean with vinegar? Take a look at our other article next. 

Q&A

Does cleaning fruit with vinegar work?

Yes. Since vinegar is acidic, you can use it as a natural cleaner. This method ensures that everything is clean.

How long does it take to soak berries in vinegar?

If you choose to soak your berries in vinegar, you shouldn't do so for too long. You only need to leave these fruits in the solution for five to 10 minutes. Any longer, you could find that the cleaning solution starts to impact the taste of the berries.

How do you clean strawberries with vinegar?

If you want to clean your fresh strawberries with vinegar, use the method outlined here. For the best results, spray the berries with the solution, wait, and then rinse.

How do you clean your fruit? Let us know in the comments below!