# are you washing your produce with soap? alcohol?



## Fiona (Apr 15, 2020)

It's all in the subject heading: are we supposed to be desanitizing all our produce?


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## RadishRose (Apr 15, 2020)

I don't think we have to sanitize our produce beyond the usual washing in water. I never heard of washing produce with soap, least of all alcohol. 

What gave you this idea, Fiona? Am I missing out on something?

BTW, I love your avatar.


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## Aunt Bea (Apr 15, 2020)

I'm not doing anything differently.

I rinse some things in plain old water and peel some things but that's about it.


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## SeaBreeze (Apr 15, 2020)

I would never wash my produce with soap or alcohol.  They do have some cleaners for produce, I think they may have lemon or vinegar in the cleaner.  Never used them, still just rinse under filtered water, don't have much produce now except tomatoes and potatoes.


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## Fiona (Apr 15, 2020)

Thanks, RadishRose! I like your avatar, too. =smile= What gave me the idea was watching a doctor demonstrate the elaborate lengths to which he goes to decontaminate his groceries. Maybe he was over the top.

I just got a bunch of fancy brush-tip pens from an online art supply company, and I ordered specific colors, so I know the package was assembled by a human being. So now I'm wondering if I need to decontaminate all these pens.

This is getting crazy....


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## win231 (Apr 15, 2020)

I've always washed some produce with soap & water; depends on the produce.
I eat lots of Persian Cucumbers which have an edible peel.  I've always scrubbed them with soap & water - mainly because I don't like the waxy preservatives they're coated with.  Same with apples.
Before peeling oranges & lemons, I'll scrub them with soap & water - just dish soap.


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## win231 (Apr 15, 2020)

Fiona said:


> Thanks, RadishRose! I like your avatar, too. =smile= What gave me the idea was watching a doctor demonstrate the elaborate lengths to which he goes to decontaminate his groceries. Maybe he was over the top.
> 
> I just got a bunch of fancy brush-tip pens from an online art supply company, and I ordered specific colors, so I know the package was assembled by a human being. So now I'm wondering if I need to decontaminate all these pens.
> 
> This is getting crazy....


BTW, isn't your avatar Madeliene Kahn in "Young Frankenstein?"


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## Em in Ohio (Apr 15, 2020)

Fiona asked:  are you washing your produce with soap? alcohol?

Yes to dish soap and alcohol now.  Nothing better to do during the shut-down!


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## RadishRose (Apr 15, 2020)

Empty said:


> Fiona asked:  are you washing your produce with soap? alcohol?
> 
> Yes to dish soap and alcohol now.  Nothing better to do during the shut-down!


Better off to drink the alcohol, for something to do.


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## RadishRose (Apr 15, 2020)

Fiona said:


> Thanks, RadishRose! I like your avatar, too. =smile= What gave me the idea was watching a doctor demonstrate the elaborate lengths to which he goes to decontaminate his groceries. Maybe he was over the top.
> 
> I just got a bunch of fancy brush-tip pens from an online art supply company, and I ordered specific colors, so I know the package was assembled by a human being. So now I'm wondering if I need to decontaminate all these pens.
> 
> This is getting crazy....


Thanks Fiona, here's a chart from WebMD

*Metal*
Examples: doorknobs, jewelry, silverware
5 days

*Wood*
Examples: furniture, decking
4 days

*Plastics*
Examples: packaging like milk containers and detergent bottles, subway and bus seats, backpacks, elevator buttons
2 to 3 days

*Stainless steel*
Examples: refrigerators, pots and pans, sinks, some water bottles
2 to 3 days

*Cardboard*
Examples: shipping boxes
24 hours

*Copper*
Examples: pennies, teakettles, cookware
4 hours

*Aluminum*
Examples: soda cans, tinfoil, water bottles
2 to 8 hours

*Glass*
Examples: drinking glasses, measuring cups, mirrors, windows
Up to 5 days

*Ceramics*
Examples: dishes, pottery, mugs
5 days

*Paper*
The length of time varies. Some strains of coronavirus live for only a few minutes on paper, while others live for up to 5 days.

*Food * 
Coronavirus doesn't seem to spread through exposure to food. Still, it's a good idea to wash fruits and vegetables under running water before you eat them. Scrub them with a brush or your hands to remove any germs that might be on their surface. Wash your hands after you visit the supermarket. If you have a weakened immune system, you might want to buy frozen or canned produce.

*Water* 
Coronavirus hasn't been found in drinking water. If it does get into the water supply, your local water treatment plant filters and disinfects the water, which should kill any germs.

https://www.webmd.com/lung/how-long-covid-19-lives-on-surfaces
So I'm thinking you may not have to wash your pens.


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## C'est Moi (Apr 15, 2020)

Aunt Bea said:


> I'm not doing anything differently.
> 
> I rinse some things in plain old water and peel some things but that's about it.


Same.


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## chic (Apr 15, 2020)

I'm just using regular water to rinse my produce and I do eat a ton of it. Some people don't even rinse produce (it destroys the vitamin content), they use a produce brush instead. But I do rinse mine, without soap or alcohol. That's taking this thing way to far and alcohol would ruin the taste of your food.


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## Red Cinders (Apr 15, 2020)

Before eating it, I soak most produce for 15 minutes in water with a little baking soda.  A study came out a couple of years ago saying that baking soda did a stellar job at eliminating pesticides on apples.  I soak most fruits and veggies then rinse.  It doesn't leave any type of film or mess with the taste.  Plus, it's really cheap.  

One exception, I don't use baking soda for berries but instead spray them with vinegar and rinse under running water.  The baking soda soak makes berries a little too soggy.


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## win231 (Apr 15, 2020)

I'm glad I now know about the virus living on metal for 5 days.
I will wash my hands after touching a gun.
I don't want to be infected with Coronaglock or Coronauzi.


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## AnnieA (Apr 15, 2020)

I always wash produce to be eaten raw in a vinegar/water solution.   If I'm cooking it, I  just rinse with water.


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## Gaer (Apr 15, 2020)

They asked that question on the TV news and the answer was that fresh produce can't carry or hold the virus.  Just quoting, don't know the truth of it.


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## Em in Ohio (Apr 16, 2020)

Gaer said:


> They asked that question on the TV news and the answer was that fresh produce can't carry or hold the virus.  Just quoting, don't know the truth of it.



https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safet...-safety-and-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19

I wouldn't know why it couldn't stay viable on fresh produce, when it stays alive for quite a long time on most everything else.  "It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the *main* way the virus spreads. However, it’s always critical to follow the 4 key steps of food safety—clean, separate, cook, and chill – to prevent foodborne illness."

The virus doesn't suddenly die or become inert on produce.  If someone with the virus has it on their hands and touched the apple that you pick up and bite into, that meets the criteria for spread.  They just don't have any studies yet to 'prove' that this is a method of transmission.


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## Tommy (Apr 16, 2020)

The produce industry commonly uses a bleach solution to disinfect certain fruits and vegetables.  Since the beginning of March, my wife and I have been doing this with all apples, pears, cucumbers, and other loose produce that is commonly handled by customers in the stores while making their selections.  The link below will take you to a publication from Louisiana State University that describes this process.

https://www.lsu.edu/agriculture/pla.../8_Pub.3448-WashWaterChlorineDisinfection.pdf

If you want to do this, here are some notes:
1.  As always, use all appropriate care when using bleach.  NEVER mix bleach with ammonia, alcohol, or acidic solutions such as vinegar.
2.  Use only plain bleach.  Avoid scented, thickened ("splashless") or other specialty bleaches.
3.  We use a 200 part per million (ppm) bleach solution made by adding 2 teaspoons of bleach to one gallon of warm water in a large mixing bowl. 
4.  The bleach we have is marked 8.25% sodium hypochlorite (that's the the source of the chlorine in household bleach).  Know the sodium hypochlorite concentration of the bleach you're using and do the math to adjust quantities as necessary.
5.  We place our fruit into the 200 ppm solution and let it soak for at least one minute (turning occasionally), then rinse it well with tap water and place it on a clean towel to air dry.
6.  As a bonus, you can use the left over bleach solution to disinfect countertops and other food-contact surfaces.  Just wipe it on and let it air dry.  Do not use it on metal surfaces or any other material that could be damaged by exposure to bleach.


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## Em in Ohio (Apr 16, 2020)

Tommy said:


> The produce industry commonly uses a bleach solution to disinfect certain fruits and vegetables.  Since the beginning of March, my wife and I have been doing this with all apples, pears, cucumbers, and other loose produce that is commonly handled by customers in the stores while making their selections.  The link below will take you to a publication from Louisiana State University that describes this process.
> 
> https://www.lsu.edu/agriculture/pla.../8_Pub.3448-WashWaterChlorineDisinfection.pdf
> 
> ...


Many thanks for such important information! The PDF link is really helpful and worth saving.  I will STOP using the soap and alcohol method and use this bleach method from now on.  Plus, the PDF has a 'cheat sheet' for those of us who are mathematically challenged!


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## Fiona (Apr 16, 2020)

win231 said:


> BTW, isn't your avatar Madeliene Kahn in "Young Frankenstein?"



Nope! Madeleine Khn gave a great performance as the Bride, but my avatar is Elsa Lanchester in "The Bride of Frankenstein" (1932). Except for the white wave, that's all her natural hair, which was curly and auburn.


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## StarSong (Apr 16, 2020)

Aunt Bea said:


> I'm not doing anything differently.
> 
> I rinse some things in plain old water and peel some things but that's about it.


Same for me.  As for the chlorine idea, while I appreciate the link, I have no interest in eating produce that tastes like it was just dunked in the swimming pool.


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## fmdog44 (Apr 16, 2020)

win231 said:


> BTW, isn't your avatar Madeliene Kahn in "Young Frankenstein?"


I think it is Elsa Lancaster from the original Bride Of Frankenstein back in 1935


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## PopsnTuff (Apr 16, 2020)

Tommy said:


> The produce industry commonly uses a bleach solution to disinfect certain fruits and vegetables.  Since the beginning of March, my wife and I have been doing this with all apples, pears, cucumbers, and other loose produce that is commonly handled by customers in the stores while making their selections.  The link below will take you to a publication from Louisiana State University that describes this process.
> 
> https://www.lsu.edu/agriculture/pla.../8_Pub.3448-WashWaterChlorineDisinfection.pdf
> 
> ...


And to add an important note here: Expiration date on bleach bottle is critical....it loses its potency to disinfect if used after that.....


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## Capt Lightning (Apr 17, 2020)

I'm surprised that I'm still alive


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