Introduction: When it comes to washing fruits, a quick search on Baidu will reveal a myriad of methods. So, which method is relatively more reliable and reassuring? We selected six common methods and conducted a simple experiment.
Since strawberries are now out of season, the reporter chose fragrant pears and blackcurrants as the fruits for this cleaning experiment. As we all know, fragrant pears have a layer of wax on their surface. When you hold one, it feels greasy, and if you touch it too much, a waxy residue is left on your hands, requiring soap to clean it off. Blackcurrants, on the other hand, are primarily covered in a white bloom, with a small amount of wax, and do not feel smooth to the touch.
A Great Showdown: Testing Five Fruit Cleaning Methods
First Method: Soaking in Plain Water
Time: 1 hour
Amount: 1 bowl
Place fragrant pears and blackcurrants directly into a bowl of plain water (tap water). After soaking for an hour, rinse them with fresh water.
Result: The water quality showed little change, with only a small amount of impurities visible. The wax on the surface of the fragrant pear was slightly removed, feeling less greasy than before. The blackcurrant's surface showed little change, with some bloom still remaining.
Second Method: Cleaning with Starch
Time: Half an hour
Amount: 2 spoonfuls
Put two spoonfuls of starch into a bowl of water, stir well, and add the fragrant pears and blackcurrants. Soak for about half an hour, then rinse with fresh water.
Result: The water quality didn't change much (as the starch itself made the water cloudy), with a small amount of impurities on the surface. The wax on the fragrant pear was mostly washed away, revealing the pear's natural shine, and it felt very clean to the touch. The white substance on the blackcurrant's surface still remained.
Third Method: Scrubbing with Salt
Time: About 5 minutes
Amount: 4-5 spoonfuls
Directly sprinkle salt on the surface of the fragrant pear, then rub it repeatedly with your hands, followed by a rinse with water.
Result: This method works by using the salt granules to repeatedly scrub the fruit's surface to remove wax. The effect was quite good; the wax layer on the pear was mostly gone, and it didn't feel greasy. However, washing just one pear used about four to five spoonfuls of salt, which feels a bit "too wasteful."
Fourth Method: Soaking in Rice Washing Water
Time: Half an hour
Amount: 2 bowls
Pour two bowls of rice washing water (after soaking rice for about 10 minutes) into a container, add the fragrant pears and blackcurrants, soak for about 30 minutes, then rinse with fresh water.
Result: The rice washing water, which had been hoped to be effective, was basically useless against the wax. Although impurities did appear on the water's surface, the wax on both the fragrant pear and blackcurrant still remained, feeling as if they hadn't been washed at all.
Fifth Method: Dishwashing Detergent
Time: 20 minutes
Amount: 3 drops
The test used a brand of green tea dishwashing detergent, claimed to be natural and pollution-free, and safe for washing fruits and vegetables. Following the instructions, 3 drops of detergent were added to the water along with the fruits. They soaked for about 20 minutes and were then rinsed twice with fresh water.
Result: The water quality showed little change, and no impurities floated to the surface. After rinsing, it felt as though both the wax and the white bloom were mostly cleaned off, leaving no greasy feeling.
Starch is the most practical option
After the experiment, questions arose. Based on the test results, it was clear that for removing wax from fruit surfaces, using starch or shell powder was the cleanest and most satisfactory method. The principle behind both is similar: they don't dissolve the wax (which is highly stable and not easily removed by ordinary substances) but rather use adsorption. This is very suitable for washing fruits with thin peels.
Since the cleaning effect is the same, the key factor becomes cost-effectiveness. A 90g can of shell powder costs about 70 yuan online, and the required amount per use is 2-3 grams. In contrast, starch is much more affordable and can be bought right in your neighborhood.
Long-term soaking in plain water is also effective
In this experiment, the method that seemed least reliable—soaking in plain water—actually surprised the reporter. This shows that if you don't trust any additives, simply soaking in plain water can be effective. The prerequisite, however, is a long soaking time. For instance, in this test, the soaking time exceeded an hour. Of course, soaking some fruits for a long time might affect their texture.
The reliability of salt remains to be verified
Scrubbing the fruit's surface with salt works on the same principle as starch and shell powder—using small particles to scrub away impurities. However, there's another theory: salt (sodium chloride) can actually stabilize certain pesticide components, potentially backfiring. Regarding this claim, the evaluation center consulted Professor Chen Ligeng from the College of Agriculture and Biotechnology at Zhejiang University. He stated there is no specific research on this. If you are still concerned, he suggests peeling the fruit before eating.
After soaking with dishwashing detergent
[Expert Advice]
Bloom and wax are within the edible range
Simply rinse fruits with plain water
Professor Chen Ligeng said that for some fruits, like blueberries, plums, and grapes, a white bloom may appear on the skin, which is nothing to worry about. Bloom is a secretion of the fruit and is related to its freshness; "the presence of bloom indicates the fruit is very fresh." For example, blueberries can be eaten right after picking. Grapes may be treated with pesticides during their young stage for disease prevention, but after being bagged, they are generally not sprayed. Therefore, even if there are any residues, they have mostly lost their potency. For this type of fruit, Professor Chen's recommendation is to rinse them directly with plain water.
As for the wax on fruits like fragrant pears and apples, it is normally edible wax derived from animal or plant secretions and is harmless to humans.
When washing this type of fruit with shell powder or rice washing water, you may see floating substances on the water's surface. A person from the Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Agriculture stated that these substances, besides the fruit's bloom, could also be dust accumulated from exposure to the air, or condensates of early-stage pesticides on the fruit. The latter, too, have lost their potency by the time the fruit ripens.
For fruits that cannot be peeled, like strawberries and bayberries, Professor Chen believes the best way to wash them is to rinse with plain water first, then soak in cold boiled water for about half an hour.