Why Do They Wax Cucumbers? We Tried 6 Ways to Wash It Off—Here’s What Works

If the cucumbers at your local grocery store seem impossibly shiny and too-good-to-be-true picturesque, they're likely coated with wax. While social media is filled with tricks for "how to remove wax from cucumbers," most are futile or misguided gimmicks.

In fact, we tried the best-known ways to remove the wax from cucumbers—and our advice is to skip the hoop-jumping, because unwaxed cucumbers beat waxed ones every time. Whether eaten out of hand, tossed in a salad, or quick-pickled, your crunchy cucumbers should have a juicy, palate-cleansing crispness that tastes like summer itself—not a waxy finish. Ahead, we delve into why cucumbers are waxed in the first place and—even though we will be buying ours wax-free when we can—share the pros and cons of each of the wax-washing methods we tested.

Why Cucumbers Are Waxed

Cucumbers have a naturally waxy skin to prevent moisture loss and oxidation. This natural wax washes away after harvest, when the cucumbers are cleaned of any dirt, leaves, or bugs. To mitigate oxidation, which leads to shriveled, soft cucumbers, and to protect against bruising in transit, producers often coat cucumbers in a food-grade wax approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

This coating is typically made from palm-derived carnauba wax or petroleum-based paraffin wax. Meant to mimic the vegetable's original waxy skin, this applied coating preserves freshness and adds a shiny finish, but it often results in a tough skin that most don't enjoy. While the wax itself is safe to eat after thorough washing, it can trap contaminants, pesticides, and harmful bacteria, such as Salmonella, beneath the barrier. For these reasons, many choose to remove the wax before enjoying their cucumbers.

Which Cucumbers Are Waxed?

Garden cucumbers, also known as American slicing cucumbers, are the primary variety typically coated in wax. They are the most common type of cucumber in grocery stores and the cheapest of the bunch, but many other options offer the same crisp bite, without the tough varnish.

The Best Way to Avoid Wax on Cucumbers

The most effective way to avoid wax on cucumbers is simply to buy cucumbers that are not waxed.

Any cucumber that's shrink-wrapped or sold in a container is typically wax-free. This includes widely available English cucumbers, also known as seedless, hothouse, burpless, and greenhouse cucumbers. These are typically wrapped in polyethylene film instead of wax. Persian cucumbers, mini cucumbers, and pickling cucumbers, such as Kirby cucumbers, are all prized for their tender skin and sweet, mild flavor. They are often sold wax-free in plastic or compostable packaging. These varieties hold up beautifully in sautéed, grilled, and roasted cucumber recipes. 

During peak cucumber season from May to August, farmers markets are stocked with cucumbers au naturel. If you're unsure, just ask the vendor if their cucumbers are waxed. The FDA requires producers to disclose wax use on labels, and retailers must display signage if cucumbers have been waxed. 

To Peel or Not Peel

If you're set on using a slicing cucumber, peeling and discarding the waxy skin is the most reliable way to remove the cumbersome coating problem. It's also quick and easy, but there are drawbacks: You lose more than just the waxy nuisance when discarding the peel. Registered dietitian and vegetable enthusiast, Becca Schlosberg, MS, RDN, LDN, notes that she prefers to keep the peel on because it contains valuable health nutrients, including fiber, magnesium, and Vitamins A, C, and K, which brings us back to buying varieties without wax.

Testing 6 Ways to Remove Wax From Cucumbers

If you're still keen to remove the wax from a cucumber skin, you'll likely have noticed that the internet has no shortage of methods and hacks to get the job done. We tested the most popular methods to determine which, if any, are effective. We found some marginally effective but fussy, while others came with health concerns and quality concessions, and a few were downright futile.  Our conclusion: wax on is hard to wash off.

Wash With Dawn Dish Soap and Water 

It's tough on grease, grime, and cucumber wax. A simple suds-up with Dawn under running water was the most effective at stripping the wax, thanks to its surfactants, which attract the nonpolar compounds in wax and lift them away. However, the FDA advises against using dish soap on produce, for the same reason it disapproves of marketed fruit and vegetable washes. Cucumbers are porous and can absorb detergent residues, which can cause illness even in small amounts.

Rub With a Vinegar-Soaked Towel

Diligently rubbing the cucumber skin with a vinegar-soaked towel proved fairly effective. The vinegar’s acidity softens the wax, while the towel’s abrasive texture lifts it away. After a thorough rinse to clean any vinegary residue, the cucumber skin was less shiny than its wax-laden counterparts. The downside? Sore hands, a stained dish towel, and the sharp scent of vinegar lingering in your kitchen—and under your nails. Considering there are effortless, better solutions out there, all that elbow grease hardly feels worth it.

Soak in Vinegar, Baking Soda, and Water

Soaking a cucumber in a quart of water with ½ tablespoon each of baking soda and vinegar for ten minutes, followed by a scrub with a vegetable brush under running water, was somewhat effective in reducing the tacky coating. The vinegar softened the wax, the baking soda added gentle abrasion, and the brush lifted some coating. Baking soda’s alkalinity is often praised for breaking down pesticide residues, but combining it with vinegar neutralizes that benefit. In the end, this method is overly fussy for minimal payoff.

Soak in Vinegar and Water 

Viral videos swear the secret to banishing stubborn wax is soaking cucumbers in warm water and vinegar, then scrubbing with a vegetable brush. While the vinegar's acidity softens the wax and the brush scrapes some away, the results are far from impressive. It’s a finicky process that delivers underwhelming results—hardly the miracle hack it’s hyped up to be.

Drop in Boiling Water

Some videos claim a quick 10-second dip in boiling water melts the wax right off. In reality, it takes 30 seconds to make a noticeable difference—and by then, your cucumber is warm, slightly mushy, and you’ve probably lost all motivation to make that simple salad you were craving for lunch.

Soak in Salt Water

The least effective method of the bunch: soaking cucumbers in warm salt water for 10 minutes. While salt can help remove surface bacteria and pesticide residue, it does little to break down the wax seal trapping them in.