Is Baking Soda the Best Way to Wash Fruit? A Food Safety Expert Weighs In

It's important to wash produce before eating or cooking and baking with it, but is water enough? Is washing fruit with baking soda better? It's often touted as a natural way to clean produce, but does it really make your apples or grapes safer to eat? We spoke to a food safety expert to find out and learned that the answer is nuanced.

Should You Soak Fruit in Baking Soda?

There are studies showing that soaking fruit with baking soda and water can remove two specific pesticides, Johnston explains. But soaking does come with some risks. One that Johnston is quick to point out is thermal shock, which can happen if the water you soak the fruit in is warmer or colder than the fruit itself. If this happens, Johnston says, anything outside (i.e., bacteria in the water), can be pulled inside the fruit, and then you’ll eat it. For this reason, she favors a quick dip and rinse over a long soak.

The Right Way to Use Baking Soda to Wash Fruit

If you’d like to use baking soda, Johnston suggests mixing a small amount—about a teaspoon per quart or gallon of water—and using that to wash your fruit. “Baking soda can act as a mild detergent,” she says. “It can help loosen up any physical debris." But she clarifies: "It’s not going to do anything for bacteria; it’s not a sanitizing agent.”

Dip the fruit in the baking soda solution, shake or rub it gently for a few seconds, then rinse thoroughly under cool running water. Avoid letting fruit soak for too long, which can cause the thermal shock Johnston warns about and may also affect texture or flavor.

How Baking Soda Compares to Rinsing with Water

Baking soda can foam slightly, creating subtle bubbles that, along with agitation, “can help loosen anything,” says Johnston. Still, rinsing under cool running water remains an effective and evidence-backed method for most fruits.

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Fruit-By-Fruit Tips

Apples and Pears

These smooth-skinned fruits are good candidates for a quick baking soda dip and rinse. The studies that have looked at baking soda’s effect on pesticide removal were done on apples.

Grapes

Because grapes grow in clusters, it’s best to place them in a colander and gently move them around in the baking soda solution, then rinse well under cool running water.

Bananas

Since you don’t eat the peel, rinsing under water is sufficient to remove surface dirt before peeling.

Melons

Because bacteria on the rind can transfer to the inside when you cut them, always wash whole melons under cool running water, using a produce brush if needed. A baking soda rinse is fine, but again, avoid soaking for long.

Berries

Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries have porous skins, so soaking for more than a few minutes can cause them to absorb water and break down faster. A quick rinse under cool running water usually does the trick, though you can also incorporate baking soda.

The Bottom Line

Using baking soda to wash fruit can help loosen dirt or debris. Just keep in mind that it’s not a substitute for sanitizing. (Johnston notes that neither are commercial produce washes you'll see in stores.) When in doubt, skip the soak and stick with cool running water and gentle friction—it's simple and effective.