Food experts warn against damaging trend of using this kitchen appliance to wash your fruit and vegetables

TikTok is a hotspot for viral hacks and passing trends, some more useful than others. While some kitchen hacks can genuinely help improve efficiencies when cooking, some can lead to damage and unnecessary frustration.

A video has recently gone viral on the platform, showing a user opting to wash her fruit and vegetables in the dishwasher. This video has racked up over 2.5 million views, with viewers celebrating this method of ensuring produce is cleaned thoroughly.

(https://www.tiktok.com/@larad_official/video/7397985593000594719)

However, food experts from food box delivery company, HelloFresh, warn this trend might do more harm than good. In their recent TikTok Food Trends Report, it’s also stated that 82% of TikTok users view recipes and food content on their feeds on a weekly basis, showing the importance of sharing helpful hacks, rather than causing a hindrance in the kitchen.

Senior Recipe Development Manager, Mimi Morley from HelloFresh comments,

“Washing your fresh fruit and vegetables might be seen as a chore, and while there are a number of hacks to speed up this process whilst also ensuring the produce is thoroughly cleaned, I would advise you never use your dishwasher for this.

“Most dishwashers use hot water to clean crockery and cutlery, which can significantly damage fruits and vegetables, altering their taste and texture, and could even impact their nutritional value. Not only that, but harsh detergents used in dishwasher tablets, salts and rinse aid can be dangerous for consumption and can leave residue on the produce.

“To wash your fresh produce effectively, making sure to remove all dirt and bacteria, I recommend sticking to the old fashioned method of using your sink to ensure the quality of the fruit and veg isn’t impacted.”

Mimi’s top tips for effectively washing fresh produce

Mimi always starts any food preparation by washing her own hands thoroughly with soap to avoid transferring any bacteria onto the food. She recommends doing the same before handling any fresh produce.

After washing your hands, Mimi says to rinse the produce under cold running water, without soap. This can help to loosen dirt and wash away contaminants. For stubborn dirt, use a clean vegetable brush on firm produce like apples, potatoes and carrots, while submerging softer produce like leafy greens in a bowl of clean water, gently moving them around to loosen any dirt, and replacing the water until it runs clear.

Mimi comments,

“If you want to ensure your produce is extra clean, you can use a food-graded soap that is safe for consumption, although most of the time, just washing your produce in cold running water is enough.”

When it comes to drying, Mimi recommends patting or wiping dry with a clean paper towel to reduce the chances of bacteria growing and helping it to stay fresher for longer.