I think this is something we can all agree on: it’s important to wash your produce. Everything from pesticides to harmful bacteria can be lingering on food. Yuck! But that shouldn’t stop us from enjoying delicious and fresh fruits and veggies. By using this simple produce wash, you can ensure your food stays clean. Plus you can rest easy knowing you’re using only natural ingredients. Just make sure to properly rinse your fruits and veggies to avoid ingesting any essential oils.
DIY Produce Wash
What you’ll need:
- A bowl of cool water (approximately 2 quarts)
- 5-6 drops Castile Soap
- 2 drops Lemon Essential Oil
What you’ll do:
- Soak your produce for 20-30 seconds, then rinse.
- Drain or pat dry.
- Storing in the fridge is needed.
*Make sure you rinse your veggies and fruits thoroughly, you don’t want to accidentally ingest your oils or soap!
I already have lemon EO so I will definitely be trying this!
Thank you! I have just been soaking in vinegar
I really want to give this a try.
Would lemongrass work in lieu of lemon? 🙂
I would not use lemongrass for this purpose.
I can’t wait to try this!!
Love this simple DIY! Definitely making this this week. I can never seem to get apples as clean as I want them and I bet this will do the trick.
Castille soap was hard to get here, but I finally found a good solid company! Yeah, now I can try it!
I ordered my Castile Soap from Costco, was delivered right to my door
What other oils are good to use as a fruit and veggie wash?
I can’t wait to try this!!! Now I just need to buy some Castile soap! This will be a lifesaver!
I am so excited to try this! I just need to get Castile soap! This will be a lifesaver!
I’m certainly going to have to try this!
I am so excited to try this! Usually I purchase these kinds of washes, didn’t even think about how easy they would be to make myself. Thanks for sharing!!
Great idea! Castille and lemon e.o. sounds really clean. I’ve been relying on my 8:1 white vinegar:water solution for a while, sometimes with a touch of organic dish soap – when the produce was from a source I did not trust (I saw the wife of our city’s environmental agency CEO do that 20 years ago, lots of scrubbing and rinsing, and the explanation she gave me stuck with me ever since). You can never be too careful.Thank you!
Definitely going to try this this weekend Finally a DIY I have the ingredients for already!!
Great idea! Would this produce wash work on leafy vegetables like spinach or kale, too?
Great question! Yes, this would work. However, we would advise rinsing your leafy greens well and then drain. If you have a salad spinner, you could use that to drain and spin after cleaning
I’m so glad I looked at the blogs today and saw this. I have been trying to figure out a way to use my EOs to clean my fruits and veggies! I can’t wait to try this out!
Excited to try this! Castille soap going in my cart!!!
I’ve been using Castile soap to clean produce but I’ve never added my own essential oils. This is a good idea to add a little bit more cleaning power.
This sounds so nice and refreshing. The lemon will make it great.
I will definitely be trying this!! So simple and good!
What a great natural solution to clean vegetables! Thanks PT!
I’m so glad I found this blog! I love the lemon oil & I would have never thought about using them, along with castile soap, when rinsing fruits & veggies! I can’t wait to try this! Thanks 🙂
I can’t wait to try this recipe, it is next on my list for washing fruit & veggies. Thank You!
I am starting to make some of your DIY recipes. This one for cleaning fruit & veggies is next on my list.
Love this! And lemon EO is affordable, so a little goes a long way. I use a a basic baking soda soak and wash but it doesn’t feel like it would really get the residue clean without bruising. Gotta get a hold of some castile soap!
Looks simple so I’ll give it a try.
So easy! I will definitely be trying this out.
Thank you so much for this produce wash recipe! I’ve been looking for a quick and easy recipe and this sounds perfect!
I have been waiting for this recipe! Thank you PT!
I’m excited to try this out. Looks like a simple blend to wash produce. Thanks!
I never thought to add Lemon into my fruit and veggie cleaner. Thanks for the tip!
Thank you for yet another great idea! I will have to give this a try.
This is Ah-MAZ-ing! Thank you for a wash that doesn’t involve vinegar. My hubby reacts to the smell of vinegar, so this is truly an amazing gift from you Plant Therapy.
Wow! As a vegetarian I eat a LOT of veggies. This looks like a great thing to try, and probably way more cost-effective than purchasing ready-made produces washes. Thanks for the info!
Nice to lean a new way to use my citrus oil, in case I need to find ways to use them up! 🙂
Love this wash… You can see the wax come right off the apples and see all the dirt come off the potatoes and other root vegetables
I have been on the lookout for an easy and safe veggie and fruit wash for a while! Going to give this a try. Thank you!!
Fantastic! Simply, effective, and frugal – perfect 🙂
Can’t wait to try this out! Thanks PT!
ooh, great idea! So many good uses for Castille soap!
So simple but effective!
I am definitely giving this a try. Thanks for the info and the “recipe”. 🙂
Looks great! Will definitely try this:)
Thank you for this! I’ve been looking for an all natural way to clean fruits and veggies! Can’t wait to try it out.
I remember my mother spraying her fruits and veggies with a store bought spray. My husband is fanatical about washing ours so he will be delighted to see this diy spray. Thank you so much
I never considered using castile soap and EOs… Good to know! We go strawberry picking this time every year and this will come in handy! I usually do vinegar, but this will be interesting to try.
Love this! Thank you so much for this info! I will feel much better feed fruits and veggies to my girls
Looking forward to trying this one! I have gotten back into healthy eating so this will be helpful with all of the fruits and veggies I am purchasing. Thanks PT!!
Are there alternatives to lemon EO that work the same, for someone who has an allergy to lemon?
Now I DO need Castile soap. Lol. Thanks for this recipe!
Could you use sal suds instead of castille soap?
I can’t wait to try this!! Considered saved until needed!! Thank you!!
Thank you for this. I just bought a ton of fruits and veggies today, totally going to try this!
Just when I think I can’t get anymore out of Plant Therapy, I find fantastic information!! I can’t wait to try this!!
Oh I bet the Lemon EO definitely helps with the wax! Thanks!
I always use water, vinegar and a few drops of Castille soap. I’ll have to try the lemon oil. That might help with the waxy layer on apples, thanks!
This actually works? I’ll have to try
I have both Lemon EO and Lemon Essence from the OOTM…would either of these work?
You could use Lemon or Lemon Essence. The essences are very similar, the scent profile is just a little different.
This works really well! Sometimes add a little vinegar as well! They will be shiny clean and the water in the sink will be gross dirty!
Curious, will this prolong the life of your produce? Also, why only 20-30 seconds? I would assume it would need longer to fully clean? Or do you just swish and done?
Jamie, this wash is designed to remove pesticides and dirt, specifically.
I’ll have to try this. I’ve been using vinegar or bakng soda but never thought of using castille soap and essential oil.
I cant wait to order Lemon EO to try this 🙂
Thank YOU PT!
I never realized you could use EO to clean Produce! What a fantastic idea – thank you! I’ll definitely be trying this
Such a great idea and I’ll be making these for mother’s day gift baskets!
I’m going to try this for sure!
This is excellent to know that I can finally use something so natural to clean the foods I love and do not have to worry about other chemicals on top of the ones you are trying to rinse off in the first place. Definitely going to give this a go. Thank you PT!
Good idea. I d like to try this recipe! Thanks!
I just ran out of the store bought veggie cleaner and was going to research what I could make my self. This is a great timely DIY. I will be making this today.
O this is great. I like to wash the produce as well but haven’t found sprays that I liked. Many of the premade ones have other mystery things within. I like this natural approach can’t wait to try this.
I can’t wait to try this! I have been looking for a good fruit/veggie wash that I can make myself. I was so thrilled today when I checked the PT blog and saw one was provided. Thanks, PT!!!