Can Washing Remove All Pesticide Residues From Fruit and Vegetables?

Washing fruit and vegetables is something many of us already do. But can washing with water, vinegar or a dedicated fruit and vegetable wash actually remove pesticide residues?

The answer depends partly on where those residues are.

Some pesticide residues remain on or near the surface of fruit and vegetables. Others can penetrate the surface or be absorbed into the plant itself. How much stays on the outside and how much penetrates the produce depends on factors including the pesticide used, the type of fruit or vegetable and its surface.

This matters because washing can only help with what it can reach.

Can washing reduce pesticide residues?

Yes, it can.

Research looking at different household washing methods has found that washing can reduce some pesticide residues on fresh produce. How much is removed varies depending on the pesticide, the produce and the way it is washed.

So there isn't one percentage that tells us how much pesticide residue washing will remove from every apple, strawberry or bunch of grapes.

If residues are on the surface, washing can help reduce them. But that doesn't mean washing will remove every residue.

What if pesticide residues are inside the produce?

Some pesticides can penetrate the surface of fruit and vegetables or be absorbed into plant tissue. Once residues have moved beneath the surface, they are largely beyond the reach of surface washing.

A 2017 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry demonstrated this quite clearly.

Researchers examined two pesticides on apples, thiabendazole (a systemic pesticide) and phosmet (a non-systemic pesticide). They found that washing could effectively remove residues from the surface, particularly when using a baking soda solution. However, some pesticide residues had already penetrated the apple peel and remained after washing.

The systemic pesticide, thiabendazole, penetrated approximately four times deeper into the apple peel than phosmet.

This highlights an important distinction. Reducing pesticide residues on the surface isn't necessarily the same as removing residues that have moved into the produce itself.

It's also why claims that a fruit and vegetable wash can remove all pesticide residues should be considered carefully. Some residues may be beyond the reach of surface washing, regardless of the product being used.

Does that mean washing isn't worthwhile?

Not at all.

Pesticide residues are only one reason we wash fruit and vegetables.

Fresh produce can have soil, everyday dirt, oils, waxes and other residues on its surface. Washing is simply part of preparing it before we eat it.

Different washing methods may help with different things. The aim doesn't need to be making produce completely free of every possible residue. It's about cleaning what we can from the surface before eating or storing it.

What about pesticide residues in Australia?

Australia regulates agricultural and veterinary chemical residues in food through maximum residue limits, known as MRLs.

An MRL is the highest amount of a particular agricultural or veterinary chemical residue legally allowed in a food product sold in Australia. These limits are set for particular combinations of chemicals and foods and form part of Australia's food regulatory framework.

MRLs are separate from washing fruit and vegetables at home. They regulate the amount of residue legally permitted in food, while washing is something we can do as part of preparing fresh produce before eating it.

Where does Plantaera fit in?

Plantaera was developed through our background in agricultural research, with an understanding that not all residues behave in the same way.

It wasn't developed around removing one particular type of residue. Instead, it was formulated as a dedicated fruit and vegetable wash to help clean the surface of fresh produce.

Plantaera is a concentrated, plant-based fruit and vegetable wash designed to help lift everyday dirt, oils, waxes and common pesticide residues from the surface of fresh produce.

We believe it's important to be clear about what washing can and cannot achieve. Plantaera is designed to help clean the surface of fruit and vegetables, not to promise the removal of every pesticide residue.

The bottom line

Washing fruit and vegetables is a worthwhile part of everyday food preparation. It can help remove dirt and other surface residues, including some pesticide residues.

While washing cannot necessarily reach everything that has penetrated the produce, it remains a simple and useful step before the fridge, the fruit bowl or the first bite.

References

Yang, T., Doherty, J., Zhao, B., Kinchla, A. J., Clark, J. M., & He, L. (2017). Effectiveness of commercial and homemade washing agents in removing pesticide residues on and in apples. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 65(44), 9744–9752. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.7b03118

de Montagnac, D., Subramaniam, V., Naidenko, O. V., & Temkin, A. M. (2026). Reducing pesticide residues on produce: a scoping review of household produce washing methods. Frontiers in Environmental Health. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/environmental-health/articles/10.3389/fenvh.2026.1768399/full

Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Chemicals in food: maximum residue limits. https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/chemicals/maxresidue

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