Smarter: Should You Wash Produce With Baking Soda?
Does washing produce with baking soda or vinegar help get rid of bacteria and pesticides? This week we’ll find out. Also in this issue: Does a warm bath or shower help you sleep, and should you avoid red dye No. 3?
THE BIG STORY:
‘Fruits of Our Labor’We recently posted a TikTok video that talked about the best way to wash produce. Our recommendation was to wash your fruits and vegetables under running water and never use soap and bleach.
A few viewers had questions for us: What about soaking produce in vinegar? Or does dousing them in baking soda help?
Both are really good questions, though they did come as a surprise to me. That’s not to say either practice is entirely unheard of. In an Instagram poll, 13.5 percent of participants said they wash their produce with vinegar. And in a separate poll on Twitter, 10 percent said they use baking soda.
So does either actually work to get your produce cleaner? Here’s what we say.
QUIZ
Yes or no: A warm shower before bed helps with sleep.
ASK AN EXPERT
Question from Smarter reader Bob Ash:
How do you keep salad greens from going bad so quickly?
Answer:
Make sure you remove any leaves that are damaged or slimy before you store your salad greens. You can keep them in an airtight container lined with a damp cloth or paper towels and place them in a refrigerator drawer, preferably one that’s set for high humidity.
And if you want to maximize the shelf life of other foods, such as bananas, bread, and strawberries, here are some handy tips.
Have a question? Send it to me and it might be featured in Smarter.
THE GOOD STUFF
Which is better for your dental health, a water flosser or string floss?
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THE SHORT ANSWER
Photo Illustration: Lacey Browne/Consumer Reports, Getty Images. Shutterstock Photo Illustration: Lacey Browne/Consumer Reports, Getty Images. Shutterstock
Should you avoid red dye No. 3? Yes.
QUIZ ANSWER
The answer is yes. A warm shower or bath an hour or two before bed may help you fall asleep faster, according to a 2019 study of previous research. (It definitely helps me!) For more tips on how to fall asleep, check out our advice here.
"Zzz."