When you bring home organic vegetables from the farmers' market or grocery store, it's tempting to just give them a quick rinse rather than a thorough washing. But they're pesticide-free, you say! And a little dirt is good for you, right? But there's good reason not to forgo the wash, according to Mother Jones. Here's why:
Organic fruits and vegetables may not be grown with pesticides, but they're still susceptible to "pesticide drift," which is what happens when the wind blows chemicals from a nearby conventional field. Pesticide contamination can also happen during packaging, since many produce companies use the same warehouses to package both organic and non-organic produce.
But the biggest reason to wash your fruits and vegetables is to get rid of germs, according to Sonya Lunder, a senior analyst with the Environmental Working Group. (She reminds us that the big culprit of the 2006 E. Coli outbreak was organic bagged spinach.)
Read More: Wash Your Organic Produce. No, Really. | Mother Jones
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