Would You Clean Your Vegetables in the Dishwasher? The Viral “Hack” Completely Divided the Internet

From sanitizing flip flops and baseball hats to storing extra pots and pans, the humble dishwasher has become an all-purpose appliance for anything but washing dishes for many people. But sometimes, people on the internet take it a little too far — like a viral video that shows a woman who regularly washes her fruits and vegetables in the dishwasher, which is dividing the internet. 

Lara (@larad_official) demonstrated her mom’s unusual technique in three different videos. “What are you doing?” the TikToker asks her mom in horror, as the clip shows her mom loading their dishwasher with an assortment of fresh carrots, celery, dragonfruit, citrus, sweet potatoes, peppers, and tomatoes. 

Her mom explains that she’s washing her produce by running a cycle with white vinegar instead of washing them by hand. 

Viewers flooded the comments section with positive feedback, calling the “ingenious” hack a “game-changer.” Some even revealed that they’d since discovered that their dishwasher has its own “fruit” setting and were hoping to try the produce dishwasher cleaning method themselves. “Your mom just created a trend for the lazy people and we are in love!” one person wrote.

After posting the original video, Lara shared two follow-up videos sharing more details of her mom’s produce-washing method, as well as the squeaky-clean results, which have since brought in over 10 million views on TikTok.

Washing your fruits and veggies in the dishwasher might be the ultimate lazy girl hack, but is it safe? Amidst all the positive comments, there were a few questions from worried commenters about the dishwasher soap residue potentially contaminating the produce — and it turns out that these concerns are valid. 

Long story short? A spokesperson for the FDA told Apartment Therapy that it’s a bad idea to use the dishwasher, let alone any kitchen appliance, to wash produce, due to concerns about safety and effectiveness.

“The main concern is the introduction of residual chemical contaminants from detergents and rinse aids into the pores and natural crevices of the produce,” the FDA spokesperson said. “These chemicals are intended for cleaning hard surfaces such as dishes and glassware and were not intended to be used on fresh produce. Safe handling practices are always important to prevent the introduction of these pathogens.”

Instead, it turns out the tried-and-true method of hand-washing is the best technique — even if it’s a little more time consuming. 

Michelle Smith, Ph.D., a senior policy analyst in the division of produce safety at the FDA, previously told Apartment Therapy that you can ditch the vinegar or store-bought wash products, as using regular running water is really the best way to wash your produce.

“Washing fruit and vegetable surfaces thoroughly under clean running water should reduce any potential contamination from soil, residues, or microbes,” Smith said, cautioning that vinegars or store-bought washes can actually pose a potential health risk. 

“Think about it: Produce is porous. Soaps and household detergents can be absorbed by fruits and vegetables and can make you sick, which is what we are trying to avoid in the first place with washing,” he said. 

For firmer produce like melons, Smith said you can safely use a produce brush to scrub it down, then rinse under water. “After washing you can dry your produce with a clean rag or paper towel to further reduce bacteria that may be on the surface,” he said.

As for the dishwasher? Maybe skip this hack for now. And if you want to use your dishwasher for anything other than washing dishes, consider using it as extra pot storage instead.