The study, published in October 2017 in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry by a team of six researchers, looked at three main possible solutions for cleaning produce: pure water, a solution of bleach containing chlorine, and a solution made of water and baking soda.
Organic Gala apples that were coated with the fungicide thiabendazole, or phosmet, a pesticide, by the scientists for research purposes, were used for the study. They were then washed with one of the three solutions.
“We want(ed) to see whether or not the factory level (of washing) is already effective” for removing the chemicals, lead researcher Dr. Lili He said.
In the end, the winner was clear: baking soda took home the number one spot, because of its ability to make the pesticides degrade faster than the other two solutions.
According to the University of Wisconsin, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) has been listed in the U.S. pharmacopoeia since 1848 as an effective natural healing and cleaning substance because it is 99% pure, and has natural chemical and physical properties that make it safe and effective for at least five major household uses.
A recipe of 1 tablespoon baking soda and 1.5 liters of water mixed into a bowl and then applied on produce is sufficient for removing harsh, toxic chemicals on your produce, whether organic or non-organic; far superior to just water or a bleach solution.
In order to take advantage of the benefits according to the study, you should soak your Gala apples in baking soda for at least eight minutes, as these had “significantly reduced pesticide residue on the surface” according to the researchers.
At 12-15 minutes of soaking, there were “virtually no pesticides left,” the same result as the two aforementioned vegetables, avocados and sweet corn.
While buying organic is still better because of the way it preserves and supports the soil while also delivering higher amounts of disease-fighting antioxdants and higher mineral content, if you do end up buying conventional, you may want to pick up some baking soda as well.