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Another Water Conservation Tip

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More from Wendell and Mark’s Favorite Tips

Fruits and vegetables often come with a residual coating of dirt, wax and pesticides. Most people rinse the food under running water to wash away the coating. However, this practice eliminates only about 25% of the foreign matter and wastes a lot of water.

There are better ways to clean fruits and vegetables before eating. For soft-skinned fruits such as peaches and apricots, make a wash of three parts water to one part vinegar in a bowl and soak the fruits for 30 minutes. For hard-skinned fruit or vegetables, such as apples or carrots, soak with a spray mixture of 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 2 cups of water. Scrub with a soft brush and then rinse again with the lemon juice solution.

For your sprayer, avoid contamination by using a new clean bottle and sprayer, purchased for this purpose; wash it well with soap and water prior to its first use. Don’t try to re-purpose an old bottle that previously contained household cleaner or beauty products.

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