Twinkle Khanna is a popular name in the industry; she has worn many hats before becoming the internet’s favourite, who often comes up with household tips.She began her career in Bollywood with the superhit Barsaat, later became a bestselling author with the book “Mrs Funnybones,” and produced the National Award-winning “Pad Man.“These days, she’s just as known for hopping onto Instagram with quick, no-nonsense household and kitchen tips.Recently, she shared a lifesaving kitchen hack to keep vegetables and fruits in check, and it seems more relevant than ever!Every time you buy a bottle gourd, a bunch of spinach, or even a tomato from the vegetable market, a worrisome question follows it home: whether some pesticide residue has come along with the fruits and vegetables, and a quick rinse under the tap no longer feels like enough.Turns out, you don’t need a fancy produce cleaner from the supermarket to deal with this. Twinkle Khanna, in a recent episode of Spacelift by Tweak India, shared a ridiculously simple fix using ingredients that are probably already sitting in our kitchen cabinet right now
Twinkle Khanna shares simple kitchen hack to clean market-bought fruits and vegetables with secret kitchen ingredients
Twinkle Khanna feels nothing makes you question an innocent-looking lauki quite like wondering what came home on it from the sabzi market. That’s the thought that seems to have led her to share her own solution on Spacelift by Tweak India, where she walked viewers through her go-to method for cleaning produce before it hits the kitchen counter.According to Twinkle Khanna, “Baking soda isn’t just for cakes. I use this solution to try and wash off pesticides. Clean your fruits and vegetables in this baking soda, vinegar and water liquid for 5-10 minutes, scrub gently with hands, and then rinse thoroughly and dry well.”
How to make this easy cleaning solution for yourself?
Khanna mentions the easy- peasy recipe for making this go to vegetable cleaning solution, sharing it in the video.“• Mix 1 cup of vinegar with 2 cups of water in a large bowl• Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda and stir well• Soak produce for 5-10 minutes• Scrub gently with your hands• Rinse thoroughly under plain water and dry well
What is the science behind this simple hack, and does it actually work?
A study conducted at the University of Massachusetts Amherst tested how well baking soda removes pesticide residue from produce, using Gala apples treated with two common pesticides: phosmet and thiabendazole.Researchers compared plain tap water, a 1% baking soda solution, and a standard bleach wash approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency.The research showed that the apples soaked in the baking soda solution came out with the least amount of pesticide residue of the three. As the study’s lead author, Dr Lili He, explained, “Pesticide residues may remain on agricultural produce, where they contribute to the total dietary intake of pesticides.”That said, the baking soda soak isn’t a magic eraser. The same study found that the solution needed a good 12 to 15 minutes to fully clear pesticide residue from the surface, and pesticides that had already been absorbed into the fruit’s flesh weren’t as easy to wash away.
