Mom Says Washing Fruits and Veggies in Dishwasher Is a Healthy Hack — but Experts Have a Warning

As the name suggests, a dishwasher is supposed to wash dishes. It’s not hard to imagine that the chemistry of your dishwasher makes it wholly exposed to parasites and toxins. But some internet users are showing off how they chug their fresh produce from grocery stores straight into a dishwasher. In a TikTok video, Lara (@larad_official) depicted her surprising reaction after she came to know that her mom often uses her dishwasher to wash fruits and vegetables, thinking she was being hygienic.

“I’m trying to wash my fruits and vegetables in the dishwasher,” Lara’s mom replied when asked what she was doing. She stood in the kitchen, with an array of fruits and vegetables laid out in the dishwasher trays – apples, tomatoes, capsicums, carrots, lemons, oranges, and others. Seemingly shocked, Lara exclaimed, “In the dishwasher?” Her mother coolly said, “Why not?” Puzzled, Lara said, “Isn’t the dishwasher for dishes?” Pointing to a jug of vinegar sitting on the kitchen countertop, her mom shrugged her shoulders and explained, “No! I can wash my fruit and vegetables with the vinegar. I don’t have to wash it myself!”

Startled by her response, the daughter repeated, “Are you freaking kidding me? How many times have you done this so far?” The mom answered, “So many times.” She said she refused to use the dishwasher for washing dishes instead of fruits or vegetables, because dishes are dirtier than these groceries, and they have been touched only by the family members, while the fruits and veggies are tainted with the touch of so many people. “Dishes are only from my family. This food, fruit, and vegetable, you know how many people touch it.”

The camera panned to show Lara, who still couldn’t wrap her head around her mom’s idea. “This is new to me,” she wrote in the caption, and told her mom, “I’m pretty sure this is not something people do.” The old woman clapped her hands to reaffirm that she knew what she was doing, and it was the best thing to do. Many people jumped into the comments section and said that many of the latest dishwashers in the market come with a built-in fruit cycle designed for the sole purpose of washing the produce. “The new dishwashers have a fruit setting. I don't think you can do this in any old dishwasher,” said @lisafischer110.

Several of them expressed skepticism, saying that the hot water of the dishwasher could ruin the fruits. “What about the heat, though? Is there a cold water setting? My dishwasher runs for 2 hours on satan’s tears, all of them would be cooked and mushy,” wrote @sarajeanneart. A Spanish food technologist also expressed the same, according to LavanGuardia. “We cannot guarantee 100% that our fruits and vegetables will not have cross-contamination. If not cleaned properly between uses, these contaminants can be transferred to fruits and vegetables, increasing the likelihood of ingesting pathogens that cause illnesses,” said Jorge Jaldon. 

Other viewers were curious to know the results. “I need to see results. This could be a game changer, peeps,” commented @valentina. Intrigued by the response the video received, Lara posted a follow-up video showing what happened next. After her mother loaded the dishwasher with fruits and vegetables and closed the door, Lara insisted that she would like to open it and see for herself whether the produce was still healthy. This video shows a hilarious tussle unfolding between the mother and the daughter as the mom dismisses Lara’s requests to open the dishwasher. 

The mom slapped her palm on the countertop and curved the other one around her waist and asserted that she needn’t be bothered in her task, “When I say believe me, believe me. I know what I’m doing. I still haven’t lost my mind!” Well, the old lady didn’t lose her mind, but she stole the hearts of millions of viewers for sure. “Your mom just created a trend for the lazy people, and we are in love,” exclaimed @ari. @dat1chick87 said, “Dishwashing companies are about to go crazy and create a fruit washing setting on there and sell it for thousands of dollars.”

You can follow Lara (@larad_official) on TikTok to watch videos of her and her mom sharing interesting tips and hilarious pranks.