Experts' Experts: Should you wash bananas?

It never occurred to me that anyone would until I happened on the article below last month in Better Homes & Gardens.

Should You Wash Bananas After Bringing Them Home? Experts Clear Up the Confusion

Produce washing is a topic our Test Kitchen gets countless questions about. You probably know that you should wash all produce items with skin that you plan to consume (plain water is A-OK!), and it's wise to wash items that you'll slice through the exterior to reach the flesh. That's because when your knife slices through the surface and into the flesh of something like a melon, it could introduce bacteria hanging out on the rind inside.

If there might be one produce aisle pick that could be safe to skip washing, bananas would be it. Their skin is so thick and a knife isn't needed to open them, so this feels like safe territory to dive right in, right? Wrong.

Should You Wash Bananas?

The "should you wash bananas?" debate has been turning heads on social media this summer, however, it's certainly not a new dilemma. In fact, Dear Abby even tackled the topic in 1994. After she initially wrote that she didn't wash her bananas and didn't think it was necessary, a flurry of fan feedback came in urging her to change her strategy and give her bananas a shower.

After speaking with Lynn Blanchard, Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen director and Daniel Kiefer, PhD, an entomologist and the technical director at American Pest in Washington, D.C., we can explain the science behind our final answer to this quandary:

Yes — you should wash bananas ASAP after they enter your home. 

Here are two reasons why:

• To Prevent Fruit Flies

Fruit flies are especially active in environments that have any ripe or overripe fruit sitting out, or that contain anything that might smell fruity or sweet, such as spilled fruit juice or residue in unrinsed and empty soda cans, Dr. Kiefer says.

The viral social media posts that have been swirling around this summer have been boasting that bananas would stay fruit fly-free for days longer than previous batches of bananas stored in the same home after a quick rinse, and Dr. Kiefer clued us in about why.

"Fruit flies are attracted to bananas because of their strong smell, along with the yeasts and bacteria that can grow on ripe fruit. Fruit flies commonly lay eggs on bananas," he explains. "To keep fruit flies out of your kitchen, you should try to eliminate the factors that attract them. Make sure to wash bananas immediately to get rid of the fruit fly eggs after bringing it home," as the fruit flies may have already laid eggs while the fruit was transported to or stored in your supermarket.

Other wise ways to prevent (or eliminate) fruit flies:

• Run a dehumidifier to reduce moisture around your home, which results in a less appealing environment for fruit flies
• Since fruit flies are attracted to moisture, keep an eye on laundry, mops, sponges, and kitchen towels, and try to allow them to dry as quickly as possible
• Remove ripe or overripe fruit from your kitchen as fast as possible by consuming, refrigerating, freezing, or composting
• Place soiled napkins, extra meat, past-its-prime food, and other products that might show signs of rotting to an outdoor garbage receptacle immediately after you discover them
• Try to keep your sink garbage disposal tidy. Here's how to clean a garbage disposal to eliminate stinky odors. If you notice fruit flies have already found their home there, we swear by these four tricks to eliminate drain flies
• If fruit flies are a minor nuisance, BHG home pros recommend these strategies to get rid of them. If the bugs become more active and cause a severe infestation, contact a pest control expert

• Food Safety

The other very important reason to wash bananas is to reduce your risk of illness. If any germs or grime is hanging out on the peel, there's potential to transfer it to the banana — say, if you are holding the fruit by the peel, then use your fingers to tear off a bite.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, "Even if you're not cutting the fruit, dirt and bacteria may be transferred as you peel or simply handle the food.”

Blanchard echoes this fact, noting that "it's a good practice to wash all fruits and vegetables before eating to reduce the bacteria and dirt that may be present."

How to Wash Bananas

Now that you know why you should wash bananas, we'll walk you through how. Yes, we know that this seems like a hassle and an extra step, but it shouldn't take longer than 1 minute total as part of your process of putting away your groceries.

The USDA suggests skipping detergent, soap, and commercial produce washes, and opting for water instead.

To wash bananas:

• Rinse your banana(s) under cool running tap water for 30 seconds, using your clean hands to brush away any visible grime
• Using a clean kitchen towel pat the fruit dry

Store your now-clean bananas on a countertop away from heat sources, direct sunlight, and other ethylene gas-producers (unless you want the bananas to ripen faster). If your home is prone to fruit flies, Dr. Kiefer suggests storing bananas in your fridge.

Wait a sec — what's that more recent song I'm hearing?