I can’t afford organic produce. What’s the best way to wash produce to reduce pesticides? —A.C.F., Riverside, CA 

Vigorous washing with water can help minimize your exposure to some types of water-soluble pesticides that are on the surface, but it won’t remove the penetrating residues, says Carolyn Cairns, an environmental scientist on our staff. Buying organic produce is the most reliable way to limit pesticides. 

And here’s one way to save money: Focus organic purchases on produce items that tend to harbor the most harmful residues. Based on our 2008 analysis, those fruits and veggies include apples, cantaloupes, celery, cherries, cranberries, cucumbers, green beans, lettuce, nectarines, peaches, peas, peppers, potatoes, strawberries, and tomatoes. Another wallet-friendly tip: Skip produce cleaners. There’s little reliable evidence that they remove more pesticides than water. One more piece of advice: Wash all produce, even if it’s marked "prewashed" or "triple washed." Our tests have found bacteria that are common indicators of poor sanitation and fecal contamination in bags of prewashed salad greens.