1. Clean with running water. If you soak strawberries in water, the pesticides on the surface of the strawberries will dissolve in the water, be absorbed by the strawberries, and penetrate into the fruit. This cleaning will have no effect. Therefore, you must first rinse with running water to remove germs, pesticides and other contaminants on the surface of the strawberries.

2. No detergent required. Do not use detergent such as dish soap unless you can ensure that the detergent can be completely washed and no residue will remain on the fruit.

3. Soak in light salt water. Do not eat strawberries washed immediately with running water. It is best to soak them in light salt water or rice water for 5 minutes. Because light salt water can eliminate harmful microorganisms remaining on the surface of strawberries; rice water is alkaline and can promote the degradation of acidic pesticides. Then rinse with running tap water. Without this last step, you may end up with salty strawberries.

4. Don’t pick strawberry stems. Do not pick the stems when washing strawberries. If the strawberry stems are removed, pesticides and pollutants will penetrate into the fruit through the "wounds" during the soaking process, and all the previous cleaning work will be in vain. Pick before eating.

Extended information:

Note: Try to avoid rubbing with your hands, and never use detergent. Strawberries have almost no peel, and rubbing them will damage the peel, making it impossible to preserve washed strawberries. The detergent will penetrate into the pulp, so remember not to use detergent to clean strawberries.

Tips for eating strawberries:

1. When you experience abdominal distension and poor appetite due to food accumulation, you can eat 60 grams of strawberries before meals, 3 times a day.

2. When the gums bleed, the mouth and tongue are sore, the urine is infrequent and yellow in color, mash 60 grams of fresh strawberries and drink it with cold boiled water, 3 times a day.

3. If you have a dry cough without phlegm that does not heal over time, you can stew 6 grams of fresh strawberries and 30 grams of rock sugar together in water, 3 times a day.

4. When you encounter troublesome heat, dry cough, sore throat, or hoarse voice, you can use fresh strawberries to wash and squeeze the juice, and drink one cup each morning and evening.

5. When you feel dizzy and uncomfortable after drinking, you can eat 100 grams of fresh strawberries at one time. Wash and drink it all at once to help sober up.

6. Those who are malnourished or weak and emaciated after illness can squeeze the juice of washed strawberries, add an equal amount of rice wine and mix well to make strawberry wine. Drink 1 cup in the morning and evening.

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia - Washing Strawberries