But if you’re cutting up the fruit, skipping the wash is a mistake. Before you reach for a knife to tackle your next watermelon, take a moment to learn the proper way to prep.

Wash Before You Cut

Any fruit with a sturdy rind that requires a knife should be washed before you make the first cut. To do it right, follow these steps:

Wash your hands, knife, and cutting board with hot, soapy water, then rinse them well.

1. Rinse the fruit under cool, running tap water, working from end to end.

2. Cut the fruit and remove the rind.

3. Wash your hands and work surface again when finished

Why go to all this trouble just to make a fruit tray? The skin is where bacteria, pesticides, and dirt accumulate. Rinsing removes the vast majority of pathogens that cause foodborne illness. Otherwise, the knife transfers bacteria from the surface into the fruit. Washing your hands before and after also prevents cross-contamination throughout your kitchen.

A Couple of Special Cases

A few fruits, such as pineapples, jackfruit, and cantaloupes, have rough skins that can trap dirt and bacteria. For these, you’ll need to take the extra step of scrubbing with a vegetable brush under running water to dislodge any debris. You will also need to sanitize the brush between uses; a hot cycle in the dishwasher will do that effectively.

You may be tempted to use a bleach solution or produce wash, but don’t. The FDA advises against it, as the chemical residues can make you sick. A thorough rinse and basic hygiene are more reliable. If you follow this process, you can worry less the next time there’s a food recall for contaminated fruit.

The solution is quite simple, and it requires only a standard fork used in a somewhat creative way. Here’s a trick to protect your fingertips from cuts while grating with ease.

Stick a Fork in It

Whether it’s a carrot, zucchini, potato, or any other vegetable you have on hand, stick a fork directly into one end. For this hack, it’s best to position the veggie so it runs lengthwise, parallel to the utensil rather than perpendicular. Be sure that the tines are deep enough to hold the vegetable firm, but not so deep that you risk hitting the utensil against the grater before the task is finished.

Grab the fork handle and vigorously rub the vegetable against the grater in an up-and-down motion. Once one side of the vegetable wears down near the tines, twist the fork handle in your hand to rotate the vegetable and grate the remaining sides. (There’s no need to remove or reposition the utensil while you shred.) Repeat until the vegetable is thoroughly whittled down and you’re left with a negligible hunk that you can compost.

Since you’ll hold the fork handle the entire time, your fingers will never get close enough to the blades to worry about accidental cuts. You can also use this hack to avoid injury when slicing veggies with a mandolin — an extremely sharp tool that’s dangerous if used improperly. In either case, the fork provides valuable distance between your fingers and the blades. For an added layer of protection, consider wearing cut-resistant gloves while prepping your meal.

If you enjoy fresh berries — whether they’re home-picked, store-bought, or from the farmers market — you’ll be delighted to know there’s a simple trick that can double their storage life. 

The Berry-Saving Vinegar Soak

The key to making your berries last longer lies in giving them a quick bath as soon as you get home. Because berries are high in moisture and sugar, they’re — pardon the pun — ripe for mold, fungus, and spoilage bacteria. Rather than putting your haul directly into the fridge, take a few minutes to prep them for storage.

First, pick through your berries and discard any that are moldy or deteriorating. Also be sure to eat or throw away any overripe fruit, as it can accelerate ripening in the rest of the batch. Next, mix together three parts cool water and one part distilled white vinegar in a bowl large enough to hold your berries. For firmer berries like strawberries and blueberries, submerge the berries and swish them gently, letting them sit for about five to 10 minutes. More delicate varieties, such as raspberries and blackberries, should be soaked for only 30 seconds to two minutes. When the time’s up, drain them in a colander and give them a quick rinse under cool running water.

Why This Hack Works

While rinsing most produce can actually shorten its lifespan, berries are a notable exception. A vinegar soak is a positive because the acidity kills bacteria, mold, and fungal spores. This not only makes the fruit safer to eat — berries, like salad greens, are occasionally subject to recalls — but it also eliminates the main culprits that threaten their storage life.

The few minutes you invest in soaking your berries can extend their refrigerator life to a week or more, roughly double what you’d ordinarily expect. It saves money, reduces food waste, and helps your grocery budget — not a bad exchange for a few minutes of your time.

How To Hack a Free Frother

If you’re searching for a free or low-cost way to take your morning coffee from average to café quality, look no further than your kitchen sink. You can turn a basic foaming soap dispenser into a DIY milk frother in minutes.

Of course, you’ll need to deep-clean the soap dispenser before you fill it with milk. To prime the pump for service, first empty out the soap, then flush the container with hot water until the bubbles stop. Next, fill it with a mixture of hot water and a drop of dish soap; pump this through several times to clear away any lingering hand-soap oils. If the dispenser was filled with scented soap, follow up with a 1:1 mixture of hot water and distilled white vinegar. Let the solution sit inside the pump for 15 minutes before pumping it through. Then, unscrew the pump and soak it in a fresh vinegar and water bath (using the same 1:1 ratio) for about one hour. After a final rinse with plain hot water, you’re ready to froth.

If you’re worried about an aftertaste, you can always invest in a brand-new foaming soap dispenser. We recommend these UUJOLY foaming soap dispensers, which are sold in a two-pack and have a 33-ounce capacity.

Why Does It Work?

Foaming soap pumps work well for this hack because they function exactly like a professional-grade milk frother. These pumps create a thick, foamy consistency by injecting air into foaming soap — which is more diluted than liquid hand soap — as it passes through a fine mesh screen. Milk frothers, such as the Subminimal NanoFoamer, do the same thing by whipping air into milk, resulting in a velvety texture. While this hack won’t produce steamed milk, it delivers a perfect dollop of foam to top or mix into your favorite morning blend.