You Need To Wash Your Bananas As Soon As You Get Home–Here's Why

A couple of months ago, I was heading home from dropping my daughter off at school and heard two people on the radio in the middle of a passionate conversation about a surprising topic: fruit flies. I was instantly intrigued. The discussion was all about something all too familiar to many people, especially me: the constant battle against fruit flies.

One of the hosts was complaining about how every time she brings home a fresh bunch of bananas, she can be guaranteed that as it ripens over the next two or three days, pesky little flies appear in the kitchen. She joked that she was close to not buying bananas anymore because she was sick and tired of them. I can relate. Just when it’s time to enjoy a delicious ripe banana, you have to wave off these relentless pests in the process. Sure, there are worse problems to have in life, but there’s no denying that fruit flies are irritating.

Then her co-host chimed in, saying that he heard a tip somewhere about preventing fruit flies. While he had not tried this, I decided to put the theory to the test.

Why Fruit Flies Are On Banana Skins

Apparently, fruit flies lay their eggs on the skins of bananas, so we ultimately end up bringing them home with us from the grocery store.

The Simple Hack To Prevent Fruit Flies

Give your bananas a quick rinse under the faucet before placing them in your fruit bowl or on your counter, you’ll rinse the eggs away.

I Tried It – Here's What Happened

On that same Monday morning, here's what I did: I rinsed my bananas in cool tap water for about 30 seconds. I let the bananas dry on a kitchen towel, and then placed them in my fruit bowl. Typically, I’d see a fruit fly by Wednesday, as the bananas reach prime ripeness. By Friday evening, I had not one fruit fly in my home.

“Was this a fluke? Some beginner’s luck?” you may wonder. The answer is no. I’ve been rinsing my weekly bunch of bananas ever since, in addition to other produce I’d typically store in my fruit bowl at room temperature, such as avocados, zucchini, squash, potatoes, peaches, nectarines, plums, and more, and for the first time ever, I have had not one fruit fly in my kitchen. This works.

You Can Try This At Home

What You'll Need

• 1 bunch bananas
• Room temperature tap water

What To Do: 2 Simple Steps

1. Rinse the bananas in tap water for about 30 seconds, and then place them on a kitchen towel to air dry, or use the towel to wipe them dry.
2. Place the washed and dry bananas in your fruit bowl.

The Science Behind This Tip

Fruit flies are attracted to the smell of ripening fruit and decomposing produce. They often lay their eggs directly on fermenting fruits and vegetables because very ripe (essentially decaying) produce provides a suitable environment for larvae to feed and develop. While it seems as though they come out of nowhere, the fact of the matter is that fruit flies have a rapid breeding and development process. The life cycle works very quickly; just about one week, in fact, which explains why you have fruit flies on Friday if you bring home bananas on Monday. They also breed in droves, so if you’re wondering why you suddenly have a swarm of fruit flies in your kitchen, it’s because a lot has been going on while your bananas sit in that fruit bowl.

Rinse your bananas from now on, and say farewell to fruit flies!