“I have bought a table-top vegetable disinfectant to sanitise the vegetables that are brought into my house for consumption. Having seen some videos on how vegetables and fruits are transported without the use of gloves, etc, I wasn’t sure about staying safe in the pandemic by eating vegetables that are just washed with water… especially the ones that we eat raw, like tomato and cucumber in salad,” says Rita Sherpa, a Gurugram resident.

A new fad in the coronavirus world seems to be the obsession with ‘sanitising vegetables’. A number of people have, of late, had inhibitions about vegetables being a possible carrier of the virus. And this has led to an increase in the sale of vegetable washers, cleaners, sanitisers and even disinfectant sprays!

Affirming an increase in the sale of vegetable cleaners, Delhi-based Vidit Arora, owner, Rickul International Private Limited — a manufacturer of vegetable disinfectant sprays — says, “We have seen a growth in the sales of our vegetable washers by over 45% and it’s only increasing. I think people are buying such vegetable washers because they want to keep their family safe in these times, without using any solution with toxic ingredients on perishable items that are bought for consumption. These are very uncertain times, and no one knows how the vegetables have been handled before they reach us. So, for the sake of health of our family and loved ones, people are opting for vegetable washers just like many have moved to using sanitizers and surface disinfectants.”

Some organic vegetable cleaning sprays are also catching the fancy of those who are not satisfied with washing veggies under tap water.
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Photo: Shutterstock
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Stores in Delhi-NCR that sell kitchenware or electronics are also recording a high demand for such vegetable cleaners. Shikhar Chawla, owner of one such store in Chakkarpur, Gurugram says, “We recently stocked up on vegetable cleaners, sprays and disinfectants because of an increase in their demand. After all, we have to keep up with the trend in the market! Along with masks for personal use, the demand for vegetable cleaners and sanitisers is also at an all-time high due to the pandemic. So we have stocked up on these, and even vegetable disinfectants. People want to invest in these things to keep their families secure; and to me it’s an intelligent investment because for the time being it’s like investing in good health.”

“I recently bought an organic vegetable cleaning spray. If nothing else, it has mentally assured me that I’m doing something to protect my family’s well-being,” – Nikita Bhatia, a Gurugrammer

According to online trends, city residents have been readily Googling terms such as vegetable disinfectants. “I can’t believe how much my shopping pattern has changed. There was a time I used to browse delivery sites for clothes. However, now I keep checking out vegetable cleaners, sanitisers and sprays. I recently bought an organic vegetable cleaning spray. If nothing else, it has mentally assured me that I’m doing something to protect my family’s well-being,” says Gurugrammer Nikita Bhatia.

Author tweets @FizzyBuddha

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