Short answer: yes. You should wash all of your fruit and vegetables before you eat them. Washing produce is effective in removing bacteria. You don't need to buy any fancy produce washes — the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says cold tap water will do just fine. Though simple rinsing is better than not washing your produce at all, some produce can be cleaned in more effective ways than others. For instance, you may want to give the root vegetables a wash and a scrub to remove any dirt and bacteria. To preserve taste, try to wash the produce just before you eat it. This is especially true of more sensitive fruits, such as berries. Washing produce as soon as you bring it home can make the items damp and more susceptible to bacteria growth.