Wash your strawberries! That’s the message that people on TikTok are sending their followers. More and more people on the platform have been sharing videos about how to properly wash berries. You plonk them into water mixed with salt to get rid of the dirt and tiny bugs that might be inside. Obviously, you let the salt dissolve first. Some people are even suggesting that you add a bit of vinegar, too.

Spring and summer are all about enjoying fresh fruits and berries, so this advice will hopefully be very handy for some of us. I mean, we all probably wash our strawberries. But do we usually wash ‘em that well? Rinsing them isn’t enough, apparently. Nobody wants to ruin strawberries for you, but we’ve all probably been eating teeny critters without knowing about them for years.

The advice on how long you should keep your strawberries in the salt water varies from person to person. Some say that 5 minutes are enough while others say that you should soak your delish berries for up to half an hour. Don’t forget to rinse them afterward, otherwise, you’ll be snacking on saltberries instead of strawberries! Scroll down for Bored Panda’s interview with Thatnatchats, one of the people who went viral on TikTok for their video about strawberries.

TikTok users are posting videos that show us how to properly wash strawberries to get all the icky bugs and dirt out of them

@callmekristatorresWAIT FOR IT… Still trying to think happy thoughts today. ##fyp ##foryou ##strawberrieswithbugs ##bugsinstrawberries ##rednoseday ##got2bhome♬ original sound – callmekristatorres

Loads of people are following the strawberry bug trend and sharing their own advice about washing berries

Here’s what the bugs look like from up close

@thatnatchatsy’all better WASH your strawberries ‼️😳😭 Comment what I should look at next! ✨🔬 ##fyp ##foryou ##science♬ Don’t Start Now – Dua Lipa

“I always ask my fan base for suggestions about what I should look at next and I’ve been getting a lot of comments about strawberries,” Thatnatchats told Bored Panda. “I believed they wanted to see the seeds up close so I was very surprised to find bugs when looking at strawberries under a stereomicroscope. I didn’t learn about how to properly wash the strawberries until my comment section became very fearful and asked how to wash them. Other people replied and I’ve heard salt water, vinegar, and many different methods I have never heard of before.”

She said that she already had an audience of around 40k people from her past videos. However, Thatnatchats’ video about strawberries reached 2 million people on the very first day. “I was astonished that I had so many people seeing what I have seen. My family was taken back as well. When I went to school the next day, I had a couple of people approach me and say that they had no idea I was so popular on Tiktok. My fans jumped from 40k to 300k. It was crazy, to say the least, but everyone around me was very happy and proud that my passion for science and microscopes was being recognized.”

Thatnatchats explained to Bored Panda that she completely understands the fear behind eating strawberries after finding out about the ‘truth,’ however, she also knows that it’s a natural thing. “These strawberries we eat grow out of the dirt and we shouldn’t avoid them. After all, I love strawberries! I do plan to try out all the methods of washing strawberries that TikTok has recommended.”

She added: “Nothing makes me happier to see a community such as Tiktok, coming together and sharing information. It’s like a family to me, really.”

You’ll see little critters show up if you soak your strawberries in salt water

@selesteradcliffeGROSS IT WAS JUMPING!!!!! BRB CRYING ##fyp ##xyzcba ##GROSS♬ original sound – babyadrianne

Some internet users suggest that you use cold water while others say that you should go for warm water for your berry-cleansing ‘ritual.’ Warm water makes more sense because salt will dissolve faster inside of it.

It’s not just bugs and dirt that we should be worried about. If the strawberries you bought aren’t organic but grown using pesticides, you’ll want to add some white vinegar to the water. That way, you’ll minimize the amount of chemicals you swallow.

At the end of the day, we’ve all been eating bugs for years and years—we just don’t think about it. You’ll find tiny pieces of insects everywhere, including in canned fruits and veggies.

Layla Eplett writes on the Scientific American Guest Blog that people on average ingest about “one to two pounds of flies, maggots, and other bugs each year without even knowing it.” While it’s unpleasant to think about, it’s harmless. After all, we’re still here, aren’t we? Just in case, though, wash your strawberries! Wash ‘em well.

This is how people reacted when they learned that there are bugs in strawberries

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