The thought behind vegetable/fruit brushes is that they thoroughly scrub fruits and veggies that require a good scrub to remove pesticide residue. While most silicone sponges can do this job adequately, some people prefer the specific veggie/fruit brush for scrubbing Dirty Dozens. Hard bristles, like the ones on this Life Without Plastic veggie brush, are perfect for scrubbing vegetables and fruits with tough skins, like pears, potatoes, and carrots. The bristles on this one are naturally made from Tampico fiber and union mixed plant fiber. No matter where you purchase a brush from, make sure it is always sustainably-sourced, plastic-free, and compostable at the end of its life. It’s essential that the bristles be compostable and natural, that way you don’t have to worry about microplastics entering our waterways.