From what I have heard on the news, the reason that washing will not get the e coli off the spinach is the reason that shiva and some others said -- because the e coli is embedded within the leaf from the plant being watered for so long with the contaminated water. I'd imagine that if I had e coli on my hand because (well, you know) and I touched some spinach and transferred the e coli to it that I could then wash the spinach, and send the e coli down the drain. That's just what I think from what I've heard on the news.