Ann - I always washed other fruit, but never bananas until about a year ago. I find it really does help.
Carol - I keep an empty, large size coffee can under my kitchen sink for stuff I want to add to my compost pile. I never had any problems with fruit flies, but the smell ... ewww! I usually end up tossing the can when it gets really bad.
Suzanne - great idea about washing cantalopes and watermelons. I never thought of them.
Kim - I never put potatoes on top of the fridge, but I have left them in my pantry closet. Not really a good idea either. I forgot about them, too, and then they turned all slimy and mushy. Yuck! I tried leaving them in the fridge, but they wouldn't taste right after awhile. Now I just leave them in the back corner of kitchen counter behind the fruit bowl. That seems to work out pretty well cause fruit doesn't last too long in my house, so it's easy to check on the potatoes.