Haz-Matting A Gluten Filled Kitchen

[needsomeadvice]

I am moving in with my boyfriend and I need some advice.  He is a gluten eater but is going to go gluten and soy free for me as I am very sensitive.  I have celiac as well as a soy allergy.  Well when I moved into my current apartment I spent almost a week straight cleaning and recleaning the kitchen and dishwasher, oven etc to try to sanitize it as best as humanly possible to reduce my chances of cross contamination.  So what I would like to know is:

 

1. what are the best ways to absolutely scrub the living hell out of the kitchen that was full of gluten so it's safe for me?

 

2. best way to really clean the dishwasher?  When I lived with my parents I was constantly very ill from cross contamination from the dishwasher, so is there a cleaner or something I can run through there to really strip it of anything dangerous to me?  What about the silverware rack if it has nicks and cuts from knives?  The one in my current apartment was like that so I completely tossed it so I wouldn't even have the risk. But I would hate to do that to him if I could just deep bleach it or something.

 

I just want to get everything as safe as I possibly can because CC is something that really hits me and I cannot afford to live with that. 

[IrishHeart]

I am going to be perfectly honest with you here. Some people get all in a tizzy over this particular subject and there's no need for that.

 

Don't overthink this cleaning thing too much, hon. Gluten crumbs will dissolve in water and the likelihood of food being stuck on the insides of a dishwasher after all that hot water, soap and sanitizer do their thing, you're not going to get glutened. Look on the bottom to see if there is anything there.

If you can't see anything, it's not a problem.

 

I converted my kitchen and pantry when I was diagnosed and I was a major bread baker. I have stayed in kitchens in seasonal rentals and hotels without incident by just giving everything a good wipe down..

I use windex on countertops. I'm "old school". I think ammonia does a good job.

 

I'd check the microwave and the oven and give those a good scrub. 

I replaced my wooden cutting board, plastic colander and any scratched teflon pans. That's it.

My bread machine was donated to a local food pantry with all the flour I had. They had bread for months.  (I know some people keep their machines, soaking the paddle of the machine and using it anyway)

 

If it is not absorbent, it's not going to "hold gluten".

 

If you discovered crumbs in the drawers that hold utensils and silverware, just vac them out and wipe them with a damp cloth.

 

And yes, a soak of the trays in clorox and water works, too. but I personally hate that smell, so I would just use plain old dish soap.

 

Gluten crumbs are not indestructable. They will dissolve and wash down the drain. No need to drive yourself crazy rewashing everything---honest! Unless your boyfriend has not washed his dishes and glasses, etc. EVER (and who does that?) , I cannot imagine there being anything harmful here.

 

I am sure you did a great job and kudos to your wonderful boyfriend for supporting you this way. My awesome hubs went gluten-free with me, too

and I am grateful it was one less thing for me to worry about while I healed. I am very sensitive to trace gluten too and I have never had a problem living in my formerly VERY gluteny kitchen.

 

Best wishes to you!

[IrishHeart]

And I thought of this last night...GET A NEW TOASTER!

[howlnmad]

We prepare gluten foods all the time in our kitchen, sammiches for the grand kid and other things for myself with just a good clean up and wipe down afterwords. Hasn't seemed to bother the wifey yet.

 

Only thing extravagant that I've done is take a torch and scraper to the grill grates and then put them through the the self cleaning oven cycle.