After You Cook gluten-free

[MsMarginalized]

Afterwards, you have to wash the dishes.  

 

Now, when my DS & I were first diagnosed, the support group we were in encouraged me to get some dedicated cookware...so I bought a set of RED pots & pans.  I thought that the glassware & glazed plates/bowls would be ok to share (I have to run a "mixed kitchen").  

 

No one has ever been able to answer this question of mine: will I cross contaminate my cookware by having it washed it in the same dishwater as thing that were glutened?

 

Also, my stoneware isn't brand new so there are some scratches in it.  

 

So, it's been more than a year since we were diagnosed & son STILL had ttg antibodies at his 1 year check up!  

 

I'm so fed up with this (both him & I getting sick for no discernible reason) that I've gone ahead and purchased dedicated EVERYTHING for my gluten-free cooking.  I've purchased everything in RED and have told DD (who does the dishes) NOT to wash our things...I do that separately in a brand new RED basin that I bought specifically for this.  We store our things separately, also.  I feel like maybe I'm going overboard until I remember the let-down feeling I had when I learned that DS STILL has the antibodies in his system!

[kareng]

I use the same plates and silverware and the same dishwasher.

[bartfull]

I think the chances of CC are greater from other sources. Like maybe someone in the house spread butter or mayo on some gluten bread and then dipped the knife again. If you use that jar or tub or stick, you have just contaminated yourself. Or maybe some gluten crumbs got into the silverware drawer. Or maybe someone in the house baked something with gluten. Flour dust stays in the air so if you breathe it, it gets into the back of your throat and you will swallow it. Or it settled on everything in the kitchen and contaminated everything you touch.

 

Or, if he goes to school, maybe he is getting CC'd there. If he eats chips and someone with gluten on their hands reaches into the bag, they have just contaminated the bag. Or someone he sits next to touches his food or spills crumbs onto it.

 

Lots of possibilities.

[GF Lover]

If the dishwasher magically glutened everything, no celiac would ever heal.  That's my opinion and I'm stickin to it.    You do not need to spend every waking moment "Being Celiac".  You just need to modify your diet and LIVE LIFE.    Save your strength for the big stuff in life.  The worse thing about Celiac is getting diagnosed, after that it's a stroll in the park with a feisty dog.

 

Colleen

[mamaw]

I agree  I  don't think  your dishwasher  can gluten  you.. But  scratched pots &  pans ( stoneware could) ... Also  look  for  other  sources, besides  the  double  dipping  issue,  pet  food, cat, dog,  bird.....hidden ingredient  gluten which  should  not  be  a  big  problem  with the new  labeling  laws! If  one  is  super  sensitive recheck  your  soaps  that  you  bathe   with, not  generally an issue  but  the  super  sensitive  have problems  with  toiletries. Medicines  have  also been known  to  cause  problems...

[kareng]

I don't know how old the kid is, but could he be getting it at school or friends houses?  Either accidentally or on purpose?  I have seen kids that think "I eat that at my house so it must be OK at Johnny's house"  A goods example is Rice Krispie treats.  Kids might not realize there is a specific gluten-free Rice Krispies mom makes them with.

[notme]

I don't know how old the kid is, but could he be getting it at school or friends houses?  Either accidentally or on purpose?  I have seen kids that think "I eat that at my house so it must be OK at Johnny's house"  A goods example is Rice Krispie treats.  Kids might not realize there is a specific gluten-free Rice Krispies mom makes them with.

yep, and you know you are careful about cc in your own house, but somewhere else maybe things that should be safe for him are made unsafe by being mixed with or touched by unsafe foods?  you have read the newbie 101 thread, right?\

 

my dishwasher is out of commission until monday or wednesday.  I DO NOT LIKE IT!!!  i like the high speed high temp water rinsing everything so very well (and my husband eats gluten and we share the dishwasher)  i'm more nervous washing the dishes by hand, but i know they are also clean and safe   you might want to look for other reasons?/  good luck!

[pricklypear1971]

Yes, a dishwasher (or dishwater, depending on what, how) can gluten you. We have very hard water and a relatively new dishwasher. We struggle to keep the buildup out - and a good coating of gluteny delivery pizza (no cooking in my house) got me via the dishwasher. As I've become more sensitive I've learned I can't put gluteny dishes in the dishwasher that aren't already washed (soap/water/paper towel).

I run a terrifyingly strict gluten eating arrangement. It is delivered, you eat on paper towels, you put your glutened stuff in the trash, you get up and wash in bathroom with soap. You don't touch anything. I watch. We really aren't a mixed house. Take out/delivery is my limit.

It was the dishwasher. I put the dishes in with some pizza grease/cheese stuck on it (probably crumbs) and I got whammied. Hasn't happened again since I started washing gluten dishes prior to going in. Even beer glasses. I didn't stick anything in that wasn't in compliance with manufacturers instructions or that hadn't previously been cleaned off before.

Wasn't always this way. We do fight the crud and buildup in our dishwasher and washing machine. If you have softer water I'd guess it would be easier.

[livinthelife]

I write in Sharpie "do not double dip" on jars and another sign I taped on the gluten bread that says WATCH YOUR CRUMBS. I yell like a crazy person if I find a stray ramen noodle too!!! I ended up reasoning my iron and bought new saucepans and all the "stuff" for the kitchen. 

 

I hope you find the cause and that your son gets better and stays better.

 

FYI - I just had a new dishwasher installed today. Not because of gluten though…my old one just plain wore out. The new ones are so quiet! I guess I was used to the freight train in the kitchen.

[MsMarginalized]

My son is 17 y/old.  Whenever he does eat at school, it's a gluten-free pb&j made at home...and he eats separately from the other kids (to keep out of their crumbs).

 

The jars of mayo/miracle whip are all considered glutened.  I only use squeeze mayo for any gluten-free cooking.  The tubs of "I can't believe it's not butter" are either unmarked (for rest of family) or it has "Gluten Free ONLY" written on it (which, in that case, I'm the only one to use it).

 

Turns out the kitten chow does have wheat...so DS & I don't mess with her food anymore.  As for the adult cat food, it was poured into the bin & we have no idea about it's gluten-state (so, DS washes his hands as soon as he's done filling up their dish).

 

My son & I *have* lived our lives for the past year-with the Celiac being a "mindful" thing, NOT Full in our mind.  It's just that the fact DS still has antibodies a year on, it means he's been continually exposed to gluten.  Not a good thing.

[JNBunnie1]

I have certainly seen dishes come out of a dishwasher with crud still on them

(mine included). And given that your son's numbers are still up means of course,

there's something that's going on there that needs addressing. You've gotten a

lot of good advice on this thread. Can you think of any other ways your son

might be getting exposed? A regular medication that hasn't been checked?

[pricklypear1971]

My son is 17 y/old. Whenever he does eat at school, it's a gluten-free pb&j made at home...and he eats separately from the other kids (to keep out of their crumbs).

The jars of mayo/miracle whip are all considered glutened. I only use squeeze mayo for any gluten-free cooking. The tubs of "I can't believe it's not butter" are either unmarked (for rest of family) or it has "Gluten Free ONLY" written on it (which, in that case, I'm the only one to use it).

Turns out the kitten chow does have wheat...so DS & I don't mess with her food anymore. As for the adult cat food, it was poured into the bin & we have no idea about it's gluten-state (so, DS washes his hands as soon as he's done filling up their dish).

My son & I *have* lived our lives for the past year-with the Celiac being a "mindful" thing, NOT Full in our mind. It's just that the fact DS still has antibodies a year on, it means he's been continually exposed to gluten. Not a good thing.

He wouldn't be the first to get whammied by pet food. I'd put the pets on gluten-free food.

[kareng]

My son is 17 y/old.  Whenever he does eat at school, it's a gluten-free pb&j made at home...and he eats separately from the other kids (to keep out of their crumbs).

 

The jars of mayo/miracle whip are all considered glutened.  I only use squeeze mayo for any gluten-free cooking.  The tubs of "I can't believe it's not butter" are either unmarked (for rest of family) or it has "Gluten Free ONLY" written on it (which, in that case, I'm the only one to use it).

 

Turns out the kitten chow does have wheat...so DS & I don't mess with her food anymore.  As for the adult cat food, it was poured into the bin & we have no idea about it's gluten-state (so, DS washes his hands as soon as he's done filling up their dish).

 

My son & I *have* lived our lives for the past year-with the Celiac being a "mindful" thing, NOT Full in our mind.  It's just that the fact DS still has antibodies a year on, it means he's been continually exposed to gluten.  Not a good thing.

 

 

I have a 17 year old boy.  I doubt he eats all by himself, in exile, with no friends.  But that's just my son's thought.  

[bartfull]

Were your numbers down at your one year checkup? If so, he must be getting gluten outside of the home. PLEASE don't take this the wrong way, but are you sure he isn't cheating on the diet when you're not around?

[MsMarginalized]

I didn't have any re-checks....DS had one at 3 months, 6 months & 1 year.

 

Yes, I know he is not eating outside of the house (he refuses to).

 

About eating at school, what I meant was that he sits down the table from his friends, with space between them & him (but that is not very often, he usually waits to get home to eat.)

[cyclinglady]

I can understand your frustration concerning your son's antibodies being high after one year.

I wash all my dishes by hand. I use a separate pot, colander and spoon for my daughter's gluten noodles. I clean those items along with her thermos and cereal bowl using a separate sponge. I change my dishcloth and towels daily and I do all the cleaning. (She is swamped with homework, but that is another thread.). I was only glutened once by not cleaning a pot well enough (lesson learned -- wear my reading glasses). Now I make sure the pots are dedicated if only for piece of mind. Gluten bread and crackers are not allowed. I tend to buy individual packages of goodies for her to take to school.

We live in gluten houses for 8 weeks out of the year. We use the same pots, etc., but bought our own toasters, colanders and keep those in a separate box in the attic while we are gone. We have not been glutened yet! That's with four families running around a lake house. We do make sure that we are always the first to eat, do not take seconds and supervise all food preparation. So, it is possible to remain healthy in a mixed household, but it is sure nice to live in a 95% gluten-free house.

Maybe gluten is being left on laptops, iPads and door knobs. I am always cleaning those items. Does your son chew his nails? I am reaching on this one!

I hope you can figure this out.

[bartfull]

Maybe you should get your own antibodies checked. If yours are high too, you'll know it something in the house or a food that you are both eating. If not, you'll know he is getting it from somewhere else.

 

Double and triple check all supplements and medications. (Something that was fine might now contain gluten. They change ingredients based on price and availability.) And I think you said you use squeeze bottle mayo. Is it a shared bottle? Sometimes people let the tip of the bottle touch their bread.

 

Also, you say he is very careful at school. Is it possible that someone at school is sabotaging him? I say that because a while back there was a teenager here on the board who was going through just that.

[Simona19]

Everybody had already very good suggestions. I would like to add one more. And what about the girlfriend? Does he has any? Can she gluten him by accident (kiss)? Maybe??? 

 

 

I'm washing everything by hand because when you take things from dishwasher out, sometimes there is food stack on plates, and I don't see the point of washing something twice (by hands and in the dishwasher).

 I'm using the same sponge to wash all dishes, then scrubbing plates and pots (even gluten free) with the wire type of sponge (not Brillo), and finally running my fingers over them to check, if everything is clean. Afterwards I will rinse everything very good with warmer water. But I have separate pots, pans, colanders, utensils and boards for me. We would share the big toaster from time to time, but everybody is using aluminum foil over it which is changed after every use. For heating my bagels, I have my own, smaller one.

There is the gluten bread in my house, but everybody are already adults, so cross-contamination is under control. No gluten flour is allowed at any point.  

I just had my blood work done on Friday to check levels after 3 years, so provably tomorrow I will know the results. I hope they will be ok. So, I will know for sure, if what I'm doing in the kitchen is correct.