How Do You Handle Cross-contamination At Home?

[mythreesuns]

If I'm really going to stick with this, I need to figure out how to keep my kitchen "clean." Impossible, I know, but if you're the only one gluten-free, how do you keep yourself free from contamination? Any and all tips welcomed!

[kabowman]

I am the only one with this many restrictions - my boys have food intolerances but not on this level and we don't use onions any more in cooking for my husband who can no longer tolerante any onions, at all.

I have several things:

-Safe counters and shared counters

-gluten-free foods only pots, shared pots (like stainless steel), only their pots (we each have our own cast iron)

-gluten-free pantry section - nothing but my stuff goes in there

-Mixed pantry - just bottles

-Their pantry

-gluten-free 'fridge shelf - including my own condiments

-Constant cleaning, rinsing, cleaning, rinsing, etc.

-gluten-free sponges for handwashing gluten-free pots, and mixed sponges for washing their stuff

-Separate towels - if you are touching my food, my stuff, wash your hands and dry them on my towel, use the other for everything else.

-Don't share the toaster

I don't keep any regular flour in the house BUT we do have some flour containing mixes in the house for gravy and pancakes - those are poured into a bowl, with the overhead fan OFF, on the desk in the kitchen, where we don't prepare food, then it is cleaned, rinsed, cleaned, rinsed, etc.

We replace the main teflon 2 skillets each year but the old ones go to the camping box.

[jmengert]

I'm the only one gluten-free in my house, so here's what I do:

I keep my food in a separate cabinet in the kitchen.

I keep my pots/pans/utensils in a separate cabinet.

I keep separate condiments--mayo, mustard, jelly, etc.--anything that touches bread, basically.

My boyfriend has to keep his "scary" foods (i.e. foods with crumbs--cookies, breads, etc.) on a separate table that I never go near.

I cover all my foods in the microwave with a plastic plate or paper towel.

That's all I can think of for now. I've been doing this for 2 years, and so far, not a problem. My boyfriend was a bit clueless for awhile (he never used my food or pots), but he was known to leave crumbs on the counter for a bit, but it's been awhile since that has happened. I also wash my hands a lot when cooking, since I know gluten is in my kitchen. I feel that as long as you are viligant, it can be done.

Good luck, and let me know if you have any other questions!

[happygirl]

here's my two cents---and it's just me and my husband, who is super careful

separate butters, mayos, peanut butters, sour cream (anything dip-able!)...label "GLUTEN FREE ONLY" and then label the other one as "other" or something to identify it clearly as having potential crumbs.

Get lots of cooking utensils--this way, if something gluteny is being cooked, you have enough spoons, spatulas, etc to keep one per pot (no dipping a contaminated spoon in gluten-free food)

we have a bread box that he keeps his bread in (so that its not laying out everywhere)

if he makes anything gluten-filled, he has to make it on a plate so that it can go in DW right away....and wipes down counter so there are no crumbs.

separate toasters

to make things easier, we buy a lot of things that are naturally gluten free---we'll buy a bbq sauce that is naturally gluten-free, so then we don't have to have two.

if he is making something gluten-filled, he has to wash his hands thoroughly if he is getting ice out (of the bin) so there are no crumbs (or he does it before he makes it)

no kissy kissy if he has had beer or other gluten sources...only kisses on the cheek til he brushes real well.

lots of wiping things down, cleaning, washing, etc just to be extra careful.

hope this helps and gives you some ideas. good luck!

[kabowman]

Oh, separate wooden cooking utensils - I came home and a neighbor boy, used one of my good wooden utensils to make his gluten filled soup with - I tried to use it, got really really sick and had to give it to good will. Hated to do that when I paid quite a bit for the handmade, cherry spatula.

[penguin]

All gluten in my house is prepackaged in the form of Kraft dinners, cheerios, and saltine crackers. I don't keep bread in the house (we just don't use it) so that eliminates all the cc condiment issues. I also don't make anything or handle anything that isn't gluten-free. Since I do all the shopping, everything I buy is gluten-free.

DH has his own pot to make mac and cheese (rare) or oatmeal fudge (rare), and his own cooking utensils for that. He's not as good at keeping the cheerios contained as he used to be, but we're working on it. He's more or less gluten-free at home (with the exception of saltines and cheerios) because it's easier. If he wants gluten, he can eat it at work or at a restaurant.

It's a family disease, and everyone in the house needs to help out to keep the celiac healthy.

[Nantzie]

I do a lot of the above, but here's how I handle kitchen towels. I have two hooks above my kitchen sink. One is for the gluten-free hand towel, and one is for the gluten-free dishrag. There is a gluteny hand towel on the counter on the other side of the sink if anyone needs it. I also keep a ton of dish towels and dish rags, so that if I or anyone else accidentally contaminates one of them, we can just quickly throw the cc'd one in the hamper and put out a new one.

I also take out a clean plate to put my cooking utensils on while I'm cooking. That way, I don't have to worry about having a clean place on the counter to put my cooking spoons and such. We have tile counters (stupid grout...) and so I don't entirely trust my counters to be gluten-free. Nothing ever just gets put on the counters. I use a plate or paper towel to create clean a surface, depending on what I'm doing.

Nancy

[NoGluGirl]

I do a lot of the above, but here's how I handle kitchen towels. I have two hooks above my kitchen sink. One is for the gluten-free hand towel, and one is for the gluten-free dishrag. There is a gluteny hand towel on the counter on the other side of the sink if anyone needs it. I also keep a ton of dish towels and dish rags, so that if I or anyone else accidentally contaminates one of them, we can just quickly throw the cc'd one in the hamper and put out a new one.

I also take out a clean plate to put my cooking utensils on while I'm cooking. That way, I don't have to worry about having a clean place on the counter to put my cooking spoons and such. We have tile counters (stupid grout...) and so I don't entirely trust my counters to be gluten-free. Nothing ever just gets put on the counters. I use a plate or paper towel to create clean a surface, depending on what I'm doing.

Nancy

Dear Nantzie,

I am so glad you all posted these tips! I am gluten - free but my parents are not. I am constantly worrying about being glutened. I use the same pans as they do, and now realize that needs to stop. My dad is more understanding about it than my mother. They don't either understand that there are so many precautions you need to take. The reflux I get is so bad, it is just not tolerable. I need to make sure everything is safe from now on. This may be why the reflux did not go away completely yet. I was doing so much better, then it started up again. I know what you mean with the bloating. I have had a very hard time with that. I get reflux and stomach cramping, and feeling out of it all the time when I have gluten. Again, thank you for your tips.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[mythreesuns]

Thanks so much, everybody!!

I did get my own cookie sheets and utensils, but I haven't used them yet because I can't figure out how to store them properly.

I use stainless-steel pots, and I don't put them or the cooking utensils in the dishwasher anymore, I hand wash them. Is that sufficient? Although, I don't have a strictly gluten-free washrag, so that will change as soon as I get home. LOL

I stay far away from the towels, as it is just too hard to figure out what's really on them. I wash my hands frequently in the kitchen these days, and I use only paper towels.

I do have a "safe zone" on my counter, but it's hard to keep gluten-free, so I scrub it, wipe it, and wipe it with a paper towel before I use it (which means putting my gluten-free cutting board on it).

I did get my own toaster. I have my own shelf in the pantry, too. I have my own butter and peanut butter, but I suspect I'll need my own jelly as well. Everything else is a squirt bottle, so assuming no one touches their food with the bottle I'm safe, right?

Thanks again for all the tips! With the kids using the kitchen, I can't rely on anyone else to keep my stuff clean.

[Nantzie]

I have a plastic bin that I put on a higher shelf where I put my cooking untensils and stuff. I also have a small cutting board up there

I definitely recommend going with a dishrag rather than a sponge. You can wash it if it gets contaminated, and you're all set again. Once someone accidentally uses your gluten-free sponge on a gluten thing, there's no way to get all that stuff out of those little sponge holes.

I use a lot of paper towels too. A few months ago someone on the board thought to contact Bounty (I think...) and ask whether their paper towels were gluten-free, and it turns out the glue that they use to put the paper towels on the cardboard roll has some gluten in it and they said that it might effect the last few towels on the roll. So when I get down to the last several on the roll, I just transition that roll to the bathroom and use the rest of the roll for cleaning in there. I've never had a problem with the rest of the roll. I use Viva, not Bounty, but I'm guessing the possibility is the same with all brands.

For jelly, I use Welch's grape, which comes in a squeeze bottle. Even if you don't like that brand/flavor, you could always have your kids use it, then clean it out really well, relabel it, and reuse it to keep your gluten-free jelly in.

Nancy