Washing Dishes..with A Gluten Kitchen

[ConnieA84]

Hello All,

My question is I am sharing a kitchen with my Parents who eat a normal diet. I have a seperate toaster and got rid of all the wooden spoons and bowls. But I am not wondering about washing dishes we live in an older homw and do not have a dish washer..so everything by hand. If I am using an antibacterial soap am I safe as our dishes are always all mixed up. I am also considering buying a few pots and pans and a frying pan that only I use. What do you guys think?? Does anyone else share a kitchen with gluten how careful do i need to be.

Thanks for the help guys,

Connie

[michelleL]

I, too, share a kitchen with a gluten, my DH. In addition to having my own toaster, I have my own stick of butter, too. I mark it by writing the first letter of my name on it, or I buy a fancy butter all for meself I also insist that all jams, condiments, etc. be extracted out of their jars with a clean little metal spoons, so there are no bread-encrusted knives leaving behind bread crumbs in jars... I once got a terrible allergic reaction when I visited my parents and there was peanut butter residue in the jelly jar (I'm allergic to peanuts...)

I wash by hand and have not had a problem. I just scrub really really well and be sure to rinse really really well, and I wipe down all counters. I always rinse dishes really well, too, before washing so that most of the dirriness on the dishes are just about gone really before I actually wash them, and I soak pots overnight if they're too encrusted.

I do take special precaution with pots that have been used to cook oatmeal. I soak, scour and be sure to rinse all the oaty water down the drain and then wash.

I used to cook separate pastas (wheat and rice) but it was just too mauch work and too much risk for contamination - so we just both eat the rice pasta. He loves it and you really can't tell the difference.

[missy'smom]

You should have a separate strainer too as it is very hard to get gluten out of the mesh or little holes.

Don't worry about using antibacterial soap as gluten is not a germ that needs to be killed.

As far as pans go, if your family uses teflon or other coated pans or cast iron then you will not be able to use those pans for both gluten and gluten free. All other plain metals are OK to use for both.

The reason is that teflon should not be scrubbed really well because it will damage the coating but we need to be able to scub it to remove the gluten. And a similar reason with cast iron. If one takes care of a cast iron pan properly we should not use soap and should allow a little build-up on the surface but again, that method of washing will not remove the gluten. And even if you wash it well, the old cast iron pans have a layer of build up that can''t be scraped off. You can put one in the oven on self-cleaning(when it's done, you will see all the build-up turn to powder) and then scrub it well and reseason it and use it for gluten-free only.

[michelleL]

I was going to add, too, to make sure you have your own colander... (I did get glutened using a colander I had cleaned after draining wheat pasta - it's just impossible to clean all those little holes.)

And I designate one cutting board as the one that wheat breads are sliced on, just so that I don't get confused, and start slicing things on a cutting board full of bread crumbs...