Decontaminating???

Boiling your pans with baking soda in water will lift pretty much everything out of them. Then, 'season' all of them to create a protective layer between the pan and your food: wipe salad/cooking oil onto the cold surface, heat the pan (in the oven, for anything that can go in the oven, at 250*, on the stove on low for anything that can't) for half an hour, turn off the heat and let it sit there to cool. Wipe out the excess oil and use as usual. Don't wash seasoned pans in detergent or soap, just use very hot water and a scrub brush. If they stop looking oily after repeated uses and washes, re-season them to reapply the coating.

Look very carefully at everything you're eating that is not a 'single-ingredient' food. Because labelling laws encourage cheating, a lot of foods have 'extra' stuff that no one has to mention on the labels. 'Unsweetened' commercial orange juice uses tons of white sugar to 'remove' the orange oil from the skins, with lots of it dissolving into the juice along the way (which is fine, because it's non-toxic, ha ha), but it doesn't have to be added to the label because it's a 'process' not an 'ingredient.' I think it stinks... but it means that people allergic to eggs need to be very careful about what kind of decaf coffee they drink (some use eggshells in the processing)... etc.

If you buy plain rice, whole apples, whole carrots and dried beans, etc., it is unlikely you'll encounter the myriad ingredients used to process processed foods. And there are hundreds. And it is almost impossible to find out what they are. Which is a massive pain in the bum for everyone in your position.

Hi H.:

You did not explain your symptoms? I would have some blood work done, check for lead and other poisons in your system, as well.

Using a simple bleach solution (meaning watered down) is all you would need. I would not use any other harsh chemicals.

I have allergies as well, and wish you the very best.

M.

Hey H.,

You can not decontaminate dishes/pans. You must purchase separate appliances. A crumb left on a pannini grill left my best friend sick for 3 days. Now, her and her husband have completely different appliances they use in the kitchen. Sad, but a neccesary step for her health.

I don't have any decontaminating tips but my daughter can't have gluten either she is 15months and we found out about 3 months ago. Maybe you are getting gluten from some sort of sauce or dressing or something that you wouldn't normally thing contains gluten. Just an idea.

Hope you feel better

Hi H.~
I don't want to downplay your sensitivity to gluten at all...but from a medical perspective there are some nasty viruses going around that are taking forever to get rid of! We have had patients on several rounds of antibiotics and they keep coming back, sicker than before. I hope you find the source of your illness, and if you've been unlucky enough to pick up one of these viruses, I wish you speedy healing!
~L.

Hi H.,

I do not have food allergies, but have issues with germs and what not. You might try a Clorox and water solution (check bottle for exact dilution) Just be sure to wear rubber gloves, as I got a terrible chemical burn from not (and I knowingly added too much bleach)

Best of luck to ya and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

I noticed you said you work from home... I recently became unemployed. I am a mother of 2 wonderful children: 10 year old girl and 3 year old boy...

Thanks for the info.

Hello H. - I know that if you have pans w/the coating & if they are scratched (even after being washed) a little bit of food (sauces, juices etc.) can be in the scratches causing cross containmination.

My 3 year old daughter is severly allergic to dairy & eggs & I purchased a couple extra pans just for the purpose of cooking "safe" foods for her. Hope that helps.