AboutJan Hayner Expertise If you have questions regarding home organizing, house cleaning shortcuts, office organizing, files, record keeping, organizing your children, teaching your kids how to help you clean and making it fun, I will give you the advice of a Professional Organizer, mom of four and grandma of 8.
Working Smarter-Not Harder is a phrase I live by; taking the stress out of life so you have time for the fun things is my goal!
Experience I have been a Professional Organizer for 9 years, the mom of 4 and grandma of 8,I do work for clients in the home and the work place, and am considered an expert in my field of Organization.
Organizations Faithful Organizers, passed member of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers), WIM (Women in Management),
Publications I have had work published all over the internet and various webzines and Newsletters. I am also a columnist on Mature Resources.org. and an Expert on all experts.com under Self Improvement/SelfHelp/Organizing Your Home and Workspace.
Education/Credentials I have taken various /classes on organizing on the interent, been taught by the best (other collegues in the field), and when I need to learn something, I find an expert in the field and learn from them. I am a research fanatic and enjoy learning everything that I can on a subject.
Question Hi Jan. Don't know if you can answer this or perhaps point me in the right direction. I have two baking pans that I use for cooking vegetables (sliced squash, onions, peppers, etc.). They are approximately 4 years old. Recently after I used them and put them in the dishwasher, they had spots on them, so I began washing them in the sink with dish soap. I noticed that the dishcloth was turning grey as I washed the pans, and no matter how hard I rubbed them, more grey continued to come off. I've also tried using baking soda to clean them, but that doesn't work either; it continues to "bleed" grey. This hasn't happened with them before. I'm wondering if this is part of the pan coating coming off, in which case it concerns me for health reasons. Perhaps the salt I put on the vegetables I bake (more than would typically be used for cookies of course) is compromising the pan coating. Do you have any idea what this is, if it is dangerous, or how to clean it?
Thank you,
Michelle
Answer Hi Michelle;
It sounds as though there is a chemical reaction going on and I would suggest you purchase new pans. After four years of acids from vegetables cooked at high temperatures, there is a breakdown in the composition of the pans. This might explain it for you a little better.
"Modern metal cooking pans are frequently coated with a substance such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coating in order to minimize the possibility of food sticking to the pan surface. This has advantages and disadvantages for flavor and ease of use. The main difference in quality levels of the coatings are in the formulas of the liquid coating, the thickness of each layer and the number of layers of used.
There has been controversy surrounding the use of nonstick coatings: while decomposition does not occur at normal cooking temperatures, accidental overheating can produce decomposition products which are toxic to humans and fatal to birds.
Which Pan Is Safe?
The stainless steel pan is one of the most popular frying pans, and for the most part it is generally a safe product to cook with. However, a small percentage of people who may be allergic to nickel, may find this pan to present allergic symptoms. Stainless steel pans "may aggravate the symptoms of [those that have] dermatitis."
Copper pans are another popular choice. As long as they are lined, and the food is not exposed to the copper, there is no threat to the consumer. If the lining of the pan wears out or gets scratched from wear and tear, the copper leeches through and can cause those using it to become ill. Symptoms from over-exposure to copper include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, to name a few.
Aluminum pans are not a safe bet when cooking. According to Jethro Kloss, author of Back to Eden, and a leading voice on nutrition, "It [aluminum] flakes off very easily when food is cooked in it." In his book, Mr. Kloss relates his personal experience with aluminum poisoning from pans and utensils. For him, there is little doubt. "Everyone who knows anything about aluminum knows that it is poison," he states.
Aluminum has also been in the news regarding the environmental damage and poisons exuded into the air from aluminum factories, as well as a possible linkage of Alzheimer's disease, since patients with Alzheimer's show elevated levels of aluminum in their brains. The research being done, however, is still inconclusive."
So, I know that there can be problems with breakdowns in chemicals. I am not an expert in this area, but I have read enough about what the experts say to believe that ALL types of cooking and storage containers breakdown over time. I replace all of my plastic wear every three year, because I do cook with a lot of 'acid foods' (Tomato, onions, rutabaga etc.)
I hope this helps explain things a little.
Jan Hayner
