Gluten Decontamination

Back in November I wrote about what a bother it was to be sure the clothes Smiley and I wore were free of gluten once we arrived home.

Since then I've developed a much better routine. The key was declaring the top of the washing machine and dryer as potentially gluten-unsafe. Since I do all the laundry, this does not inconvenience my wife.

When Smiley and I arrive home I set him on the dryer. He knows to stay sitting, and is quite aware enough of edges to not fall off. I wash my hands and face. Then I undress him down to his diaper, then remove my shirt, then wash my hands again. Then I pick him up, hold him at the sink as he washes his hands, and wipe down his face and hair with a damp washcloth.

Then I carry him upstairs to the nursery, taking a detour along the way to get a new shirt from my closet. I put him on the changing pad, put on my shirt, change his diaper and put new clothes on him, and then set him on the floor to play while I go change my pants.

When the weather is cool I always wear a flannel overshirt. This lack of formality probably confuses some of my math students, but it helps keep my wife safe. This "gluten unsafe" overshirt lives in the laundry room. I put it on before leaving the house as an extra layer of protection from bringing traces of gluten into the house. If the house is not too cold to change Smiley while wearing only my boxer shorts, I will also take off my pants in the laundry room and they too live there until my next trip outside.