It was originally sold in tins

May 2, 2012 8:27 PM

Say I want to store my dental floss in a metal container. Are there any (common) types of metal that would make the floss taste funny or become dangerous to my health?
posted by doift to science & nature (3 answers total)

Storing it in lead (or any other toxic metal) probably isn't a good idea.

Things like steel, stainless steel, copper should be fine. Anything used for food, like an Altoids tin, would work.
posted by 6550 at 8:53 PM on May 2, 2012

If the metal was coated with paint that contained arsenic (sadly common in the 19th century), you'd slowly develop some serious problems, methinks.
posted by artemisia at 9:12 PM on May 2, 2012

I’d stay away from metals containing copper. Copper corrosion compounds are toxic.
posted by D.C. at 5:48 AM on May 3, 2012