How hot is white hot steel?

Steel wool smell under hot water?

• I was just washing dishes tonight and scrubbing them with steel wool under hot water. The water wasn't boiling, but was hot enough to create a lot of steam, and I noticed that the steel wool was giving off a very strong smell but only when it was under hot water.. It's hard to describe the smell, but it made me light headed.. This was the second time this happened when I was washing dishes with the steel wool.. Does anyone else use steel wool to clean dishes, and if so, notice a smell when running it under hot water? Can the smell be dangerous? I figured that steel wool can possibly release iron oxide fumes.. Maybe I'm being paranoid.. I have an anxiety disorder.

• Answer:

  I doubt the steal wool is dangerous to breathe in those fumes. There would be warnings all over the place.