Silicone oven accessories are perfect for making the most of cupboard space, but are often difficult to clean. The grease and other food residues seem to inexorably attach themselves to this material. However, with a little elbow grease, baking soda, and degreasing dish soap, you can make them as good as new in the blink of an eye.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Use a Degreasing Dishwashing Liquid
Step 1. Fill the sink with water and dish soap
Put the stopper in the kitchen sink and fill it with hot water (at the highest temperature you can tolerate). Pour a few drops of degreasing dish soap and mix it with the water until you get a thick foam. The degreasing dish detergent is designed to fight stubborn stains, such as those that tend to form on silicone oven accessories.
Make sure you use very hot water. Warm or cold water is not as effective for washing silicone baking accessories
Step 2. Dip the accessories into the solution you have prepared
Place the silicone trays or molds in the hot soapy water and let them soak. Allow the solution to work for at least 30 minutes, although it may take a little longer (an hour) for particularly stubborn stains.
Some people prefer to use eco-friendly, natural dish detergents, but the ingredients in these products are not as effective at removing stubborn stains that tend to form on silicone baking accessories
Step 3. Scrub with a non-abrasive sponge
Pour the degreasing dish detergent also on a non-abrasive sponge and rub it on the baking trays or silicone molds. Rub vigorously to remove stains.
It may take a lot of time and energy to remove these spots
Step 4. Repeat the process
To get rid of the stains, it may be necessary to repeat the procedure several times. It will take a lot of elbow grease to remove the dirt residue from the silicone accessories. Try reusing the degreasing dish soap and keep scrubbing.
The second time, try to further increase the water temperature. If you wear a pair of rubber gloves, you can safely wash the silicone accessories in very hot water without getting burned
Step 5. Rinse and dry the accessories
When you have removed the stains from the silicone trays and molds, you should rinse them until all residual soapy water is removed. Then, arrange them upside down on a dish towel or dish drainer to let the water run.
Make sure to let the silicone accessories dry completely before using them again. It usually takes a couple of hours
Method 2 of 3: Remove Stubborn Stains
Step 1. Warm up the silicone baking accessories before washing them
For particularly stubborn grease stains, it is useful to heat the accessories in the oven before proceeding with cleaning. Preheat it to 180 ° C. Once it has warmed up well, place the baking sheets or molds in it for 10 minutes. This will help soften any dirt encrusted on the silicone, making it easier to remove.
- After heating the accessories, try washing them with a degreasing dish soap and baking soda.
- Be careful not to burn yourself when removing the accessories from the oven.
Step 2. Apply baking soda
Moisten the silicone accessories in the sink and beat them to remove excess water. They must be moist, but without dripping. Look for any grease stains left and sprinkle a handful of baking soda on them.
Make sure you sprinkle a generous handful of baking soda, a light dusting won't do
Step 3. Make a baking soda paste
Gently massage the baking soda with a damp cloth so that the water mixes with the powder to form a thick paste. It is necessary to obtain a thick and full-bodied compound on each single stain.
Let the baking soda dry completely. You may have to wait for several hours
Step 4. Rinse and repeat
Once the baking soda has dried completely, rinse the accessories in the sink with hot water. If the stains still haven't gone away at this point, you can try washing them again with a degreasing dish soap or re-applying baking soda.
It may be necessary to repeat the procedure several times in order to make the silicone accessories perfectly clean
Step 5. Rinse and dry the accessories
Once the baking soda paste has been removed, wash the trays or molds with dish soap. Rinse them well in the sink. You should let them dry completely on a dish towel or dish drainer before using them again.
Avoid storing silicone accessories wet, otherwise you risk exposing them to mold and bacteria
Method 3 of 3: Take Preventive Measures
Step 1. Rinse the accessories immediately after use
One of the worst things you can do is to let food residue get crusted on the trays or molds before washing them. As soon as you finish cooking a dish, wash it with a degreasing dish soap. This will help keep them intact and facilitate future cleaning.
Silicone accessories should at least be filled with water and dish detergent immediately after use, so that you can wash them without problems when the time comes
Step 2. Avoid using abrasive sponges
Abrasive sponges are no more effective than normal ones for washing silicone oven accessories. Furthermore, if you use them, you risk ruining the trays and molds.
Using an abrasive sponge can scrape the silicone and, over time, this can compromise its non-stick properties
Step 3. Avoid non-stick sprays
Silicone baking accessories already have non-stick properties, so there's no need to coat them with cooking spray. Since this product neither facilitates nor speeds up the removal of food, using it is useless.
