Overused tools like your silicone baking mats need some extra TLC. And what better way to express your care than by giving these trusted buddies some nice spring cleaning, here are some tips on how to clean silicone baking mats. Whether you’re baking cupcakes, cookies, chicken, or fish, silicone mats are necessary tools you shouldn’t forget on your baking equipment list. They come in handy and increase your efficiency in the kitchen; they help reduce waste, and most of all, make you a versatile baker! Given the fact that you have to use them almost all the time, you should know how to clean them so they would stay efficient for a longer time. To help you with the solution.
Are Silicone Baking Mats Safe to Use?
The answer is yes. These baking mats are safe for use with food and approved by the FDA. You are free to bake with it as long as the silicone baking mat is marked as food safe. Remember the maximum temperature that your mat can be heated. Generally, the maximum heat is 400 to 450 degrees F. To be sure, carefully read the instructions that come with your mat.
Why is your Silicone Baking Mat Dirty?
Silicone mats are meant to be non-stick. When you use those mats for baking your awesome chocolate chip cookies in the oven, the silicone molecules of your silicone mats expand to absorb fats (like the butter in those cookies), and odor as well. Over time, they develop this greasy film on top. Let’s say you will bake fish using your silicone mat one day, then bake cookies the next day, what’s the best way to clean them? Check out some amazing tips below.
How to Clean your Silicone Baking Mat
- Dishwasher. Of course, silicone baking mats are dishwasher-safe! How to clean silicone baking mats using a dishwasher? Roll them up and put them on top of your dishwasher rack. Fill them up together with the other dirty dishes and perform a regular cycle. They will feel less oily or completely oil-free. If there is still residue, try these following tips.
- Lemon juice. This is refreshing and oil-fighting. How to clean silicone baking mats using lemon juice? To do this method, squeeze fresh lemon juice to a container of hot water and soak your mat/s for 10 minutes. Wear kitchen gloves and scrub clean your mat/s with a sponge or towel under the water, then dry it on a rack or with a towel. Repeat if needed.
- Baking soda. This works like a charm! How to clean silicone baking mat using baking soda? Place the mat/s under running water, then turn off the faucet. Pour a generous amount of baking soda all over the top. Wear kitchen gloves to rub the baking soda and the water droplets together to create a paste focusing chiefly of the area with hard stains. Let it sit on the mat for about 20 minutes, then rinse the silicone mat with hot water. You can repeat the method if necessary.
- Hot water and heavy-duty dish soap. Soak the mats in boiling water with a few drops of heavy-duty, grease-fighting dishwashing soap for about 20 minutes. Use soap that is designed to tackle adamant stains. The water must be piping hot, not warm. Wear kitchen gloves and scrub your mats under the water with a sponge, then let it dry on a rack or with a towel. If the stains are tough, repeat this process. This trick also works well to clean other silicone bakewares too.
How to Store your Silicone Baking Mats?
We recommend that you lay your baking mats flat, which is how we store ours. Another way is to roll up your silicone baking mat and place them inside of a cardboard tube like a used paper towel tube. Make sure not to put heavy pots and pans on your rolled or folded mat as it can cause damage to your silicone baking mat.
Conclusion
As what you’ve probably experienced, silicone mats, though one of the handiest and dependable tools, could give you stress during washing time. They could go filthy and oily, and there are times when the odor and flavor stick onto the surface, which makes it a bit of a turnoff.
But with these tips, you can get rid of those frowning foreheads. Learning how to clean silicone baking mats would now be a piece of cake. Instead of throwing them away and buying new ones, you can clean and reuse them for your next baking project. Know more about baking mats.