Silpat, the original silicone baking mat, was developed by French baker Guy Demarle in the 1960s. The mats combine a fiberglass mesh and a silicone coating that will withstand temperatures from -40 to 480°F.
So you were baking cookies on the mat and now it’s all dirty? The good news is, there’s a lot of easy ways to clean a silicone baking mat.
Today, we’re looking into how to clean silicone baking mats.
How to Clean Silicone Baking Mats
1. Dishwasher
The quickest way to clean a silicone baking mat is by using the dishwasher. Silicone baking mats are dishwasher safe. However, to avoid potential damage, there are a few things to remember.
- Choose a dishwasher detergent that does not contain chlorine bleach – Frequent use of too much chlorine bleach on silicone can deteriorate the surface.
- Don’t bend the baking mat – When placing the mat in the dishwasher rack, be sure the mat is not creased.
If there’s still sticky residue, try any method of the following.
2. Lemon Juice
Lemons are natural cleaning solution, so they loosen up any grease, dirt and grime on the baking mats. To use this solution, do the following steps:
- Fill kitchen sink with hot water and teaspoon of lemon juice.
- Soak the baking mats for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Wearing kitchen gloves, scrub clean under the water with a sponge.
- Thoroughly rinse the baking mat.
- Dry on a drying rack or with a towel.
3. Baking Soda
If you have not cleaned your silicone baking mat for long, this method will work fantastically. To use this solution, do the following steps:
- Wet the baking mat under running water. Turn water off.
- Sprinkle the wet mat with baking soda all over the surface.
- Wearing kitchen gloves, rub the baking soda and residual water droplets together to make a paste.
- Let the paste sit on the mats for 20 minutes.
- Thoroughly rinse clean the baking mat with very hot water.
- Dry on a drying rack or with a towel.
If the mat still feels sticky, move to the next step of cleaning with dish soap.
4. Extremely hot water and grease-fighting dish soap
In fact, this might just be the best way to remove sticky residue and tackle tough stains. Here’s how:
- Soak baking mat in extremely hot water with a few squirts of grease-fighting dish soap for 20 minutes.
- Wearing kitchen gloves, scrub clean under the water with a sponge.
- Wash the baking mat and rinse.
- Dry on a drying rack or with a towel.
Final Thoughts
The best thing to do is a wash with grease-fighting dish soap and a sponge while the baking mat is still hot. You can also use lemon juice and baking soda to clean your silicone bakeware.
We hope that these tips have been helpful in helping you clean your silicone baking mats.
