In recent years, food-grade silicone has become an ideal material choice for household product manufacturers (kitchen utensils) due to its high safety, soft touch, resistance to falling, and environmental protection. Maybe you are buying new or using silicone utensils. Maybe you have many questions during the use of these silicone products, for example, can silicone be heated in a microwave? Can it be disinfected in a disinfection cabinet? Can it be washed in the dishwasher? Please continue to browse below, we will introduce the precautions before putting silicone tableware in the washing machine, whether it can be cleaned safely in the washing machine, etc.
Can You Dishwasher Silicone?
The answer to the question is yes.
Utensils made of silicone is 100% Dishwasher safe. Silicone has excellent wear and tear resistance, so consumers don’t have to worry about damaging or deforming the product's surface during cleaning.
What is silicone
Silicone is composed of extremely stable silicon-oxygen bonds. It is an inorganic inert compound containing silicon, oxygen, carbon, and other elements which require performance. The polymer offers resistance to higher temperatures and chemical corrosion and is therefore widely used in baby products, kitchen utensils, and cookware.
The unique advantages of silicone
Natural and inert: Silicon is a quasi-metallic element found only in silicate sands and rocks. Silicone does not react with other elements, that is, it is not restricted by other chemicals, such as common oils, greases, alkalis, and acids. A stable chemical structure provides excellent chemical resistance. This means that silicone is safe in contact with residual oil and dirt without producing any chemicals. Silicone can be washed in the dishwasher for a long time, so you don't have to worry about any harmful substances being produced during the cleaning process.
Tear and heat resistant: One of the most important properties of silicone is its resistance to high temperatures. Usually, utensils made of silicone can withstand sterilization up to 230C° and can therefore be smoothly cleaned at high temperatures in the dishwasher. Silicone has excellent mechanical properties and can resist dishwasher washing for a long time. Therefore, it is impossible to scratch the silicone, and it will not deform or crack.
Safe and Hypoallergenic: High-purity silicone complies with food safety regulations and is all FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) approved. This means it is free of toxic chemicals or allergens such as BPA, PVC, lead, cadmium, and phthalates. It is suitable for everyone.
Silicone also has other advantages such as softness, corrosion resistance, and waterproof properties.
Based on the above advantages, silicone performs well in cleaning and disinfecting.
Is silicone dishwasher safe?
Utensils made of food-grade silicone are dishwasher safe. This type of silicone can withstand high temperatures (230C°) has good inertness, and can fully withstand washing with high-temperature water and detergents in dishwashers. It is a stable polymer that will not corrode or emit toxic gases during the entire cleaning process.
Is silicone better for dishwashers than ceramic?
Yes. Compared with ceramic, silicone is more scratch-resistant, drop-resistant, and durable. Many consumers prefer silicone to ceramic because it is soft and strong, and you don’t have to worry about annoying noises or scratches when the dishwasher is running while cleaning.
When placing silicone tableware in the dishwasher, you should pay attention to the following points:
Before use, please confirm the integrity of the utensils and that there are no large hard objects on the surface. If found, it should be removed manually with warm water or neutral detergent first.
It is prohibited to put other types of tableware and silicone tableware in the same dishwasher rack to avoid damage caused by friction or collision between tableware made of different materials.
Keep away from open flames and sharp objects to prevent scratching, melting, and brittleness after contact.
Adjust the appropriate temperature and turn to the corresponding washing program. For flexible silicone, choose to use the soft cycle and low-temperature mode for safer cleaning.
Once you find that the silicone has turned yellow, please stop using it.
Use only mild detergent or bleach.
After cleaning and removing the silicone utensils, make sure it is completely air-dried before storing.
Summary
In short, washing silicone in the dishwasher is a safe and efficient automatic cleaning method. For silicone utensils, this method is an option. But the cleaning effect of the automatic dishwasher cannot meet your expectations or you prefer hand washing to get cleaner silicone, you can use warm water and a scouring pad containing odorless grease soap to wipe every corner of the silicone tableware, and then rinse it with cold water.
