How to Clean Your Silicone Mats

Part 7 of my Baking Basics series: Learn my two favorite methods for cleaning silicone mats to remove oily residue, and tips for maintaining your mats so you can use them for a nice long time!

You see that? That’s a pretty gross silicone mat.

I use my silicone mats for so many different things, it’s inevitable that over time they’re going to build up some residue and need a deep clean. They help me make cookies, galettes, biscuits, bark, pizza, pastries and probably many other things I’m not thinking of in this moment.

They’ve gotten pretty beaten up over the years (accidental scratches, stains, evidence of when a cat tries to chew on its corner, etc.), and I could probably stand to invest in a new one so I can retire the oldest one.

But in the meantime, I like to use one of the techniques below to freshen them up occasionally to keep them as squeaky clean as possible.

Cleaning your silicone mat in the dishwasher

A silicon mat rolled up in the top rack of a dishwasher

This is my personal favorite method because it requires practically no effort on my part – and I’m all about less effort.

Loosely roll up your silicone mat and place it on the top rack.
Fill the dishwasher with the rest of your usual dirty dishes and run a normal cycle.

That’s it. They should come out considerably less oily, if not completely oil free.

Cleaning your silicone mat with lemon juice and baking soda

Lay your silicone mat flat in the sink. I like to place it on top of a baking sheet because it will help contain your cleaning mixture and help clean around the border.
Combine the juice of half a lemon and as much baking soda as you need to form a paste. It’s going to bubble and fizzle a bit, and that’s a good thing!
Wearing rubber gloves, rub the paste all over the mat to cover it. Let sit for 20 minutes.
With the rubber glove or a sponge, give it a good scrub (concentrating on the more stubbly stained areas). Rinse with hot water, then repeat with the other side if needed.
Let dry on a drying rack or pat dry with a towel.

A silicon mat before and after being cleaned

Just look at that before and after!

How to keep your silicone mats in good shape

To make sure your silicone mats will last you a good, long time, maintain the following habits:

Always clean your mats after you’ve used them for baking with a good scrub of soap and water, and let dry on a drying rack or pat dry with a towel.

Lay mats flat or roll them for storage. Never fold or crease them, as it can ruin them.

Don’t cut foods while on top of the mat (i.e.: slicing a pizza, cutting into fish, etc.) – slices and tears will ruin the mats.

It depends on what brand you use, but generally speaking you don’t want to use them in ovens for anything that exceeds 450°F.

Over time, they will discolor and stain, but don’t worry – they’ll still be effective. I’ve had the mats you see in these pictures for about 7 years at the time of writing these, and they’re just as great as they were on day one!

Just goes to show you shouldn’t just a ~~book~~ silicone mat by its cover ;)