Why Your Silicone Cooking Stuff Tastes Soapy (& The Thing That Fixes It)

We all love how versatile silicone kitchen tools are. You can use them for almost any cooking task, from whipping egg whites for meringue to flipping pancakes. But one frustrating thing is that they can sometimes leave a yucky soapy taste in your food, especially after washing them with strong-smelling detergents. The culprit is the silicone material itself – it can absorb those soapy flavors at a microscopic level, even though it’s non-porous. Plus, the harsh detergents we use can leave residue behind. But don’t worry, there’s an easy fix using a common citrus fruit: lemon!

The citric acid in lemon is a natural degreaser and deodorizer, so it can lift that soapy taste right off your silicone tools. You can either rub a lemon half directly on the surfaces, or soak the tools in a lemon juice and mild detergent solution. Either way, just let it sit for 10-15 minutes, rinse, and you’re good to go. To prevent the problem in the future, stick to gentle, fragrance-free dish soaps instead of the heavy-duty stuff.

There are a couple easy ways to use lemon to get rid of that soapy taste on your silicone tools. For flat items like spatulas or kids’ plates, just cut a lemon in half and rub it right on the surface. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then rinse with hot, unscented soapy water and a final rinse of clean water. For items with more grooves and crevices, you can soak them in a mixture of hot water, lemon juice, and a small amount of mild detergent. Let them soak for an hour, drain, and rinse. Easy peasy! To avoid this issue in the future, just use gentler, fragrance-free dish soaps instead of the heavy-duty stuff.