Material
Silicone
An inert, non porous, heat tolerant material that washes easily and characteristically holds smells and a greasy film.
- SurfaceNon porous
- WashingSpot only
- Colour run riskLow
- Reviewed7 September 2026
What silicone can and cannot take
- Heat Use with care
- Water and soaking Tolerates it
- Acids, including vinegar Tolerates it
- Strong alkalis Tolerates it
- Solvents Use with care
- Chlorine bleach Use with care
- Abrasives Use with care
General rules for silicone
Wash it in warm soapy water and it comes clean, because silicone is inert and non porous.
The distinctive complaint is smell and film. Silicone picks up odours and develops a slightly greasy feel over time, and both survive a normal wash. A bicarbonate of soda paste, or a soak in hot water with dishwashing granules, deals with both.
On baby items such as teats and bibs, rinse thoroughly afterwards, because residue on silicone is noticeable.
Check the label
Silicone is chemically inert and tolerates temperature ranges nothing else here does, which makes it the easiest material in this family. Its one characteristic fault is that it holds smells and develops a greasy film that ordinary washing leaves behind.
Stains on silicone
- Baby sick Wash it in warm soapy water and it will come clean, because silicone is chemically inert and non porous. The...
- Blood Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Body oil Lift free oil from silicone, then clean a small area with a maker-approved mild detergent solution and a soft...
- Breast milk Blot the spill, identify the finish and use a controlled cold clean only where permitted. Where the maker per...
- Bronzer Lift loose bronzer from silicone before it is rubbed in. Blot cream bronzer, follow the material or care labe...
- Coffee Wipe coffee off silicone promptly with a soft cloth. Check the finish and maker care rules first. Do not trea...
- Concealer Lift thick concealer from Silicone, blot without rubbing, then use a very small amount of diluted washing-up...
- Cooking grease Lift and blot cooking grease from Silicone, then use a small amount of diluted washing-up liquid only if the...
- Deodorant Lift loose deodorant from silicone with a dry white cloth, then wipe the remaining film with cool water and o...
- Hair dye Blot hair dye from Silicone, test the mildest compatible cool detergent route, clean inwards, remove residue...
- Lipstick Lift lipstick from Silicone with a blunt edge, blot without rubbing, then use a very small amount of diluted...
- Motor oil Blot motor oil from Silicone, absorb as much as possible, then use a small amount of diluted washing-up liqui...
- Nail polish Lift free polish gently if the face permits contact. A maker-approved mild damp wipe can clear loose residue,...
- Period blood Lift any tissue with a spoon edge, then blot. Use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent for th...
- Pet urine Blot until nearly dry, then use only the cool-water quantity silicone can tolerate. Use a labelled pet urine...
- Sweat Blot sweat from Silicone, test a weak cool detergent wipe, remove residue with minimal moisture and dry promp...
- Tomato sauce Lift tomato sauce from Silicone, then wipe or blot inwards with a tested cool detergent solution. Remove resi...
Silicone is a synthetic polymer with a silicon and oxygen backbone rather than a carbon one, which is why it behaves so differently from plastic.
It is chemically inert
Acid, alkali and detergent do not attack it, which is why it is used for baby teats, bakeware and seals.
It tolerates heat
Unusually well. That does not help here, because the stain still sets with heat even if the material does not care.
It holds smells
The surface has a slight affinity for oils, which is why silicone bakeware smells of what was baked in it and why a milk residue smell lingers. A bicarbonate paste or a hot soak with dishwashing granules is the fix.
It is grabby
Silicone attracts dust and lint and feels tacky when it has a film on it, which people mistake for damage.
Sources
What we checked and when. Where a manufacturer instruction disagrees with anything here, follow the manufacturer.
-
How to clean silicone sealant, UniBond
manufacturer
Sealant manufacturer guidance that a specialist bathroom mould and mildew remover is the correct product for silicone sealant, that vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and bleach do not kill mould spores and have the potential to damage the sealant bead, and that where mould has penetrated too deeply into the sealant the bead has to be cut out and replaced rather than cleaned.
Checked 7 September 2026
-
Melamine dinnerware and staining, G.E.T.
manufacturer
Melamine manufacturer guidance that staining is caused by food left to dry on the surface and by protein and hard water minerals building up, that an oxygen releasing soak or an overnight soak in warm water with dishwashing granules removes the stains, that a non abrasive pad is used afterwards, and that bleach, green scouring pads, steel wool and metal scourers must not be used because they dull and scratch the surface.
Checked 7 September 2026
-
A guide to newborn laundry, American Cleaning Institute
trade body
Cleaning trade body guide to pre-treat breast milk, formula or spit-up with an enzyme stain remover, soak fresh marks for at least 30 minutes and older marks for several hours, launder, and keep stained items out of the dryer until the mark has gone.
Checked 7 September 2026