It's essential to care for your nice kitchen equipment by correctly performing routine maintenance. Washing silicone oven mitts isn't a complicated task, but it is essential to do it right to increase the life span of the oven mitts.
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Washing Oven Mitts
Oven mitts take a serious beating. They often get dirty, either from lying around the kitchen or from handling food. What's more, since you're probably carrying hot items when using them, you can't exactly be careful of their cleanliness lest you wind up burning yourself. Luckily, most oven mitts are machine washable. First, check the tags inside the gloves to read any specific care instructions. If your mitts are new, note any washing or cleaning directions on the packaging.
Next, you need to pretreat any stains before washing silicone oven mitts. For caked-on food, hand wash those spots using mild detergent to remove the excess. Then, spray or coat stains with a laundry stain remover and allow them to sit for the appropriate time according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Wash the oven mitts according to the care instructions on the tag. If the mitts can go in the dryer, put them in. Since they're thick, you may need to give them extra time in the machine or let them air dry. Feel free to throw in other items with them as long as they're of like colors and require the same washer cycle.
Washing Silicone Oven Mitts
Silicone oven mitts are, unsurprisingly, made from silicone. They're usually one size fits all, and the silicone material better blocks heat than traditional polyester or fabric blends. They tend to be more stain-resistant because the material doesn't absorb as much as fabrics.
The best way to wash your silicone oven mitts is to spot-treat them continually when you use them. After each use, inspect your oven mitts and clean away any stains using gentle laundry detergent or dish soap, such as Dawn. If you need a more thorough washing, you can launder your silicone oven mitts in the washing machine. Use the gentle cycle and let them air dry.
Alternatively, you can wash most silicone oven mitts (including the Ove Glove) in the dishwasher. Lay them flat on the top rack of the dishwasher. Do not stack them on top of cups or other dirty items. Skip the heated dry part of the wash cycle; instead, remove them and let them air dry. You may need to stand them upright on something to let the water dry out of the inside of the gloves.
FAQs About Washing Oven Gloves
One of the most common questions about oven gloves is, "Can you machine wash oven mitts?" In general, the answer is yes, but experts recommend using a mild detergent and washing on a gentle cycle. A similar question of whether you can put them in the dryer also receives a yes. You can dry fabric oven mitts in the dryer, but you shouldn't put silicone oven mitts in there. Instead, let those air dry.
You can (and should) put silicone oven mitts in the dishwasher; it's a preferred method of cleaning them. However, don't put fabric oven mitts in the dishwasher. Dishwashers don't have a spin cycle to remove excess moisture from fabric, so they'll be too soaked when they come out.