Quick answer: Silicone does not hold water, but it can quietly drink up oil and soap. On a microscopic level it is slightly porous and oil-loving, so fats from strong foods and the fragrance in scented dish soap get absorbed into the material, and heat opens it up even further. They then leak back out as that stale or soapy taste. The good news: it is not permanent, and it is not a safety problem. A bicarb soak, a boil, or a short bake draws it back out, and a few small habits stop it happening again.
You may know the moment. Your little one won't touch the food you just slaved over, so you lead by example and take a big bite yourself, only to realise it does not taste right. It is oddly soapy, or the eggs you served up somehow taste like last night's curry. It is one of the most common complaints about silicone, and there is a real reason for it. Here is the honest explanation, and exactly how to fix it.
Why does silicone hold onto tastes and smells?
Silicone is a popular choice for babies and food because, on a normal scale, it does not absorb moisture. It will not soak up a strawberry puree or leak jam through the bottom. But that water-resistance is not the whole story. At a microscopic level, some silicone has a slightly porous surface, and silicone is hydrophobic, which means it repels water but is happy to bond with oil.
So the things that get absorbed are not watery. They are the oils and fats in strongly flavoured foods (think garlic, curry, tomato, fish) and the fragrance oils in scented dish soap. Heat can make it worse: when silicone warms up, its molecules expand and open up, letting oils in more easily, and when it cools they get trapped inside. Over time the material can start to look faintly oily or sticky, and old flavours leak back into whatever you use it for next.
Why does my silicone taste like soap specifically?
This one surprises people, because it feels like the opposite of dirty. The soapy taste is usually absorbed dish soap. Strong, heavily scented detergents contain oils that silicone pulls in, especially if you leave items to soak in soapy water or do not rinse thoroughly. The silicone drinks up the fragrance, then hands it back to your food. Ironically, over-washing with the wrong soap is a common cause, not poor washing.
Is it the silicone, or the way it is made?
Both play a part, and this is where quality genuinely matters. Higher-grade, platinum-cured food-grade silicone has a tighter structure and takes on far less oil and odour. Cheaper silicone, made with fillers or not cured properly, is more porous and can even arrive with a faint chemical or "new" smell from leftover manufacturing compounds. So a bargain silicone spoon that tastes soapy within a month and a well-made food-grade plate are not really the same material.
It is worth being honest, though: no silicone is completely immune. Even good food-grade silicone, like the 100% food-grade silicone we use in our Kids Everything Plate and teethers, will pick up some oil or colour if it is repeatedly used for very oily, brightly coloured food and not cleaned well. The difference is that quality silicone resists it, and cleans up easily when it does happen.
How do you get the taste and smell out of silicone?
Because the oils are absorbed rather than just sitting on the surface, a quick wash with dish soap often will not shift them, and more soap can make it worse. You need to draw the oil back out. These all work, roughly in order of gentle to deep:
A safety note on the bake method: only ever put oven-safe silicone in the oven. Our tableware is rated to 230°C, so a moderate 150°C bake is well within range, but a random silicone item of unknown grade is not worth the risk.
How do you stop it happening in the first place?
Prevention is easier than rescue, and it comes down to a few small habits:
- Rinse promptly after oily or strongly flavoured meals, rather than letting them sit.
- Wash in properly hot water. A real wash lifts oil better than a quick cold rinse.
- Go easy on heavily scented, strong detergents, and rinse thoroughly so no soap is left behind to soak in. We prefer fragrance-free + eco-friendly dish liquid.
- For dishwashers: use eco-friendly, chemical free dishwasher detergents
- Do not leave silicone soaking in soapy water for hours. That is when it drinks up the fragrance.
- Dry it fully before you put it away.
- Give much-loved pieces an occasional bicarb or boil refresh, before a taste ever builds up.
Does this mean silicone is bad for my baby?
No. This is a taste and care issue, not a safety one. Food-grade silicone is inert, non-toxic and does not react with food. The absorbed oils and soap that cause an off taste are unpleasant, not harmful, and they clean out completely. That is a big part of why silicone is so widely used for babies in the first place: it is soft, shatterproof, heat resistant and, with the right care, easy to keep fresh. If you want the fuller comparison, we weighed silicone against stainless steel and bamboo in our guide to choosing a baby plate.
The bottom line
Silicone holds tastes because it quietly absorbs oil and soap, not water, and heat drives it deeper. It is more of a problem with cheap silicone and harsh scented detergents than with quality food-grade silicone that is looked after. Either way it is fixable and it is safe. Draw the oil back out with a soak, a boil or a bake, ease up on the strong soap, and your silicone goes back to tasting like nothing at all, which is exactly how it should be.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my silicone plate taste like soap?
Because silicone absorbs the fragrance oils in scented dish soap at a microscopic level, then releases them into food. It is usually worse if you use a strong scented detergent, leave the plate soaking in soapy water, or do not rinse thoroughly. Switching to a gentler soak and rinsing well fixes it.
How do I get the smell out of silicone?
Draw the absorbed oil back out. Soak it in warm water with bicarb soda, boil it for 5 to 10 minutes with a splash of vinegar, or, for oven-safe silicone, bake it at around 150°C for 15 to 20 minutes. Repeat the bake if any smell lingers.
Why does silicone absorb smells but not water?
Silicone is hydrophobic, meaning it repels water but bonds easily with oil. It will not soak up watery foods, but the oils in strong foods and scented soaps are absorbed into its slightly porous surface, especially when it is heated.
Does baking soda really clean silicone?
Yes. A bicarb soda soak or paste is one of the simplest ways to lift everyday odours and light stains from silicone. For deeper, set-in tastes, boiling or baking works better because heat helps release the absorbed oil.
Is silicone that holds a taste unsafe?
No. Food-grade silicone is inert and non-toxic. An absorbed soapy or stale taste is unpleasant but not harmful, and it cleans out completely. Higher-quality, food-grade silicone resists taking on tastes in the first place.
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