Silicone plates are one of the best kinds of plates for kids: They're easy to wash, easy to store, and virtually indestructible. But there's something about them you may not have noticed, and one Instagram creator is pointing it out.
Ashley Stewart, whose page Real Little Meals gives parents advice on toddler meals, noticed something was off about her son's eating. In an Instagram video, she shared that the culprit was the silicone plate he was eating off of.
"My toddler stopped eating because of this," she wrote.
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In the caption of the video, she pointed out the important warning signs for parents.
"For a few weeks my toddler started eating horribly," she wrote. "He would take a few bites and then not want anymore. I tried everything, but he wouldn’t eat!!"
It wasn't until she tried a piece of food on his plate that she realized it wasn't him or the food, it was the plate itself.
"It tasted SO BADLY of soap," she said.
After switching plates, Stewart's son started eating his food again.
So what is it about the silicone plates that makes them taste bad? Soap. When you wash the plates, oil residue sticks to the plate, which can create buildup and a funky, soapy taste. In addition to the soapy taste, there can be white spots.
Kiddiebites, a company that makes silicone meal items for kids, has a suggestion on how to remedy this problem: Rub a fresh lemon or lime all over the silicone and let it sit for 10-15 minutes before rinsing with hot, non-oil-based soapy water. You can also try using regular white vinegar to clean it.
On her Instagram post, Stewart shared her own helpful hack:
Bake your kid's silicone plates in the oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour to remove soap buildup.
In the future, she suggests using mild or unscented dish soap, only placing them on the top rack of the dishwasher, and avoid soaking them in soapy water.
Someone on Reddit shared their experience with washing silicone plates.
"I find silicone doesn’t do well in the dishwasher for this reason, but hand-washing especially with low- or no-fragrance detergent has been OK," they said.
If you have noticed this problem with silicone plates, try one of these helpful tips. They're still safe to use, but be aware!
