Why Do Silicone Baby Plates Taste Like Soap? Causes, Cleaning & When to Replace

You make lunch, your toddler refuses it, and eventually you taste a bite yourself — only to realise the food has a faint dishwashing-liquid flavour.

If you use silicone bowls, suction plates, cups or spoons, you are not the only parent who has noticed this. Silicone is popular for starting solids because it is soft, flexible, hard to break and particularly useful for suction designs. But some families find that silicone feeding ware develops lingering detergent or food smells over time.

That does not automatically mean the product is unsafe, nor does it mean every silicone plate needs replacing. Detergent, food oils, heat, product formulation, cleaning habits and the condition of the item can all matter.

The useful question is not whether silicone is “good” or “bad”. It is whether your feeding ware is still working well for your family — and what to try when it is not.

Why does my silicone baby plate taste like soap?

The simplest explanation is often that the plate is holding onto traces of fragranced detergent, food oils or strong food aromas.

Silicone is very different from stainless steel or glass. It is flexible and heat resistant, which makes it particularly useful for suction plates, freezer trays and soft baby utensils. But research into silicone food-contact materials also shows that finished products can differ in composition, curing, migration behaviour and their interaction with food.

Studies of silicone food-contact materials have also found that fats can be taken up by the material under some conditions. That does not prove that the detergent flavour on your toddler's plate is coming from one particular chemical mechanism, but it helps explain why oily or strongly aromatic substances can behave differently around silicone than plain water does.

So the first step is practical rather than dramatic: clean the item, simplify the washing routine and see whether the problem disappears.

Why silicone can develop lingering smells or flavours

Does putting silicone feeding ware in the dishwasher make it worse?

Not automatically.

If a product is labelled dishwasher safe, it has been designed for that method of cleaning within the manufacturer's instructions. Hello Charlie's current We Might Be Tiny listings, for example, describe many of the brand's silicone feeding pieces as dishwasher safe, while also noting that product-specific instructions matter because not every lid, stick or mixed-material component shares the same heat limits.

But dishwashing also combines detergent, heat, water and a relatively long washing cycle. If you notice that a plate smells strongly of dishwasher fragrance when it comes out clean, it is reasonable to test whether your washing routine is contributing to the problem.

Before changing the plate, try changing one variable:

• Wash one silicone item separately.
• Use a fragrance-free detergent.
• Use the recommended amount rather than adding extra.
• Rinse thoroughly where practical.
• Let the item dry completely before stacking or storing it.
• Then serve something relatively neutral, such as plain yoghurt or porridge.

If the taste disappears, you have learned something useful without throwing away anything.

What should you try before replacing a silicone baby plate?

1. Check the manufacturer's instructions

This matters more than a universal social-media cleaning recipe.

Some silicone products are designed to tolerate boiling, oven temperatures or microwaving. Others include printing, plastic components, adhesives or mixed materials that should not receive the same treatment.

Do not assume that a cleaning method recommended for a silicone baking mould is automatically appropriate for your child's plate, spoon or cup.

2. Try fragrance-free detergent

This is one of the simplest troubleshooting steps. Parents frequently report that moving away from strongly fragranced dishwashing products helps, although that is practical experience rather than proof of one universal cause.

3. Rinse and dry carefully

Pay attention to the underside of suction bases, joins, lids and folded edges. Separate removable pieces where the product is designed to come apart.

Allow everything to dry completely before reassembling or stacking it.

4. Don't add more fragrance to remove fragrance

Essential oils or heavily scented cleaning sprays can simply introduce another aroma to the food-contact surface.

If you use vinegar, bicarbonate, boiling or another deep-cleaning method, do it only where it is compatible with the manufacturer's instructions for that exact item.

5. Taste-test a neutral food yourself

This is surprisingly useful.

After cleaning, use the plate for something simple and taste a small amount yourself. If a neutral food remains neutral, the issue may have been solved.

When should silicone feeding ware be replaced?

A single detergent smell is not necessarily a reason to throw away a perfectly functional plate.

Replacement becomes much more reasonable when:

• the silicone is torn, cracked or badly cut
• the surface has become persistently sticky or visibly deteriorated
• the item cannot be properly cleaned around joins or damaged areas
• strong odour or flavour repeatedly returns despite appropriate cleaning
• the product no longer suits how you prepare or reheat food
• keeping it neutral requires more maintenance than your family realistically wants to do

There is a sustainability point here too.

Buying a stainless steel plate because it solves a real problem is sensible. Throwing away a silicone plate that is working perfectly because stainless steel happens to be trending is less convincing.

Silicone vs stainless steel baby plates

Food Standards Australia New Zealand recommends thinking about the actual conditions a food-contact item will encounter — including food type, temperature, heating, washing and reuse — rather than evaluating the material name in isolation.

What most silicone baby plate guides miss

Online discussions tend to split quickly into two camps.

One says silicone is an ideal material and therefore any problem must be incorrect cleaning.

The other says a detergent smell proves that silicone itself is inherently unsafe and should be replaced with stainless steel.

Neither conclusion is particularly useful.

Research into commercial silicone food-contact articles consistently shows something more nuanced: finished products vary.

A 2022 study of commercial silicone moulds found meaningful differences in migration performance between tested products and showed that manufacturing and post-curing can affect the result. A 2023 analysis of 42 silicone food-contact products again reported substantial differences between finished items. More recent research continues to show that material characteristics and use conditions matter.

Those studies were not tests of your child's specific suction plate, so they should not be used to declare every silicone feeding product dangerous.

They do support a much more useful buying principle:

The finished product, manufacturer, intended use and care instructions matter more than the material name alone.

Choose feeding ware with purpose

What we would choose at Hello Charlie

We would not tell every family to stop using silicone. Hello Charlie currently stocks both silicone and stainless-steel feeding products because the materials solve different practical problems.

If silicone is working well: We Might Be Tiny Stickie Bowl

The current Stickie Bowl is made from food-grade silicone and uses an inbuilt suction base. It suits families who value a soft, flexible feeding piece and want microwave, freezer and dishwasher convenience within the product instructions.

If your silicone feeding ware stays neutral and works well, there is no reason to replace it simply because another material is fashionable.

View the Stickie Bowl

If you want a stainless eating surface: Lion & Lady

The current Lion & Lady plate uses 18/8 (304) stainless steel for the plate with a removable food-grade silicone suction base. That gives you stainless steel where the food sits while keeping silicone for the job it does particularly well: grip.

The current Hello Charlie listing states that the set is dishwasher safe on the top rack and should not be microwaved.

View the Stainless Steel Plate

Frequently asked questions

Why does my silicone baby plate smell like washing-up liquid?

Fragranced detergent or rinse products are one possible cause, particularly if the clean, dry item already smells strongly before food is added. Try simplifying the washing routine and following the manufacturer's instructions.

Does a soapy taste mean my silicone plate is toxic?

No conclusion about health risk can be made from taste or odour alone. If the item repeatedly affects the taste or smell of food, stop serving from it while you clean it, review the care instructions or contact the manufacturer.

Should silicone baby plates go in the dishwasher?

Use the dishwasher only when the manufacturer says the item is dishwasher safe. If detergent fragrance is becoming noticeable, try washing one item separately with an unscented detergent and compare the result.

Can I bake silicone baby plates to remove detergent smells?

Only if the manufacturer specifically confirms that the entire product can tolerate the relevant oven temperature. Do not assume a cleaning method intended for silicone bakeware applies to mixed-material children's products.

Is stainless steel better than silicone for baby feeding?

They solve different problems. Stainless steel is extremely durable and simple to inspect and clean. Silicone is softer and particularly useful for suction, flexible utensils and some microwave-compatible designs.

How do I know when silicone feeding ware should be replaced?

Replace damaged, cracked, torn, persistently sticky or badly deteriorated products. Persistent unwanted taste or odour despite appropriate care may also be a practical reason to move to another item.

Related Reading

• Purees vs Baby-Led Weaning: Which Starting Solids Approach Is Best?
• Open Cup vs Straw Cup vs Sippy Cup: Which Is Right for Your Baby?
• Why Non-Toxic Baby Products Matter for Babies and Kids
• Baby Plates, Bowls & Cutlery

Sources and fact-check notes