Silicone Mould Smells Awful!

Decorating By sanmarco5 Updated 10 Feb 2016 , 6:32am by dariusjgeorge

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sanmarco5 Posted 23 Nov 2011 , 1:07pm
post #1 of 10

I have just ought some small silicone moulds from ebay, they arrived this morning, but they really smell awful, I checked the listing & it does say they are suitable for sugarpaste, I have emailed the seller but was wondering if anyone knows why they smell, if i can get rid of it & should I actually use them for icing?
The seller has good feedback, I cant see any complaints about the smell!!

9 replies
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aligotmatt Posted 23 Nov 2011 , 1:47pm
post #2 of 10

Rinse them with warm water and mild soap mixture well and let them air dry. See what happens.

I haven't bought a mold in a while, but I think they do have a bit of a smell on arrival, though not awful smelling.

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soggiemoggie Posted 3 Dec 2015 , 5:50pm
post #3 of 10

Hello sanmarco5, did you ever find out where and how to clean these moulds?  Exactly like you, I purchased some of these off eBay and they have a horrible smell.  The seller had them listed under cake decorating but am afraid some of the smell may transfer onto the fondant.  I've put them through the dishwasher three times, washed them in baking soda, vinegar etc with no effect.  I asked the seller where she got them and her short response was "off eBay".  I now understand there is what they call food grade moulds and how would you tell whether they were or not with no I.D. on them. Kind Regards, J

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costumeczar Posted 3 Dec 2015 , 8:05pm
post #4 of 10

There are plenty of silicone molds that people sell that aren't food grade, but are listed as food grade because people don't care or don't know any differently. If they have a strong petroleum or chemical smell they're probably not food-grade, and are made from a  silicone that's not intended for food use. I buy the silicone I use to make molds specifically to be food-safe, and you do have to be careful that what you're getting isn't made with solvents etc that aren't intended for food.

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soggiemoggie Posted 5 Dec 2015 , 7:19pm
post #5 of 10

Hello Marco, I, too, bought mine from eBay with the same problem.  I've emailed the seller who says she bought them on eBay!  I don't know what to do because nothing is getting rid of the smell and as I make cakes for other people, don't feel I should be using them.  One person has advised me that some of these moulds are made in Asia with cheaper products, and that the food standards are different from here.  I feel stuck with them because certainly won't get my money back because my conscience won't let me sell them to another unsuspecting eBay buyer.

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-K8memphis Posted 5 Dec 2015 , 8:33pm
post #6 of 10

 i don't know what kind of molds they are but if you're an active seller i'd sure put 'em back on there plus i'd be quite frank in my feedback -- not necessarily ding them with a negative but i'd even consider giving a "not as described" -- at the least a neutral feedback -- and a heads up for other potential buyers --

you could sell them to a soap maker or someone using plaster of Paris or something non edible for a medium, wax or something just declare/reveal the stinky problem in your description --

sorry that happened 

i bought a 'silicone' silpat type set of mats for baking at the grocery store that stunk -- plus they imparted the smell to the baked goods -- no bueno -- yah don't pay much yah don't get much -- hahahaha

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LittleBoots Posted 5 Dec 2015 , 9:35pm
post #7 of 10

I had a similar experience before with a silicon mold.  I put it in the dishwasher twice on a normal cycle and it was fine after that, no more bad smell.

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CupcakeCali Posted 8 Feb 2016 , 8:27am
post #8 of 10

Be careful if the molds you're buying are coming from China. They might say they are food grade but many times they are not. China does not have a good track record following our guidelines whether it be for dog food, toys in happy meals or molds.

Buyer beware.

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Jedi Knight Posted 8 Feb 2016 , 6:59pm
post #9 of 10

There is no authority in China similar to the FDA. Quite blunt - no one checks food or additives or that things really are food-safe.

Besides: PME, Wilton, FMM, Alphabet Moulds etc own the patents on their products. All that really cheap stuff on E-bay - 99% of it is illegal knock-offs.

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dariusjgeorge Posted 10 Feb 2016 , 6:32am
post #10 of 10

I usually soak the moulds I get in a mixture of water and vinegar over night and the smell usually disappears in the morning. I bought these silicon moulds online from tavolashop last week that thankfully didn't have any pungent smells. Why don't ya'll try metal moulds. Baking in metal will definitely be better for health.



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