Oven mittens are an essential part of cooking utensils. Maybe you are not considering oven mitts as the first required tool of the kitchen, but you can get to know its importance while making dinner because you can't use your hot pots or stove tops without having the help of gloves.
To keep oven mitts usable, cleaning these mitts is a big dilemma. Can you put them in the washer right after usage, or do you clean them with hand wash? What method you will prefer when your nylon or silicone oven mitts get stubborn stains. What will you do with your dirty fabric oven mitts? Hold on, we will shed light on everything related to your ‘how to wash over mitts’ question!
Grease, oil, smoke, flour, and other things can dirty your oven mitts while cooking or baking. Some of them are stubborn enough to handle and may not clean in machine wash. The gloves can be faded and damaged.
So, for washing your oven mitts, you should keep in mind the type of material of your oven mitts. Oven mitts are available in different materials and designs. Manufacturers continuously make changes in oven mitts design to make them more durable and protective. Nylon and silicone oven mitts are more durable than cloth and cotton materials. And so, their cleaning methods may also differ.
For choosing a cleaning method, the simplest way is to read the instructions written on the packing of oven mitts. Usually, manufacturers print washing strategies and care tips on the pack of gloves. If it is not available, you can use simple tips then.
How to hand wash oven mitts?
The first step is to study the product care label on the packing of oven mitts. You have to follow the cleaning instructions given by the manufacturers. So, if "hand wash only" is written or remove decorations from gloves before washing, then don't ignore these instructions.
To find the label on the packing, you should examine it near the opening of the filling. Sometimes you need to turn inside the filters to find the title. Sometimes the label is printed directly on the oven mitts instead of packing, and periodically it is not published. Usually, textile manufacturers don't use this label, while cloth manufacturers do. So, if you cannot find any label for instructions, don't worry about it. This guide will be enough for your research for the mitts-cleaning method. You can also consult the manual with your oven mitts.
The proper cleaning way #1:
The proper way is to collect the warm water in a large bucket. Add some detergent that you use in a cleaning cloth at your home. Then mix warm water and detergent well. Make sure your detergent is mild and does not affect the colour of your clothes. Also, be careful about the quantity of detergent.
Soak a piece of cloth in the solution you prepared with detergent and warm water. Then take it out carefully, and allow some soap on the cloth surface. Then gently rub it on the area of stain on the mittens. Avoid using coloured cloth because it can leave marks on mittens while exposed to warm water. The white fabric will be best for this procedure.
Repeat this procedure, dip the cloth in the solution and then rub it on the stains. Do this again until the stain disappears. Make sure this step will not disturb the colour of the mittens. Now, let the washed area dry for at least half an hour, and you are sure about the discoloring of the cloth. When the procedure is done now, you can move on hand washing your oven mittens. If the mitten got any damage or colour fading, you could skip the next step.
The proper cleaning way #2:
The other proper way to clean the oven mittens is to soak the oven mittens into the detergent solution directly. Place it up to half an hour, and then take it out. Then, wash these mittens with cold water or Luke warm water under the sink.
Rinse them carefully, and make sure you washed all the suds of detergents from the oven mittens. There should not be any soap remaining on the surface of the mittens. It makes oven mitts uncomfortable to wear and become slippery too. Slippery mittens are dangerous to use because it causes the slipping of hot pans from your hand.
If your mitts are perfectly clean now, go and hang the oven mittens in a dry place. Let it hang for 24 hours to dry. Make sure your oven mittens are fully dry before using them again.
How to wash oven mitts in the washing machine?
After stain removal, you can put it in the washing machine when additional washing is necessary. But you should follow the manufacturing instructions regarding the washing cycle, the amount of detergent, detergent type, and water. First, always use cold water. Even manufacturers instruct to use warm water and additional heat.
You can also use a machine dryer after washing but make sure about the manufacturer's instructions before using the dryer. Usually, you don't need to use any fabric softener tonic during washing oven mittens. Moreover, you can use stain remover in the washing machine to get rid of hard stains.
Many people use home remedies for removing strains from gloves, like baking soda. Baking soda is a good strain remover remedy at home. It can use to remove nasty stains from your oven mittens. Baking soda helps lift the strain on the surface of the gloves without washing machine and hand washing. Apart from that, you need to do a test before applying gloves.
Apply baking soda on another strain cloth for a test and make sure that baking soda is causing additional strain on oven mittens after exposing them to water and heat.
You can follow these instructions for any oven mittens. But if you have handmade oven mittens, you must take extra precautions. Don't be in a hurry, take your time and work slowly to clean your mittens.
If your oven mittens are clean, you can easily reuse them in your cooking affair.
How to dry washed oven mittens?
There are many kinds of oven mittens available. Some are made of cotton, terry cloth, or other material similar to your daily laundry. Therefore, many mitts can easily be machine washed and even dried at high temperatures.
However, while some oven mittens can tolerate dryer, some cannot. It will be a suitable and time-saving procedure when you put the oven mitten in a dryer; you got your mitten ready to use after the dryer. Sometimes, mitten shrinks and gets damaged in the dryer oven, so it is safe to use the air-dry method for drying oven mittens.
How to clean silicon oven mittens?
Silicone oven mitts are the best option among potholders. They have high protection ability than others. They are flexible and made of insulating material that resists heat and temperature. It can easily wash in the washing machine, through hand wash and even in the dishwasher. Its material is more durable than fabric mittens.
There are a variety of ways of keeping silicone mittens clean. Some of them are given below.
1.Hand Wash
It is a straightforward process. Add baking soda and one tablespoon of dish washing soap to the warm water. Mix it well and make a solution. Soak a cloth in the solution, rub it well on the spot, and clean your mitt.
If your mittens require more cleaning, then directly put the silicone oven mitten in the solution. Soak them for a while, then gently rub them until the strain remove.
Make sure after removing the strain; you will rinse it well. Because if it rinses well, it becomes slippery and can be dangerous while holding hot pans.
Now, air dry your oven mitten in a cool and dry place. It may take an hour or more to dry. Let them dry on their own. Do not put silicone oven mittens in the dryer or washing machine.
2.Machine Wash
You can wash your oven mittens in the machine as well, but in the way, as you do with fabric mittens. You can use a dishwasher for this purpose. After removing strain from the silicone mitt, put them in the dishwasher for further washing.
Place your oven mittens in the top rack of the dishwasher. It will clean your mittens but don't use the dryer or dishwasher for silicone oven mittens. It's better to let them dry on their own. Otherwise, their color or shape may get damaged.
Ways to store washed oven mittens
It would be best if you hung washed oven mittens at arm's length above the stove to grab them whenever you need them quickly so you would not be without help while dealing with heat and temperature.
Many cooks or workers keep their washed oven mittens in the stove drawer. In contrast, some of them attach it to the wall. Some also magnetize it on the refrigerator for easy access.
Conclusion
Oven mittens are a fantastic kitchen invention that promotes safety while working in the kitchen. Therefore, keeping them clean is also necessary. A good cook always keeps his all tools like the pot holders and oven mitts neat and clean. You can easily wash your oven mittens according to the manufacturer's instructions or with simple home remedies like hand washing whenever your oven mittens get strained.