If you bake lots of cookies, a couple of nonstick silicone baking liners are handy to have because they’re reusable and they reduce the need for parchment. Often referred to generically by the name of the leading brand—Silpat, they rely on their silicone surface to maintain their nonstick quality, so it’s important to treat them with care.

To clean a Silpat, wipe it down with a soft, damp sponge and let it air dry. In the test kitchen, we wash it last and drape it over everything else in the dish rack. You may use a diluted solution of mild dishwashing liquid if you like, but remember that an oily feeling on the mat even after cleaning is normal. Silpats are not dishwasher-safe.

Never use knives, scrapers, brushes, or scrubbers on the mats—they will damage the surface.

Store Silpats flat or rolled but not folded. If you store your baking sheets flat, just lay your Silpats in one of them. We store ours by rolling them in paper towels and securing the roll with tape. An empty paper towel tube is another good way to keep them from unrolling.

Silpats, and other nonstick baking liners, can be purchased atChefsResource.com.