Cleaning Tart Molds

[Cissy]

For those of you making tarts, 100 or more at a time, what do you find is the easiest way to clean your molds between batches? I know there has to be a faster way than cleaning one at a time by hand and I don't want to put them in the dishwasher. It is very time-consuming the way I have been doing them. Do most of you wash them in hot soapy water, rinse, and air dry them. I suppose I could do it this way and pour the hot water outside, not down my drain. I am selling more tarts now and need a quicker way to do this if possible. Any suggestions?

[Candle Man]

What I do is...Use a liped cookie sheet then place a wire cooling rack in the cookie sheet then place tart molds up-side down on the rack. Place in oven at 200*F for about 5-10 min's. Whe you take them out you can wipe them with a terry cloth towel, this helps remove any color that may be still on them.

[Cissy]

Thanks Candle Man.

That will be an improvement over trying to wipe the cooled wax off the molds. I had thought about placing them in oven on a paper towel, but just hadn't done it yet. I like the wire rack idea. Leave it to me, I guess I was just hoping for an even easier way, but I guess they are not going to clean themselves (unless I can con someone into doing it for me (not likely, though). Cleaning molds is the only part of making tarts that I dislike. I enjoy pouring, shrink wrapping, and labeling them. Wish someone would invent cheap disposable ones.

[eugenia]

No need to place them on a rack. Line a baking sheet (reserved for candles) with a double layer of good paper towels. The cheap ones will not cut it! Place in a 175-200 oven for 10 minutes or so.

[firstlady]

I use parsoy for my tarts and after they cool , i put them in fridge for a few mins, then take out and they fall out on their own or i tilt them and tap lightly on table, i don't have wax left in mine, just on bottom ...outside. i'm not to steady of a pourer LOL! i still spill/over flow a little some of them. for this problem i turn them upside down on paper towels that i have laid over newpaper, then i use my heat gun on them, the wax melts and runs down into towels.

[Cissy]

I will try the oven and the heat gun ideas & see which I prefer. I also have spill-overs sometimes because I like to fill my molds to the brim and sometimes I just get a few drops too many. I put newspaper on my counter, lay molds on them (room for only 60 at a time) pour and cool a few hours, and if possible, sometimes overnite. If I am making more than 60 of the same scent/color, I don't even clean molds between batches unless I see an occasional mold that looks smudged inside and don't even worry about the outside until I finish all batches of that scent. I just decided to try it this way this week. It is cutting out some of the mold cleaning I was doing by making more than one batch of 60 of the same scent. I use a paraffin blend, so putting them in the freezer is not necessary, since they pop out easily if cooled enough. Thanks everyone for your ideas. Any suggestions which can save some time and work is sincerely appreciated.

[Candle Man]

I will try the oven and the heat gun ideas & see which I prefer. I also have spill-overs sometimes because I like to fill my molds to the brim and sometimes I just get a few drops too many. I put newspaper on my counter, lay molds on them (room for only 60 at a time) pour and cool a few hours, and if possible, sometimes overnite. If I am making more than 60 of the same scent/color, I don't even clean molds between batches unless I see an occasional mold that looks smudged inside and don't even worry about the outside until I finish all batches of that scent. I just decided to try it this way this week. It is cutting out some of the mold cleaning I was doing by making more than one batch of 60 of the same scent. I use a paraffin blend, so putting them in the freezer is not necessary, since they pop out easily if cooled enough. Thanks everyone for your ideas. Any suggestions which can save some time and work is sincerely appreciated.

Go to the dollar store and get some liped cookie sheets, their great to pour candles on and catch all the drips & spills.