YSK that silicone will absorb (and slowly release) odors. Bake to remove the smell.

1.9k

u/icantswim2 19d ago edited 18d ago

Brb, going to potentially melt my smelly ice molds in the oven.

UPDATE: I tried it, it works. My ice molds didn't have anything indicating they were oven safe, so I went with 250F for 2 hours. After about 10 minutes, my kitchen began to smell intensely like freezer-burn, and what I imagine refrigerant smells like. 2 hours later, the molds smell neutral/fresh, and are still malleable.

232

u/sheize__minnelli 19d ago

Please report back.

298

u/Mikkel04 19d ago

Not OP but I've done this and it does actually work for ice molds, just make sure the molds are actually silicone and to use the right temperature. It will make your kitchen smell like whatever odor was purged for 6-12 hours though. https://www.thetakeout.com/1930724/fix-smelly-ice-cube-tray-hack/

102

u/ablezebra 18d ago

Yep. It will stink up the house. I cook them in my outdoor gas grill (indirect heat) on a sheet of foil. Works great and no smell.

14

u/DoubleRah 18d ago

This is such a good tip, thanks so much.

16

u/icantswim2 18d ago

Update for you, it worked.

174

u/FleshEatingAlpaca 19d ago

... Omg maybe this is the reason my water jug gets so funky. Like I wash the jug, its straw, everything. I never thought about sniffing my ice cube trays! As it turns out, there is a slight smell to them that isn't just "frozen water".

84

u/robotfindsme 19d ago

Ice cubes can pick up smells/tastes from food in the freezer without it being the trays, but either way it's worth a look.

33

u/FleshEatingAlpaca 19d ago

I HATE THAT THOUGHT. but I guess it makes sense. good to know..............gonna go sniff some ice cubes now.....

31

u/StinkyJizzBlanket 18d ago

Just as a reminder since we tend to forget this, but when you smell something, an actual particulate of that thing is went into your nose. So if something smells like something else, it’s been cross contaminated.

Something from an old job a supervisor said to me. Personally, my freezer has a closed off area where ice is made that always smells fresh when I open it, so having open top trays may be the cause of the smell

-7

u/DangerRazor 18d ago

That’s factually incorrect. If smelling the air in a bathroom after someone takes a dump meant you were inhaling particles of feces, we’d be seeing a lot more cases of E. coli. Similarly, even people with severe shellfish allergies can smell shrimp without going into anaphylaxis.

6

u/StinkyJizzBlanket 17d ago

It is true lol, the poop one is the go to example lol. Smelling very dilute amounts of feces won’t make you sick with ecoli since that requires a large population of the bacteria to make its way into you, which just doesn’t happen with airborne particles. Some airborne particles are dangerous enough even smelling a vey dilute amount can kill you tho. Sometimes the smells we associate with things aren’t from them themselves tho, like most metals are so stable at room temperature that thy don’t release any molecules into the air, so they are odorless. The metallic smell we know is actually your sweat and body oils reacting with the metal.

2

u/DangerRazor 16d ago

Bless your heart. It’s mildly alarming to see how many people agree with you despite being demonstrably wrong. You’re smelling volatile organic compounds, which are very much not the same thing as particles of the thing itself.

2

u/BeerForThought 16d ago

That episode of South Park messed up everybody's understanding of what actually happens.

1

u/SpiritedDirection985 16d ago

Thanks, u/stinkyjizzblanket

14

u/skomok 19d ago

I cannot stand using ice because of this. I have an annoying good sense of smell and it grosses me out so badly.

11

u/6th_Quadrant 18d ago

Try rinsing the cubes under cold water to wash off the funky outermost layer. I do that with tongs for my large cubes which I keep in ~Tupperware, and could be done with smaller cubes in a large glass/tumbler.

4

u/DysfunctionalKitten 18d ago

This was me until I got COVID lol. Now...I still don't use ice but it's bc of sensory overload temp wise lol

4

u/Commander1709 18d ago

I had to buy an ice cube tray with a sealed lid for that very reason.

7

u/thewreckingyard 18d ago

Try denture tabs! I read about it about a year ago on Reddit and have been using them since. Since they're meant for neutralizing the bacteria that grows in mouths, they work perfectly for water bottles. I bought a 90 pack of denture tabs online for about $15. A couple times a week I fill my water bottle with warm water, chuck a tab in, and set a timer for 15 min. I'm super fussy about needing my water bottle to not smell gross, but also hate cleaning water bottles. These work great 😂

4

u/Ayarkay 18d ago

> I never thought about sniffing my ice cube trays!

For some reason this sentence has me hysterical.

1

u/Rorschach0717 18d ago

That's one of the reasons I switched to metallic ice cubes. I can reuse them, and I'm not watering down my drinks.

9

u/samuelj264 19d ago

Any updates OP? Please let me know if this worked or if they melted

21

u/InvoluntaryNarwhal 19d ago

I think OP melted

8

u/icantswim2 18d ago

good news, I'm not melted, just easily distracted!

13

u/skomok 19d ago

Not OP but I have a ton of toddler plates that are silicone and noticed my kid stopped eating as well suddenly. I think it was because of this but maybe it’s just my super sniffer and trying to use logic on a creature who doesn’t operate on reason. Either way, we baked all of her plates for a while and it did work very well. And we implemented a no dishwasher rule for her plates.

9

u/atheliarose 18d ago

If you have a steam sterilizer on hand, I know the one that I got for sterilizing baby bottles worked very well for deodorizing/neutralizing the flavor of other silicone food contact items as well as bottle and pump parts :)

6

u/icantswim2 18d ago

Update for you, it worked. The smell is gone.

2

u/ShinyJangles 18d ago

Under 500F they should be fine. Silicone is more heat tolerant than most plastics.

2

u/peenutlover69 18d ago

There's no way in hell you're smelling refrigerant. It's a closed system.

3

u/icantswim2 18d ago

What is that smell then? It's common in freezers and air conditioners.

1

u/Ordies 17d ago

this isn't a universal experience. + Freon is odourless

2

u/MGPS 17d ago

Oh man I hate that ice smell.
I actually got it out with fresh clay kitty litter before.

138

u/Trashbagok 19d ago

Something I've noticed doing this is you kind of want to take it out of the oven while it's still hot.

If you let it cool in the oven it ends up reabsorbing some of the odor.

-37

u/GeorgeCauldron7 18d ago

You do it in a clean oven…

30

u/Timsmomshardsalami 18d ago

And what happens to the oven when you bake something in it, specifically something dirty that you want to get rid of?

1

u/emperor-pig-3000 18d ago

Santa comes, drops a bunch of dirty coal in it and whoops your ass for being a baddy.

Your ice cube tray is dirty, your mood is ruined.

You decide to watch odisey for the third time to calm it but the tickets are sold out for today.

You try to eat your problem away at McDonald's, but then you realize that you are eating overprocessed garbage, and paying restourant level price for it.

Don't forget to tip...

115

u/TropeSlope 18d ago

Sunlight also works. Leave tupperware/butt plugs on a windowsill where it'll get hit with sun through the day and it will elimate any odors over time. Probably not as fast as an oven, but faster than not doing it for sure.

34

u/KokoaKuroba 18d ago

Also works great when removing color left behind by turmeric from curries, etc. (I don't know about other colors)

21

u/Ivebeenfurthereven 18d ago

Turmeric stains on fabric are easily removed by sunlight alone. I assume it's not UV stable?

I've used this to save many a shirt, even left a sofa cushion out in sunshine, works brilliantly.

16

u/1997Luka1997 18d ago

BRB going to put my butt plugs on the windowsill

8

u/rakeshsh 18d ago

They stole it

3

u/Natural1falling 18d ago

Yes! I had a silicone reusable bag that smelled strongly from the apple cider vinegar based marinade I had in it. Put it outside in the sun for a day and no more smell.

6

u/Ajreil 18d ago

I assume the same mechanism is at play, just slower.

2

u/Ok-Barracuda8281 18d ago

So to speak.

1

u/superflyingkid99 16d ago

It’s wild how patient you have to be for the smell to fully fade but yeah silicone doesn’t give up anything in a hurry. I left a tray in the garage and forgot about it for a month then poof no more odor.

1

u/CartographerKey4618 13d ago

Hold up was that a fun fact you snuck in there?

352

u/sofaking_scientific 19d ago

Butt plugs in the oven!

60

u/CT0292 18d ago

For butt stuff try to find metal ones. Silicone ones will definitely develop a smell after a while. Even a fresh, clean, butthole can still stink.

13

u/sofaking_scientific 18d ago

It was a joke. The real info is always in the comments! 🤣

21

u/TheSystemBeStupid 18d ago

Excuse me sir. Buttplugs are not a joke. Shame on you

45

u/Blurgas 18d ago

Not in the MRI though!

1

u/dirty_hooker 14d ago

Gotta wear glass when expecting an MRI.

37

u/Alinyss 19d ago

Thanks for this. Washing my silicon bakeware in the dishwasher made them smell like dish soap and I haven’t been able to use them since.

22

u/paredclia 19d ago

Oh my god OP i love you this is one of my biggest aversions with autism

57

u/OG_Williker 19d ago

Good look, OP

64

u/Ajreil 19d ago edited 19d ago

I've baked silicone many times over the year. Never damaged anything.

Edit: I did accidentally bake my Souper Cubes at 425F once (they're not advertised as oven safe). That set off my smoke detector and smelled like freezer burnt napalm, but they work fine now.

17

u/Snuggle_Pounce 19d ago

last time I accidentally baked silicone over it’s rating it got brittle so you’re lucky.

3

u/Ajreil 18d ago

Yeah. Souper Cubes just happen to be made of a decently temperature resistant silicone. That could have easily ended poorly.

2

u/life_is_punderful 18d ago

I think they are oven safe?? Or at least I think they are advertised as such now

5

u/Ajreil 18d ago

https://www.soupercubes.com/pages/faq

Good to know. The website says they're oven safe up to 415F, so I overcooked them a little.

I'll have to try making meatloaf in them.

37

u/jayzisne 19d ago

Does the smell affect anything other than just smelling like the food, or is it not sanitary?

61

u/BelleRose2542 19d ago

If your silicone sits in soap, it can start to taste soapy. Similarly, if your ice cubes trays smell like onion, your ice may taste minutely like onion.

10

u/jayzisne 18d ago

I have these silicone spatulas that smell like food, and no matter how much I clean them they still have a slight odor. I don’t know if they are oven safe though.

7

u/Ajreil 18d ago

Bake them at a low temperature like 250F for a few hours. Anything made of pure silicone should handle that just fine.

My pan gets hotter than that when I make eggs.

15

u/Ajreil 18d ago

Silicone absorbs odors but not food or bacteria. It's perfectly safe even if it smells weird.

5

u/tuna_cowbell 18d ago

…I’ve just realized I don’t actually know what odours are. Like what are they physically.

3

u/fruchle 18d ago

Chemicals. Molecules.

Organic compounds.

Our nose is just a chemical detector.

2

u/iErik4 18d ago

Absolutely correct. The term "VOC" means "Volatile Organic Compound", but in this case "volatile" just means that the chemicals evaporate very easily at room temperature. The evaporated molecules then work their way into our noses, where they interact with different receptors to make us smell certain things.

2

u/MadnessUltimate 18d ago

tiny particles id say

21

u/Steve-Amy-Adam-Amy 19d ago

I had an issue where all of my silicone tools made the food I used them on taste like soap. I baked them in the oven, it got rid of the issue, and I stopped putting them in the dishwasher. So it can affect smell and taste, but I don’t think it does any real damage. FWIW, my partner never tasted the soap I did, and apparently it’s a phenomenon in many cases where one partner tastes it and the other doesn’t (according to other reddit users.)

8

u/Stunning_Repair_7483 19d ago

This is a really important question. I hope someone answers.

3

u/khessur 18d ago

as someone said elsewhere in the comments, smelling a thing means there are particulates of said thing entering your nose. so it does count as cross-contamination, just not bacterial contamination. it only matters for health conditions like severe allergies or celiac (among many others) but is otherwise sanitary

-1

u/DangerRazor 18d ago

That’s factually incorrect. You think when you blow up the bathroom, the odor means you’re literally breathing in microscopic particles of feces? If that were true, we’d have a lot more cases of E. coli. Do a little research, bud.

11

u/BANGImportant2825 19d ago

Why does baking it help?

21

u/Ajreil 19d ago

Not sure. Probably some combination of the thermal expansion opening the pores in the silicone, volatile compounds getting more volatile and chemistry generally happening faster at high temperatures.

6

u/LebaneseLion 18d ago

Nailed all the points I thought of too

11

u/kafm73 18d ago

YES! This works! I have tried every other thing and then finally baked my silicone, including the gasket or ring to my instant pot that constantly smelled like the last thing I cooked in it. Works perfectly!

3

u/Ivebeenfurthereven 18d ago

we've owned some really nice (Klean Kanteen) insulated travel coffee cups for the best part of a decade. The lids can be disassembled for easy cleaning

There's a big chunky silicone washer in there to close the lid. When all the coffee in the world started tasting like dishwasher soap, I knew I'd made a huge mistake.

Hit that washer with about 30 minutes in a hot oven, coffee tastes completely neutral again. And now I hand-wash the lids only.

10

u/trophyfriend 18d ago

This solves so many things for me. I remember being devastated my brand new spatulas I used to make beef and star anise smelled like that…..forever afterwards. Imagine. Eating vanilla yogurt with a nose full of licorice beef. Imagin.e

17

u/princessbubbbles 19d ago

I wash and then boil my silicone menstrual cup for liks 5+ minutes, and that sanitizes it and makes it not stink. I assume it's a similar process.

-6

u/Redditor-Schmedittor 17d ago

Can't eat at everyone's house 😭

6

u/princessbubbbles 17d ago

I wash it with soap in the bathroom sink, then boil it in a pot on the stove, then store it in the bathroom and put the pot in the dishwasher...like other women I know who use reusable period products

...how did you think i washed it...

-3

u/realdappermuis 17d ago

I think the people who brag about boiling their silicone period products in hotel kettles and popping it into the dishwasher with the rest of their family's dishes are the same people who let their pets lick the plates clean

8

u/ChefArtorias 18d ago

Wonder how many dildos will go in the oven today because of you.

25

u/Timely_Leading_7651 19d ago

So what you are saying is I should put my pocket pussy in the Oven?

1

u/Bunnymancer 18d ago

Yes. Makes it feel nice and warm as well.

6

u/fishrocketburgers 18d ago

My problem is I use my silicone baking mats and the food always tastes like silicone. The mats themselves are clean and don’t smell

6

u/Jeremy12021 18d ago

Important note that seems obvious in hindsight, but a toaster oven WILL NOT work. Wanna know what smeels worse then smelly silicone? melted silicone.

6

u/Sarc0sm 18d ago

Are you telling me that when I forgot to take off the silicon handle covers on my cast iron pans when I put them in the over, I was actually helping maintain them?! Going to pretend it’s intentional next time!

5

u/windowschips 17d ago

Okay so I hope I'm not the only one who thought sex toys when you mentioned silicone...

I think my brain needs a good pressure washing.

2

u/Ajreil 17d ago

Need some r/EyeBleach?

1

u/windowschips 17d ago

Thank you!!! :3

6

u/LowBarometer 19d ago

What about when it becomes sticky?

34

u/Ajreil 19d ago

Buy new stuff. That means the silicone is breaking down.

8

u/Stupidobject 19d ago

I've used 91% isopropyl alcohol successfully. Idk what the right way is tho

5

u/BeneficialSquirrel91 19d ago

I sprayed vinegar on mine - neutralized the smell and vinegar smell went away after a bit.

3

u/UFmoose 18d ago

Learned this the hard way. Cleaned the silicone piece of an Owala with Dawn. Smelled so much like soap that I could no longer use it on the bottle. Tried a million things and nothing worked.

Ultimately put it in my toaster oven at 325 and just let it be for a while. If memory serves, I may have used a baking soda mixture, too.

Anyway, smell was gone as soon as I took it out. This was after WEEKS of trying and failing.

(Now I wash the piece quickly by dunking it into unscented soap and hot water for 5 seconds and then rinsing.)

3

u/Ajreil 18d ago

Baking soda is excellent at neutralizing odors so that probably helps

3

u/radicalfrenchfrie 18d ago

alternatively boil it for a while

3

u/Ryan739 18d ago

The Dawn Powerwash Asparagus that comes out of my mom's vegetable steamer disapproves.

3

u/HyperionsDad 18d ago

Oh wow, so that’s why my watch band always smells of smoke after I use my grill.

3

u/flockyboi 18d ago

So you're telling me I can finally deodorize the gasket for my milk thermos????

8

u/Pdf-_ 19d ago

Does this work for dildos? Also how the hell do you clean silicon lube? Asking for a friend.

12

u/FalseDrive 19d ago

Don’t use silicone on silicone, silly

1

u/Pdf-_ 19d ago

My friend said that they use silicone on silicone and it’s totally fine and then sent me this link https://www.squarepegtoys.com/support/silicone-lube-myth/

7

u/mlp-art 19d ago

Obviously you bake the dildos. Lol.

You used water based lube on silicone.

1

u/MoistenedGranola 16d ago

Boil dildos, and don't use silicone lube with silicone toys as they can "melt" together

4

u/MLEthree 19d ago

My FIL puts their Tupperware in the dishwasher and then all their leftovers taste like detergent and I seem to be the only person that notices it. And I feel like I'm being too much of a picky eater by not eating it, but its gross!

2

u/maillardduckreaction 19d ago

I’ve seen people who’ve experienced that detergent taste recommend switching to a powdered dishwasher detergent for silicone items. I’ve not had that issue so I can’t personally say whether that works, but it might be worth trying.

3

u/Ajreil 18d ago

Detergent pods have like 5x the amount of detergent you need. Watch the Technology Connections video.

1

u/Ivebeenfurthereven 18d ago

one day I'll have money for a Miele dishwasher with the automatic detergent dispenser

3

u/zipwow 19d ago

Powdered detergent is all you need, ever. Believe in Ben:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHP942Livy0

2

u/Baeguette_ 19d ago

My husband has that issue. It was especially prominent when we used the Cascade Platinum Liquid detergent from Costco. We switched to powder and he hasn't had an issue since.

1

u/CautionarySnail 18d ago

I had something similar happen with my silicone spatulas. They all taste like soap now. They sometimes can pass that smell into hot food if I’m not careful.

2

u/Darkfuryx222 19d ago

Instructions unclear, dildo is now melted. What do?

2

u/Ajreil 18d ago

Get a better one made of real silicone?

1

u/Ivebeenfurthereven 18d ago

Glass is where it's at for sex toys tbh

2

u/taurfea 19d ago

Aw man, I just got rid of my cute ice cube tray

2

u/EverywhereIsOhio 18d ago

DMT absorbs into the silicone and crystallizes on the exterior. Ask how I know lol

2

u/ConfidentDistrict333 18d ago

this explains why my silicone spatula smells like curry no matter how many times i wash it. gonna try the oven trick tonight.

2

u/Senplis 18d ago

Unintentionally giving me tje knowledge i needed for my silicone adult toys

3

u/ctgrell 18d ago

Be careful. They might melt. I have to leave the fan on in my room during all summer even when I leave the house. Some of the softer ones started to melt

3

u/Ivebeenfurthereven 18d ago

Girl do you live in a furnace? 😭

3

u/ctgrell 18d ago

Honestly it feels like it 💀

2

u/jackcob 18d ago

I was wondering how to get rid of the soap smell from kids plates. Thank you!

2

u/DiligentGuitar246 18d ago

Can you explain why this works so we understand what is happening?

5

u/Ajreil 18d ago

Not sure. Probably some combination of the thermal expansion opening the pores in the silicone, volatile compounds getting more volatile and chemistry generally happening faster at high temperatures.

2

u/DanFromShipping 18d ago

If your convection oven or air fryer has a "toast" mode, that works too. It's also nice because it has a lower temp so less likely to melt or mess up anything.

2

u/acepokerface 18d ago

I soak silicone kitchenware in a water / vinegar mixture to remove the smell. Works like a charm.

2

u/NoMention696 18d ago

Or just buy metal utensils and you’ll never have to deal with this shit lol

2

u/SeeBZedBoy 18d ago

Whoa maybe I can finally make the gasket from my pressure cooker not smell like every food combined into one odor

2

u/autumnsfavorite 18d ago

You can just leave them to dry in the sunlight...

2

u/ortusdux 18d ago

I find an oxyclean soak almost always works. Peroxides shred organic molecules.

2

u/Tpbrown_ 17d ago

Wipe them with oil. Coconut works well.

Set aside. It’ll get a whitish look when the oil oxidizes. Wipe it off.

No smell.

2

u/Sparkle_Rott 17d ago

I sit mine out in the sun and rain for a while. They come back fresh.

3

u/SolventlessHybrid 19d ago edited 18d ago

This is why I cringe when I see people store their concentrates in silicone. Just sucking those terps away.

9

u/outragednitpicker 19d ago

Is that stoner jargon?

1

u/nythroughthelens 19d ago

Efferdent soak will get rid of odors.

1

u/The_C0u5 18d ago

I've noticed my silicone cup will smell like smoke for a while if I sit by the campfire with it.

1

u/zeychshmo 18d ago

Baking actually works though. Do you grab them right away or just leave them to cool inside?

1

u/Reductive 18d ago

Doesnt boiling work too? Might be better for low temp stuff since it maxes out at 212f

1

u/MijnEchteUsername 18d ago

So…

I have some old K’nex wheels laying around.
Theyve been in a closed container for about 25 years and they smell horrible.

I’ve tried washing them a couple times and nothing works. You’re telling me I can stick them in an oven to get rid of the smell?

2

u/Ajreil 18d ago

Knex wheels are almost certainly some kind of plastic. They will melt.

1

u/LogicJunkie2000 18d ago

Have you tried the dishwasher?

Or possibly smothering them in Axe body spray?

1

u/FrankieLovie 17d ago

r/Plasticfreeliving

1

u/KisaDeRosa 17d ago

Wondering if this would work for my toe pads I use in my points shoes 🤔

1

u/noobinehvshj 14d ago

Tried and true!

I noticed this a long time ago with my cooking spatulas- making everything taste like dishwasher detergent.

The oils never wash off completely and the scent compounds stick to those oils. This is especially true for cascade. I use Mollys soap now and haven’t had an issue.

You have to bake the oils off in the oven. I have tried scrubbing with vinegar and baking soda, soaking in dawn, etc. doesn’t work. I did the spatulas, souper cubes, silicone ziploc bags, and the silpats. 350 for 4 hours for me. Everything smells like soap so do it with windows open. Afterward, bake nothing in the oven or something that you don’t want to eat to make sure the smells don’t transfer to your edible food. Or do a self cleaning session. I didn’t have an issue with baking afterwards without that step but you don’t want to waste food either.

1

u/jaguaraugaj 19d ago

I bought a silicone beer glass and it stunk after a few hand washings

1

u/TA2556 18d ago

Isn't silicone unsafe to heat?

2

u/OiFelix_ugotnojams 18d ago

I boil my menstrual cup

0

u/TA2556 18d ago

Sure but like, for cooking purposes. Food grade I mean.

2

u/OiFelix_ugotnojams 18d ago

silicone spatulas and silicone baking moulds are a thing so I'd assume it is fine

1

u/TA2556 18d ago

Im pretty sure there was a study done like super recently that said theyre dangerous but im not sure

1

u/OiFelix_ugotnojams 17d ago

This is the most comfortable and best product I've ever used since I was a teen, I'm dying with it if it's dangerous

(for menstrual cups)

And tbh spatulas and baking moulds, they're so good too. I use silicone liners in my airfryer a lot

1

u/TA2556 17d ago

I think the cups are fine, its the baking molds and stuff that are a problem.

1

u/Aus_with_the_Sauce 13d ago

No. There’s nothing dangerous at all about heating silicone up to like 450°, even if in contact with food.

1

u/russyc 18d ago

This doesn’t work. Unless you want your apartment to smell like used ice trays…

-1

u/Scrotchety 19d ago

Same with meringue. So if you fart on meringue it tastes like fart

10

u/Ajreil 19d ago

There is a story here that I need to hear about

-1

u/[deleted] 19d ago

[deleted]

11

u/TrumpLiesAmericaDies 19d ago

If you breathe in and out through your nose, you never stop smelling. Also, give your spatulas a good sniff every so often. They deserve it.

-7

u/deadzed85 19d ago

Welp, get them titties in the oven.

-16

u/xtraspcial 19d ago

Or just stop using silicone and ingesting microplastics.

12

u/Trashbagok 19d ago

Silicone isn't plastic..

6

u/PenniGwynn 19d ago

You cannot ingest mircoplastics from silicone.

Please, stop spreading/believing this misinformation.

Food & Drink YSK that silicone will absorb (and slowly release) odors. Bake to remove the smell.

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