Nobody remembers much about the microwave until it's time for the infamous cleaning. If it's all dusty, the inside is dirty with food scraps, or it's taking longer to heat the food, it's time to give it a go! Scrub the inside of the appliance with the option you prefer, such as lemon, baking soda or vinegar. Finally, polish the outside. The microwave, in addition to being more efficient, will look brand new.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Steaming the Fat off
Step 1. Make a solution with water and lemon or vinegar
Place 1 cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Then place 2-3 slices of lemon or 1 tablespoon of vinegar in the water. If the microwave is too dirty, add both ingredients.
- You can use any type of vinegar, such as white or apple cider vinegar.
- Try adding slices of lemon, orange or lime.
Step 2. Put 1 tablespoon of baking soda into this solution if the appliance smells bad
Baking soda is a natural disinfectant, so mix it with water before making your cleaning solution. It absorbs odors as the water heats up.
Tip:
if you want to simultaneously remove the unpleasant odor from the appliance and make it smell good, add 2-3 slices of citrus fruit to the water, along with the baking soda.
Step 3. Place a wooden toothpick into the bowl
When heating pure water in the microwave, the temperature of the liquid can rise too high and cause the bowl to explode. To avoid the problem, put a wooden toothpick or wooden spoon in the bowl.
Do not put anything metal on the device
Step 4. Heat the solution on "high power" for five minutes
Place the bowl with the wooden toothpick in the microwave and close the door. Heat the solution for five minutes so that the water starts to boil and steam.
Step 5. Wait another five minutes before opening the appliance door for the steam to release the grease
If you open the microwave right away, the steam will eventually go away and the cleaning solution will be extremely hot. Wait this little time for it to take effect and cool down.
Did you know?
The steam softens the dirt stuck on the microwave walls, making the appliance easier to clean.
Method 2 of 4: Cleaning the Inside of the Microwave
Step 1. Remove the solution container and the turntable to wash it with soap and water
Take the solution and dish out of the socket. Wash it on both sides with soap and water. Leave the microwave dish to dry on top of the drying rack while you finish cleaning the inside of the appliance.
- If the container of cleaning solution is still hot after five minutes, pick it up wearing oven gloves.
- Is the turntable very greasy or has dark stains from burnt food scraps? Soak it in soapy water inside the sink bowl while you finish cleaning the inside of the microwave.
Step 2. Scrub the bottom, sides, top and inside of the door with a sponge or cloth
As food tends to spread in all directions, it takes a long time to take care of the internal surfaces of the appliance. Dip a sponge or cloth into the prepared cleaning solution and scrub the walls with leftover food and grease.
Tip:
if the door is too greasy, you can spray a specific remover on the inner glass before scrubbing the spot.
Step 3. Wipe the inside of the microwave with a dry cloth
After scrubbing everything, get a cloth or paper towel and dry the inside walls. Also dry the top and bottom of the equipment to finish.
Step 4. Place the turntable back in the microwave
Attach the clean turntable to the appliance. If it doesn't fit snugly, it may be crooked or not rotate properly when you use the microwave.
Method 3 of 4: Removing Tough Stains
Step 1. Rub the grease stains with a baking soda paste
If you melt butter in the microwave, for example, it can splatter on the door and sides of the appliance. Make a paste with baking soda and water, use a cloth to apply it to the greasy spots and finish with a damp cloth.
If it is too greasy, spray a grease remover
Step 2. Clean yellowish stains with nail polish remover
If your microwave oven is older, it probably has yellow stains from years of use, but these can easily be removed with a little nail polish remover. Dip a cotton swab into the nail polish remover with acetone and rub the yellowish stains until they come off.
To eliminate the strong smell of acetone, wipe it with a damp cloth afterwards
Step 3. Scrub burn stains with a sponge dipped in vinegar and baking soda
Did you burn that bag of popcorn that filled microwaves with stains like that? Luckily, you can remove them using a sponge soaked in vinegar with an even layer of baking soda. Use the rougher side of the sponge to rub the marks until they come out completely.
You can also try to remove stains by rubbing a cotton swab with acetone
Method 4 of 4: Polishing the outside of the appliance
Step 1. Moisten a cloth with soapy water and wring out
Fill a basin or sink tub with warm, soapy water and soak a dish towel in the solution. Then wring it out to remove the excess.
You can use liquid detergent
Step 2. Clean the microwave top, sides and panel with a cloth
Remove everything that is on top of the device so that you can clean the top with the damp cloth. Then wipe the sides with the cloth. The panel should take a little longer as it can be sticky from use.
Don't forget the door handle, which is probably pretty dirty
Step 3. Remove the soap with a cloth dampened with water only
Dip another cloth in hot or lukewarm water and wring it out. Use it to finish cleaning the entire microwave.
Remove the soap so that it doesn't dry in the appliance leaving residues
Step 4. Use a stronger product if the microwave is very dirty
A simple solution of water and soap is usually enough to clean the outside of the device, but sometimes it is necessary to use a stronger product depending on the state of the equipment. Instead of spraying the cleaner directly onto surfaces, apply it to a cloth and wipe the outside of the microwave.
When spraying the product on the surface, it can happen that particles enter the ventilation system and burn the equipment
Step 5. Wipe off moisture with a dry cloth
Take a lint-free cloth and wipe all microwave surfaces. Continue until it is completely dry.
Tip:
to make the microwave look more polished, spray a glass cleaner onto a clean cloth and wipe the door glass.
Tips
- Leave the microwave door open for a few minutes after cleaning to allow the inside to dry naturally.
- Scrub the interior of the microwave whenever possible to prevent stubborn stains from building up.
- If there are a lot of crumbs in the bottom of the appliance, remove them before starting the internal cleaning.