Until it’s time to clean your microwave, you probably don’t give it much thought.
Cleaning is necessary if your machine is dusty, food is splattered inside, or your food doesn’t heat up as rapidly as it used to.
You can use lemon, baking soda, or vinegar to clean the inside of your microwave, and then polish the outside. Afterward, the machine will be much more efficient and appear brand new.
As you will see in the guide below, we are going to break down all of these very important steps that need to be followed to achieve the most successful cleaning job you have ever done on your microwave.
Be sure to take your time with each step and be sure to thoroughly scrub and wipe each section of your microwave for the best results.
The Steps To Cleaning Your Microwave
Let’s get straight into it! Follow the steps below to clean your microwave and enjoy a sparkling appliance!
The Magical Cleaning Solution
Use citrus or vinegar to create a steaming solution. Fill a microwave-safe bowl with 1 cup (240 ml) of water.
In addition, you can add between 2 and 3 citrus slices or a tablespoon (15 ml) of vinegar to the water.
Consider adding both citrus and vinegar if your microwave is dirty. It is okay to use any type of vinegar you have in your kitchen to save going out and buying more.
It may help to add 1 tablespoon of baking soda (14 g) to the solution if your microwave smells. Stir some baking soda into the water before microwaving it to act as a natural deodorizer.
Heating the water will cause the baking soda to absorb the smells.
In addition to adding water and baking soda to the microwave, you can also add two to three slices of citrus before you microwave it to remove undesirable smells.
Getting Rid Of The Smell
Be sure that the bowl has a wooden skewer in it before you put it in the microwave. When you microwave water in a perfect bowl, the liquid can be overheated and the bowl can burst.
Use a wooden skewer or wooden spoon to prevent the liquid from overheating. Metal skewers and spoons should not be put into the bowl since they can overheat and scorch the microwave.
The solution should be microwaved on high for 5 minutes. On the turntable of the microwave, place the bowl with the skewer. Close the door.
For 5 minutes, microwave the solution to make the water boil and create steam. Allow 5 minutes for the steam to loosen grime in the microwave.
Steam escapes from the microwave when you open it immediately, making your cleaning solution extremely hot. You should wait five minutes before opening it.
Scrubbing Down Your Microwave
Before washing the turntable with soapy water, remove the solution and turntable.
Lift the turntable off its track by removing the bowl of solution. Wipe the turntable clean by washing both sides in soapy water.
While you clean the inside of the microwave, put the clean turntable on the counter. To remove the hot bowl, wear oven mitts if it remains hot after 5 minutes.
When you clean the inside of the microwave, soak the turntable in a sink full of soapy water if it is greasy or has burnt-on stains.
Getting All The Sides Clean
To clean the interior, sponge or cloth the bottom, the sides, the top, and the door.
Food often splatters in all directions, so you’ll have to wipe down every surface of the microwave deeply.
Wipe off the grease and food remnants with a sponge or cloth dipped in the cleaning solution you prepared earlier.
Before scrubbing the inner glass door, spray it with a grease-cutting product if the door is greasy.
Wiping The Inside Dry
The inside of the microwave should be cleaned with a dry cloth.
You should wipe each wall inside the microwave with a dry cloth or paper towel after you have scrubbed its interior.
It is also necessary to clean the top and bottom of the machine until the interior is completely dry.
Putting The Turntable Back In Place
The turntable should be placed back into the microwave.
The turntable should be positioned on the tracks of the machine at the bottom.
When the machine is turned on, the turntable may appear tilted or may not rotate properly if it is not on the tracks.
Stains That Refuse To Go Away
Although all of those steps above have been followed, there are always going to be stains that can’t be removed.
However, you can still try a few more things to remove those nasty stains that you don’t want.
Scrubbing With Baking Soda
Baking soda paste can be used to remove grease stains. Combine baking soda with water to form a paste that can be spread on surfaces.
Once the paste has been applied, wipe a wet cloth over the greasy areas before rubbing the paste off. Consider spraying a grease-cutting product inside if there is a lot of grease.
Scrubbing With Nail Polish
Nail polish remover can be used to remove yellow stains. You can easily remove yellow stains from an older microwave with a little nail polish if you have one.
Rub yellow stains with acetone nail polish remover and a cotton ball. Wipe the microwave down with a damp cloth to remove the harsh acetone smell.
Scrubbing With Vinegar
Apply baking soda and vinegar to a sponge to scrub scorch marks. You will have scorch marks on your microwave after burning one bag of popcorn.
If you soak a sponge in vinegar and sprinkle baking soda over it, you can usually remove these stains.
Remove the marks by rubbing the rougher side of the sponge over them. Acetone-soaked cotton balls can also be used to remove stains.
Finishing The Outside Of The Microwave With A Polish
You might now have finished off cleaning the inside of your microwave, but now it is time to finish off cleaning the outside.
This requires a few steps but in no time at all, you will have yourself a microwave that looks brand new.
Getting Hold Of A Soapy Cloth
Pour warm soapy water into a bowl or sink and drop a dishcloth into it. Make sure the dishcloth absorbs the soapy water.
Remove the cloth from the soapy water by wringing it out as much as you can. The soapy water can be made with liquid dishwashing soap.
Wipe The Outside
So that you can easily clean the top of your microwave with a soapy cloth, remove everything from the microwave’s top. Next, rub the cloth over the sides of the machine.
Since the display panel can become sticky from a lot of use, you will need to spend a little more time on it. Also, you’ll have to clean around the handle, which can be grimy.
Clear The Soap
Wring out a new cloth after it has been run under hot or warm water. Wipe down the entire microwave with the wet cloth.
Removing the soap will prevent it from drying on the machine and leaving a residue.
Bring Out The Disinfectant
The exterior of your microwave can be cleaned with soapy water, but if it’s dirty, you can use a disinfectant cleanser.
It is better to spray deep-cleaning products onto a cloth instead of directly spraying them on the microwave’s exterior.
You might damage the microwave venting system if you spray it on the microwave’s exterior.
Drying Off The Outside
To remove moisture from the microwave, rub a dry cloth over it. Make sure the top and sides of the microwave are cleaned with a lint-free cloth. Make sure that the microwave is completely dry after you have finished cleaning it.
Take a cloth with glass cleaner on and wipe it over the microwave’s window to give it an extra-polished look.
Summary
This guide has broken down everything you need to know about cleaning your microwave and all the little steps you need to be taking for it to be done correctly.
We have looked at cleaning the inside of the microwave and the outside so no area is missed out.
It’s important to keep in mind that these aren’t the only ways to clean your microwave, they’re just some of the most effective, easy, and affordable methods around.
The best way to make sure you won’t do any damage to your appliance is to consult the owner’s manual before using another method.
It is even possible with some models to set up the appliance for steam cleaning to make your job easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get your last-minute queries answered here!
How Often Should You Clean Your Microwave?
Your microwave probably needs to be cleaned more often than it is currently. In general, microwaves need to be cleaned once a week, depending on how often they are used.
Immediately after using a microwave, you should wipe it down rather than waiting until later to clean it.
Also, if you regularly clean this appliance you can prevent leftover messes from influencing the taste of the food you heat in the future.
What Happens If You Don’t Clean The Microwave?
To prevent bacteria from building up in your microwave, you need to clean it regularly. As your food becomes stale and begins to mold, it is important to keep it clean.
Moreover, leftover splatters in the microwave will attract unwanted bugs, if the threat of mold is not enough for you.
Does Interior Rust Hurt Your Microwave?
Microwave radiation can leak from your microwave oven if it is rusted on the inside or its door.
Microwaves can affect biological processes in human cells and contribute to certain diseases such as glaucoma, leukemia, and sterility, according to science experts.
This is why you clean your microwave regularly so you can avoid things like this occurring.
Of course, these health issues won’t affect you instantly, but it is best to be on the safe side and keep this in your mind.
