A microwave oven is a blessing in busy homes. Keeping your microwave clean and well-maintained is important. You might use it for quick meals, making popcorn for movie night, or reheating leftovers. If not, your microwave will collect leftover food. This can lead to bad smells and harmful bacteria. Indeed, your microwave’s lifespan will be compromised.
Not following safety guidelines can cause accidents or damage. This includes not cleaning and maintaining your microwave.
So, before time runs out, you must learn how to clean a microwave properly. Apart from hygiene, it will guarantee your safety for years to come.
Regular Microwave Cleaning
For the best results, grow a habit of daily wipe-up after using your microwave every day. This easy habit will prevent your microwave from facing larger messes. How to clean a microwave daily? Here’s what you can follow:
- Take a damp cloth or sponge.
- Wipe down your microwave with the cloth or sponge.
- Even though you can’t spot a visible mess, just wipe your microwave floor and walls.
A daily wiping won’t give the food splatters and spills a chance to harden. So, the microwave will be clean and maintained for the long run. As a bonus tip, consider using a microwave-safe lid to cover your food inside the appliance. This will reduce the chance of splatters and spills.
How to Deep Clean Your Microwave
Your microwave often needs a deep clean to remove tough stains, grime, and odors. How do you clean your microwave deeply? Check out the steps with household and safe staples:
- Pour white vinegar and water in a 1:1 ratio into a microwave-safe bowl.
- Now, insert the bowl into the microwave and set it to high temperature for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, don’t bring the bowl out of the appliance immediately. Instead, allow it to be there for a couple of extra minutes. This will loosen up dried residues inside the microwave.
- Then, remove the bowl from the microwave carefully.
- Also, use a damp cloth or sponge to wipe down the interior of the microwave.
What if you notice tough stains inside your microwave? It’s not that your microwave isn’t working. The steam cleaning might just not be strong enough to remove the stubborn stains. However, you can try this way to defeat stubborn stains and grease inside your microwave:
- First, prepare a paste of baking soda by mixing an adequate amount of water with it.
- Next, apply the baking soda paste to the stained areas of the microwave.
- Let the paste sit for 15 minutes or so.
- Additionally, you can use a sponge to gently scrub the stains.
- Now, wipe the interior clean with a damp cloth.
Deodorizing Your Microwave
You have seen how to clean a microwave effectively. However, cleaning alone might not tackle the odor the food leaves. Pungent smells often happen when cleaning microwaves. This is common, especially after cooking fish or popcorn.
Let’s see how you can make your microwave smell fresh:
- Start by cutting a lemon in half and placing it in a bowl of water.
- Now, place the bowl inside your microwave and heat it for 3 minutes. Make sure that the bowl is microwave-safe.
- The steam will neutralize the bad odors as well as loosen up the grime.
However, let the lemon water be inside the microwave for another minute. Thus, the steam will absorb the pungent odors completely.
Does your microwave still smell weird after deodorizing with lemon? If you smell stronger odors from your microwave, put a small bowl of activated charcoal or coffee grounds inside overnight. This should absorb all the lingering smells.
How to Clean a Microwave from the Outside
Looking for a gleaming and working microwave that is ready for meal preparation at any time? Then, you must consider cleaning your microwave’s exterior as well. Here’s how to clean your microwave’s door.
- Use a dedicated glass cleaner for the microwave door.
- Spritz the glass cleaner on the outside of the microwave door.
- Ensure you spray the cleaner on the handle as well.
- Now, use a soft and clean cloth to wipe off the door and handle.
In addition, you can use a scrubbing brush to pay attention to the door opening and edges. Indeed, the debris on the door opening can prevent the appliance from sealing properly. As a consequence, you can encounter a microwave not working issue.
Should You Clean Your Microwave Filter?
Often, users are curious about how to clean a microwave’s filter. Typically, the filter of the appliance resides at the back or top of the microwave interior. Refer to the microwave’s user manual for the right directions with the microwave filter cleaning service near me.
If the filter is made of metal and easily detachable, then you can attempt a cleaning in the following way:
- Prepare a solution by mixing mild dish soap with warm water.
- Then, soak the microwave filter in that warm soapy water.
- Arrange a gentle brush or sponge to scrub away the stuck-on grime.
- Finally, give it a rinse and place it back in the microwave.
For your information, you can’t clean a microwave filter if it’s made of carbon or charcoal. The only way left is to replace the dirty microwave filter with a new compatible one.
How to Maintain Your Microwave
Apart from microwave cleaning, you must be aware of how to maintain the appliance. This will add extra years to the longevity of your microwave. So, follow the safety and maintenance guidelines besides learning how to clean your microwave.
Utilize Only Microwave-Safe Containers
Always verify that you are getting microwave-safe containers before purchasing them. Using microwave-safe containers helps you prevent spills. Additionally, avoid using specific plastics, metal, and aluminum foil in microwaves. They can cause sparks and your microwave can be fire-damaged.
Practice Regular Cleaning
Make sure you clean your microwave’s interior, exterior, and vents. Microwave repair services suggest using a vacuum cleaner with a special brush attachment to clean the vents. Thus, your microwave’s performance will remain undisturbed.
Avoid Slamming Your Microwave’s Door
Be gentle while shutting the microwave door. Slamming the door can harm the microwave, its door seal, and other parts inside. So, close the microwave door gently. Also, check whether the door is properly sealed before turning on the microwave.
Never Run Your Microwave Empty
Running your microwave empty, even by mistake, can bring consequences. Indeed, the internals of your microwave will be seriously damaged. Ensure you turn the microwave off immediately if you have run it accidentally.
Have an Eye on the Door Seal
Your microwave’s door seal plays an important role in keeping the radiation intact. So, check for wear and tear in the door seal. Also, clean the door seal with a damp cloth to avoid malfunction. Otherwise, you might have to hire microwave repair services to replace the worn seal.
Pack-Up Time!
That’s all about how to clean a microwave and take care of it. Make sure that you never leave spills for too long inside your microwave. Also, you should not heat any food with low water content for too long. If you notice any problems with your appliance, consider finding nearby microwave repair services.
