January 13, 2021

How To Easily Clean Your Microwave At Home

When you are using the microwave oven and heating food, small particles can splash around the microwave. Usually, we are not cleaning the microwave after each use, and the inner surface becomes dirtier and dirtier. Cleaning the microwave at home is quite easy. The frequency of cleaning should be selected depending on the intensity of use.

Microwave Cleaning Methods

Today there are many effective ways to quickly and easily clean the microwave. The most effective, inexpensive, and affordable methods that will help to deal with dried deposits are:

• Steam.
• Lemon acid.
• Vinegar.
• Dish cleaning gel.
• Baking soda.
• Lemon and orange juice.
• Glass cleaner.

Each of these options has its advantages and disadvantages, take this into account when deciding how to wash the microwave.

Lemon and Citrus Juice

This method allows you not only to qualitatively clean the surface of the microwave oven but also to give it a pleasant citrus aroma. The main ingredients of the cleaning composition are:

• Water – 4 cups
• Sliced ​​lemon – 3 oz.
• Orange peel – 3 oz

You can clean the inside of the microwave from fat using these ingredients in the following way:

1. Fill plastic, glass, or ceramic dishes with water, and put lemon wedges and orange zest inside.
2. Place the container with the ready-made solution in the working chamber and run at the highest power for 10 minutes.
3. After switching off, we wait 20 minutes for the condensed substances to dissolve the dried fat.
4. After that, we wipe the entire inner surface with a damp sponge.
5. You could use lemon juice instead

Lemon Acid

This method is ideal for quickly cleaning up old, dried dirt. You must first prepare the main ingredients for the work:

• Citric acid – 1 tablespoon.
• Purified water – 15 oz.
• Lemons – 2 pieces.

You can clean the microwave with citric acid by adhering to the following order of actions:

1. Pour water into a plastic, glass, or ceramic container
2. Add citric acid and mix thoroughly
3. Squeeze the lemon into a bowl with the solution and put the rest of the fruit there
4. Put the resulting mixture into a microwave oven and start heating at extremely high power
5. Wait two to five minutes, depending on how dirty the oven surface is
6. After turning off the microwave, we wait ten minutes, after which we take out the dishes with the solution
7. We clean the inside of the microwave with a dry napkin, and for hard-to-reach places, you can use a sponge soaked in a lemon solution

Dishwashing Gel

This method allows you to quickly wash the inside of the microwave with a low level of contamination. To get started, you will need:

• A small amount of clean water.
• Dishwashing gel without abrasive inclusions.
• Soft kitchen sponge.

The whole process has the following sequence:

1. Soak a sponge well in water and apply dishwashing gel to the surface.
2. Squeeze out water and foam the gel by alternately squeezing the sponge.
3. Put the sponge in the working chamber of the microwave device and run at maximum power for 30 seconds.
4. During operation of the device, make sure that the sponge does not start melting.
5. Wipe all surfaces of the working chamber with a sponge, at the same time removing old dirt.

Vinegar

This method makes it possible to clean a very dirty microwave oven that has not been washed for a long time. The main disadvantage of this solution is the unpleasant smell, which disappears over time. For effective cleaning, you will need the following components:

• Water – 15 oz.
• Vinegar solution 9% – 2 tablespoons.

Follow these steps:

1. Fill a plastic, glass, or ceramic container with water, add a 9% vinegar solution and mix thoroughly.
2. Put the solution into the working chamber of the microwave oven and run it at maximum power for 5 minutes.
3. To remove unpleasant odors from the room, it is recommended to turn on the hood and open the windows.
4. After switching off, wait 10 minutes for the condensate vapor to penetrate deeply into the solid deposits.
5. Remove the container from the chamber, and wash the microwave with a sponge dipped in a vinegar solution.

Rinse the oven with a cleaning agent to remove the residual vinegar solution.

This option is not suitable for frequent use if the cooking compartment is ceramic coated.

Also read: Cleaning Glass Shower Doors With Vinegar & Dawn +5 Effective DIY Mixtures

Steam

The most effective, simple, and reliable way to clean the inside of a microwave oven is with water vapor. To clean using this method, clean water and utensils made of non-metallic material will be sufficient. The cleaning process itself is as follows:

Pour about 7 oz of pure water into a non-metallic tank.

Place a reservoir of water in the working chamber of the microwave oven and turn it on to the most powerful mode for 10 minutes.

After switching off, wait 10 minutes for the condensation to finally soften the dry fat layer on the camera surface.

Easily clean the microwave using a tissue or sponge dipped in warm water.

Soda

You can easily clean the microwave with baking soda using the minimum amount of ingredients:

• Baking soda – 1 tablespoon.
• Water – 15 oz.

The procedure for removing dirt from the working chamber is carried out in the following sequence:

1. Pour water into a ceramic, glass, or plastic container, add baking soda and mix thoroughly.
2. Put the soda solution in the microwave and run it at maximum power for 5 minutes.
3. We wait for 10 minutes for the condensation of the soda solution to corrode dried splashes of grease and other contaminants.
4. Wipe all internal surfaces with a dry cloth, and in hard-to-reach places with a sponge dipped in a soda solution.

Wiper

You can quickly and easily clean the microwave in this way if you have some patience. When preparing for work, you should stock up on basic working materials:

• Soft kitchen sponge.
• Pure water.
• Screen wiper of any brand.

The process of eliminating pollution itself has the following algorithm:

1. Disconnect the microwave oven from the power supply.
2. Prepare a cleaning mixture by mixing the glass cleaner with water in a 2-to-1 ratio.
3. Soak a sponge in this solution and squeeze out excess moisture.
4. Wipe off all existing contamination until they are completely eliminated.
5. After cleaning, all treated surfaces are wiped with clean water to remove all traces of the wiper.

How to Clean the Grill Heater

In the process of operation, the heating element is constantly exposed to drops of fat and particles of products, which are baked on its surface and turn into carbon deposits. The grill heating element has a complex configuration, which makes it much more difficult to clean. To clean the heating element, experts recommend using special chemicals.

 But, there is one easy way to clean it at home:

1. Bend the wire into a hook.
2. Wrap the curved part with a thick cloth.
3. Moisten a napkin in ethyl alcohol and wipe the heating element thoroughly several times.

The best ways to clean microwaves at home can be very harmful if you use the wrong technique for cleaning a dirty surface. When performing such work, you should adhere to a few simple rules:

• Do not use metal sponges, they can damage the enamel and ceramic surfaces.
• Never disassemble household appliances yourself, only specialists should do this.
• Do not use abrasive cleaners, they can deform the protective coating of the cooking compartment.

How to Keep Your Microwave Clean 

For all users who want to easily clean the microwave, there is a life hack to prevent the formation of complex traces of dirt. To do this, you must follow a few simple rules:

• When heating food, use glass lids, hoods, and cling film. They protect the surface of the chamber from grease splashes and food scattering
• We recommend cleaning for at least 60 days at a time, otherwise, the fat layer will have time to acquire a high density.
• If in the process of heating food, it is partially scattered around the chamber, you should remove it with a damp sponge.

All these would help to keep your microwave oven, however, you should do it regularly. If you want to save time, consider ordering professional cleaning services in NYC from White Glove Cleaner. 

About the author: Khrystyna is a cleaning professional with years of experience. She is a founder of White Glove Cleaner agency and her dream is to make New York a cozier place.