A few years ago the in-laws bought me a fancy microwave. This thing was awesome and it got a ton of use. I kind of took it for granted, never really cleaned it properly and then one day one of the kids shamed me by asking what all the black stuff on the roof of the microwave was!
As I really liked this microwave, I wanted to get as many years use out of it as possible so I turned to natural remedies to get it clean.
Today I am sharing with you three different methods for cleaning your microwave. One using vinegar, one using lemon and the last using baking soda. You are bound to have at least one of these in the house and if you do not they are super cheap to buy.
How To Clean A Microwave With Vinegar
The vinegar that you have in your cupboard can make light work of the greasiest and grossest stains in your microwave!
What You Need To Clean Your Microwave With Vinegar:
- check
- check
- check
Step 1: Get your microwave safe bowl and pour in half a cup of vinegar and half a cup of water. If you have a larger microwave or if your microwave is really messy, feel free to add a little more if you feel it needs it.
Step 2: Now before you put the bowl into the microwave, place your toothpick or wooden stirring stick into the bowl. The reason you are doing this is so that bubbles can form on the wooden object, thus not letting the vinegar boil to the point where it explodes all over your microwave! The chances of this happening are slim to none and most people do not bother putting anything in the bowl and they are fine, but I like to be safe.
Step 3: Put the bowl into the microwave and set it for around 5 – 10 minutes. The dirtier the microwave is the longer you will want it to be in there for. One extra tip that I have for you is that when the microwave does its signature “ping” do not take the bowl out right away. First of all, it will be hotter than the surface of the sun, but also if you leave it in for a minute or two it will steam up some more.
Step 4: Use some oven mitts and take out the bowl. Now get your sponge and wipe away any of the exploded spaghetti, pizza or whatever else is stuck on your microwave. The walls, roof, door and the turntable need to be cleaned so make sure you do not miss anything. I always use a sponge, but to be honest with you the vinegar does such a great job, a paper towel would be able to wipe it all away.
That is all there is to it, I find that once is enough, but if some stains are really stubborn just repeat the process.
Read More:Cleaning a mirror with vinegar for a streak-free finish
How To Clean A Microwave With Lemon
If your microwave is dirty, telling it to go suck on a lemon is one way that you can help get it clean and freshen it up!
What You Need To Clean Your Microwave With Lemon:
- check
Step 1: You want to get your bowl and put in around half a cup of water into it.
Step 2: Cut the lemon in half and then squeeze as much juice as you can into the water. I prefer to use gloves for this, but it is up to you. Give the water/lemon mix a bit of a stir and put the two half’s of the lemon into the bowl as well.
Step 3: Put the bowl in the microwave and set it to your highest setting, you want it to go for 3 minutes. Once it is done do not take it out, let it stand in there for at least five minutes to really loosen up any mess that is welded on.
Step 4: Using oven mitts, carefully take the bowl out of the microwave. Even after sitting for five minutes it will be hot so watch what you are doing. Give the inside of the microwave a really good wipe down. Take out the turntable if you need to as well and give that a wipe and the area underneath. Do not forget about the microwave door as well!
Then you are done. It is very easy and if there are some stains that feel like they are stuck on with glue, use some real elbow grease when cleaning or repeat the process.
Read More:6 natural cleaning ingredients for green cleaning
How To Clean A Microwave With Baking Soda
Is there anything that baking soda cannot do? Well, it turns out baking soda can be great for giving your microwave a good clean.
What You Need To Clean Your Microwave With Baking Soda:
- check
Step 1: Put two tablespoons of baking soda into the bowl and then one cup of water. Give them a good mixing together.
Step 2: Place the bowl in the microwave and turn it on for around three minutes. The baking soda will start to work its magic. As well as loosening up the stains, it will help get rid of any old food odors too. Once the microwave is finished, let the bowl sit in there for around 15 minutes.
Step 3: Making sure you have your oven mitts on, take out the bowl. Remember, even after sitting, the bowl will be hot so be careful. Run the sink and pour the baking soda/water mix down the drain.
Step 4: Next, use your sponge (or actually a damp cloth would do the trick too) and give the microwave a good wipe down; the walls, the roof and of course the door. The stains and any baking soda residue should come right off. If the turntable is really messy, you can, of course, take that off so you can clean it better. Let the microwave dry and you are done!
See how easy that was? A little baking soda and some water not only cleans your microwave, it makes it smell better too!
Read More:How to clean your carpet with baking soda
Resources
GoodHouseKeeping.com
PracticallyFunctional.comTheKitchn.com
Declutter your home once and for all (Even if you have no time and don't know where to begin)! Learn More.
