The Best Way to Clean a Microwave | Lifehacker


Your microwave will get tremendous soiled, however it may be straightforward to disregard because you simply form of shut the door while you’re not utilizing it, hiding all of the grease, splatter, and crumbs left in there. Out of sight is likely to be out of thoughts, nevertheless it does not translate to being out of the woods. Dirt can entice pests or make your microwave (and meals) smelly and gross. It’s time to wash your microwave half by half.

Step one: Steam your microwave

To begin, it is best to steam your microwave. That unhealthy boy has all types of splatter caked and crusted on the inside and steam goes to loosen it up. Steam is a strong device for cleansing, as is citric acid, so this one is a no brainer. Around the web and “CleanTok,” you may discover ideas starting from doing this with a half cup of water to a full cup, a half lemon to an entire one, and for 3 minutes to 5 minutes, with 5 minutes or quarter-hour left over for the steaming. Let’s make this straightforward. Here’s what I do:

  1. Cut a lemon into quarters and put two of them in a microwave-safe bowl with one cup of water

  2. Microwave on excessive for 3 minutes, checking to see if steam is forming towards the top

  3. If you do not see any steam, give it one other minute (my steam is seen on the cabinet above the microwave, which is how I do know it is working)

  4. Let it sit with the door closed for 5 minutes

When you open the microwave, it is best to see that what was as soon as crusted onto the partitions and ceiling of the machine is now form of soggy and tremendous straightforward to wipe up with a sponge. Plus, it smells good and lemony. Be warned, although, that I’ve observed the crust and splatter close to the highest is far simpler to take away than something on the underside, for the reason that steam travels up. If your turntable is detachable, take it out and soak it in heat water, then scrub it with a sponge.

Step two: Clean the outside of the microwave

The means you clear the outside of your microwave is determined by what’s caught on there. If it is greasy, use a combination of 1 half vinegar and one half water to softly scrub. If it is simply splattery, however not greasy, attempt a mixture of one half rubbing alcohol and one half water. You also can use a moist sponge dipped in baking soda for heavier-duty messes, however remember to comply with that up with plain water.

I do that half in a number of steps. First, I exploit the combination of rubbing alcohol and water to take away any straightforward stains or residue, then reevaluate to find out if something left over is tremendous caught on. Using a delicate fabric, I buff some baking soda over that (which is streaky and messy!) after which use plain water to take away it. If there are nonetheless streaks, then I am going in with my vinegar and water, which is a streak-killing combo.

You do not want specialty merchandise past what you’ve round the home already to get the within and out of doors of your microwave gleaming, however you do want the know-how and a little bit of time.