How to Clean Microwave (Updated 2020)

Most of the new-age modern kitchens are now equipped with appliances like mixers, vegetable choppers, and microwave ovens.

You can cook several mouthwatering dishes using a microwave oven, and that too, without any hassle. But when it comes to clean it, you might find yourself in trouble.

Well, if you are one of the victims, this article is definitely for you!

One of the most important points to take care of while using any appliance is to know how to clean and maintain it.

In this article, you’ll be learning quite a few handy tricks and tips to keep your microwave well and hearty.

Basic steps to clean your microwave

Yes, like other appliances, your microwave too, deserves good maintenance.

If you notice your appliance is covered with dust outside or has splattered food items inside, it means that the microwave needs cleaning.

You can simply scrub out the food items with a kitchen appliance cleaner and a soft cloth.

Step one: Dry-cloth cleaning You can clean your microwave daily using a dry-cloth. Everyday cleaning can keep your microwave well-maintained. . Use a soft fabric to wipe clean the dust or dried food items.
Step two: Wet-cloth cleaning If there is too much of food leftovers (both dry and wet) inside the appliance, use a wet cloth and remove the food items first. You can also use kitchen cleaning tissues if there’s too much of a mess.
Step three: cleaning using a good cleaning product & soft scrubber It is not always possible to clean your microwave oven every day, so you can keep a day in a week fixed for deep cleaning of your appliance and use dishwashing liquid or any other appliance cleaning solution to clean the appliance. Use a soft scrubber to scrub out the food item. It is important to take out the microwave dish before you clean the appliance, as you might end up damaging the glass dish while scrubbing the inside of the microwave.

Professional Cleaning

If you feel that you need deep and professional cleaning, you can always seek professional help. There are several cleaning service providers available in the Indian market also, you can also take help from your friends and colleagues who are using professional cleaning services for their appliances.

Professional cleaning once a month ensures the good condition of your appliance.

Addressing the microwave cleaning problems

Every kitchen appliance can be used and handled in various ways depending on the family members who handle it, the size of the household, usage of the appliance, and so on.

Therefore, it is important to address the problems as per the requirements and not to use the typical cleaning process.

Problem one: Bad odor that resides inside the microwave Many homemakers complain that their microwave smells weird at times, and may hamper their food items that are put inside the appliance for cooking or reheating. A very tried and tested method to remove the odor is using lemon juice and baking soda. Mix both ingredients well in a bowl and microwave it for 30 seconds to 1 minute. This mixture soaks the unpleasant odor and makes the microwave fresh-smelling instantly. You can also put a few drops of food essence or essential oil of your choice in a bowl full of water and microwave it for a few seconds to make your microwave smell fresh.
Problem two: loosening the grime It is quite important to loosen the grime before you clean your microwave because if you don’t do so, you might end up scrubbing and damaging the microwave. Make a hot solution using vinegar, citric acid, and water. You can put a cup-full of water into a bowl and put 2-3 slices of lemon into it and add a spoonful of vinegar. Now put this solution bowl inside the microwave and heat it for a few seconds, preferably for a minute. The grime would loosen and you can wipe it out using a soft fabric.
Problem three: scrub cleaning for microwave interiors Scrub cleaning is required when there are too many stubborn cooking stains inside. Removing cooking marks and stains is quite difficult and scrub cleaning is the only option one can go for in that particular situation. However, a soft plastic scrubber is recommended as the steel wool ones might harm the microwave interiors. A good commercial cleaning product can be of great help, and you can find them online or in any nearby grocery store. The turntable can be cleaned using a glass cleaner, while the interiors can be cleaned using a good dishwashing product and a sponge cloth.
Problem four: protecting your microwave from dust and bugs We all know that the leftover food attracts cockroaches and other insects, so your microwave can be an easy victim of bug and insect attacks. Make sure to clean your microwave properly so that there’s no leftover food item inside. Make sure there’s no uncovered food item kept nearby. The bugs and insects can be removed if you spray bug repellents at night and clean it in the morning. Keep a dedicated soft fabric to clean the microwave every day so that the dust doesn’t sit on it.
Problem five: Cleaning the burnt microwave To clean a microwave when there are several stubborn stains and burnt marks inside is quite a tough task. But you don’t need to invest a lot of time figuring out how to clean it as there’s a small and handy tip that you can use to clean your favorite appliance. Mix dishwashing detergent in a bowl full of warm water and using a spray bottle, spray the solution evenly and splendidly. Sprinkle baking soda over it and keep it for some time. Wipe off with a sponge or a soft fabric. Another method is to use toothpaste and baking soda. Mix baking soda with toothpaste and apply it inside the microwave. Keep it for some time and using a damp cloth, wipe off smoothly.

Do's and don'ts to ensure a long life for your microwave

In today’s busy lives, one cannot ignore the utility of a microwave oven that not only cooks tasty food items with minimum manual labor but also saves time too.

So it is important to take care of the appliance well so that it can help us doing our kitchen chores for a longer period.

Here’s a brief list of the do's and don’ts that you can follow to ensure a long life for your microwave -

Clean up the inside of the microwave every day Cleaning, if possible daily, must be done so that the microwave remains well and hearty. Use vinegar and baking soda mix to clean the microwave. You can also use professional cleaning equipment and solutions to clean the interiors of your microwave.
Keep the outside of the microwave clean Make sure to keep the outside of the microwave clean and tidy, and it is quite important to do that as you can keep the oven dust free and cook your favorite dishes hygienically.
Use microwave-proof containers only Make sure not to use any plastic or glass container, assuming them to be microwave-proof. The ones with the microwave-proof signs are the containers fit to be used in the microwaves. Any plastic container used for heating or reheating food items might be harmful to health, and any glass container might not be able to sustain in high temperature.
Make sure to cover the microwave-safe containers to avoid splutters Several food items are in liquid or semi-liquid state and might boil & splutter after a certain temperature. So it is advisable to cover the containers with a microwave-proof lid while you put the container inside the microwave.
Do not overheat any food item Many times, the overheated container (especially glass or plastic containers) may tend to crack and result in spluttering of the food items. Often, it can result in severe damages and accidents, so it is better to know how much heat the container can take.
Do not put metal containers inside Putting metal containers might damage your container so it is advised not to put any metal container inside the microwave. Any good conductor of electricity would cause sparking inside and might blow off the fuse.
Make sure not to slam the microwave doors too hard Do not slam the microwave doors too hard and ensure the door has been properly closed. A broken or damaged door might cause harm to the microwave and the appliance might not work efficiently enough.

A microwave can be your best friend if you can use it efficiently, and if used and maintained thoughtfully, it can help you a lot in cooking and baking mouth-watering dishes like cakes, pizzas and so on. Many expert bakers swear by this wonderful appliance and invest a lot of time and effort to clean it.

Many people also go for professional cleaning services to ensure that their microwave remains safe, as they know the importance of the appliance in their busy lives.