microwave

How to clean microwave

The microwave is probably one of the most popular appliances in your home. It’s also the one that’s most in need of constant cleaning. Many companies market commercial cleaners and specialty chemicals as being the best at cleaning out your microwave – but not all of us are fans of using chemicals in our homes.

How to clean microwave

If you’d rather avoid the bad stuff, that’s totally fine! You can still clean your microwave, of course – and you probably have everything you need, right now in your kitchen, for the job. We promise, this naturally stuff is just as good as commercial cleaners – no tough scrubbing required! Here’s a list of ingredients you need for cleaning your microwave quickly and safely:

• Vinegar

• Baking Soda

• Lemons

• Lemon Essential Oil

• Water • Sponge

• Damp Cloth

• cup

• & a Microwave Safe Bowl

Stick with us, because in this video, we’ll be breaking down cleaning your microwave into two categories: with vinegar and with baking soda. If you have either of these two everyday kitchen items, you’re on your way to a clean microwave!

Let’s start with how to clean your microwave with vinegar. Just add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of vinegar in a glass cup or microwave safe bowl. You don’t need to mix these ingredients – just pop them straight in the microwave and put it on its highest heat setting. Set the timer for 5 minutes, and leave the vinegar to work its magic.

When your microwave dings, remove the cup or bowl. Be careful here, because it’ll be boiling hot – you’re going to want to use oven gloves or a tea towel to keep your hands protected, and be careful of the steam, too. Put the bowl to one side and wipe down interior of microwave with a damp cloth or sponge and you’re done. You should find that the vinegar has loosened any tough stains, and they should come right off.

As an added bonus, you can use the warm vinegar mixture to wipe down other dirty surfaces in your kitchen. Just make sure to let it cool to warm before you attempt to dip a cloth into the solution.

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How to clean microwave

2. Lemon fresh method Another very similar method is to add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of vinegar in a microwave safe bowl, then cut one large lemon or two small lemons into slices. These lemons should add a little cleaning strength to your vinegar – plus, they’ll make your whole kitchen smell delicious. Place the cut lemon slices into your bowl of water and vinegar, then put it in your microwave and switch to a high heat. Set the timer for 5 to 6 minutes, then wait for it to ding. After this, you just follow the same steps as we’ve already mentioned: wipe down the interior of your microwave with a damp cloth or sponge and you’re done. Again, you can also save the warm lemon vinegar mixture to wipe down other dirty kitchen surfaces.

3. Lemon essential oil Speaking of lemons, if you happen to have some lemon essential oil lying around, you can also use that to effectively clean your microwave. For this method, just add 2 tablespoons of water to a microwavable-safe plate or bowl. Next, add 2 drops of lemon essential oil. Pop the plate or bowl in your microwave, make sure it’s on a high heat, and set the timer to 1 minute. When the minute is up, open the door to your microwave and place a clean sponge on the plate to absorb the remaining water. You can then use the sponge to wipe down the inside and outside of your microwave. The sponge shouldn’t be boiling, as you only left the essential oil to heat up for a single minute. But if it’s too hot to touch, give it a couple of minutes before picking it up.

4. Using baking soda From vinegar and lemon to one of the other most popular natural home cleaners of all time: baking soda. You can do much more with baking soda than simply adding it to cakes, you know! For this microwave cleaning hack, pour 1 cup of baking soda and 2 cups of water into a microwave-safe bowl. Give the water a stir to mix the baking soda in. Then place in your microwave and microwave on high for 6 minutes. In the same way that vinegar does, baking soda loosens the grime off the inside of your microwave. You should find that when you wipe the interior down with a damp cloth, the majority of grime comes away. For the most effective microwave clean, use this baking soda hack followed by the vinegar hack. You’ll have your microwave gleaming clean in no time.

5. Dish soap Dish soap is something that we all hopefully have to hand, making this one of the easiest microwave cleaning methods of all. Just fill a microwave safe bowl with warm water and add an ample amount of dishwashing soap. Put the bowl in the microwave for one minute, or until it begins to steam. Remove the bowl, being careful not to burn yourself, then dampen a sponge and wipe the inside of the microwave. The steam will loosen all of the dried-on debris.

What Materials Should Not Be Put in the Microwave?

There are certain materials that should never be microwaved because they’re a fire hazard, or they could explode or release toxic gasses. Here are some things that should not be put in the microwave:

• Metal and containers with metal trim
• Dishes with gold paint
• Paper bags
• Take-out containers
• Sharp objects
• Yogurt and butter containers
• Eggs (in the shell)
• Styrofoam
• Grapes
• Hotdogs
• Uncovered sauces or dips
• Dirty kitchen sponges
• Dense vegetables such as raw carrots and green beans

 

Finally, if you’re thinking about turning your microwave on with nothing inside to see what happens, don’t. This can destroy your microwave, potentially blowing it to pieces.

When the microwave is turned on, the microwaves need to go somewhere. If they don’t have anywhere to go, they bounce off each other before being absorbed back into the microwave. In a worst-case scenario, this will cause the microwave to explode.

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