Your How-to Guide for Cleaning a Microwave

How to Clean Inside of Microwave

Cleaning your microwave can be quite easy to ignore; you can close that door and postpone it for later. Many people put off cleaning their microwave because they think it is a complicated process. This is far from the truth. With guidance from the cleaning experts, you can tackle your microwave cleaning task like a professional. Here’s how to clean inside of microwave.

Get tips on the top methods to ensure that your microwave is bright and shiny. Learn how to remove those pesky food stains and eliminate grime build up. Using simple cleaning supplies and advice from the experts, your microwave oven will look as good as new in no time.

Supplies to Clean Your Microwave

The first thing you will want to do is get your cleaning supplies together in one place. Cleaning your microwave should be a simple process. You can make it even easier by having everything you need for a spring clean, exactly where it is needed, right next to your microwave. The supplies you will need include:

• A bowl
• Plain white grape vinegar and citrus slices like orange or lemon
• Dishwashing liquid
• Disinfectant
• Odor removing gel
• Abrasive sponge
• Cloth
• Paper towel
• Pot-holder

Once you have all the necessary items in place to get the job done, you can follow these steps to get your microwave fit for continued use.

Guidelines to Get Your Microwave Sparkling

Now that you know about the supplies you need, we are going to cover how to use these supplies. Feel free to follow this guideline as this ensures an easy microwave cleaning process.

Step 1: Steam Your Microwave

Get your bowl ready. Ensure it is safe for microwave use. Pour 1 cup of cold water in your bowl. Add approximately 1/4 cup of vinegar. Squeeze some juice from your lemon, orange or citrus slices into your bowl. If you do not have citrus fruit or vinegar available, simply use the dish soap in your home.

Then, place the bowl with its mixture inside your microwave. Switch it on high for two minutes. If the microwave has a high watt output, one minute may be sufficient. You will be able to tell if it is enough if the mixture does not boil over. Don’t allow this to happen.

If the microwave is 700 watts, then two minutes is a sufficient time at high heat to let the mixture do its work by steaming the inside. When your microwave strength is 1,200 watts, 90 seconds should be sufficient. Steaming will loosen up grime and grease, making the rest of your work so much easier.

After the timer goes off, allow the water and vinegar mix to continue doing its steam clean job. Then, wait for approximately three or four minutes for the inside of the microwave to cool down. This will allow for the steam to penetrate the entire area of your microwave. The longer you leave the mixture in, the better the steam will loosen up the grime and grease from top to bottom, including the sides of your microwave.

Step 2: Remove the Bowl With a Pot-holder

After the waiting time is over, get your pot-holder ready to help you remove the bowl from the microwave. Make sure you do use this pot-holder, or an oven glove, as the bowl may be very hot. You run a risk of being injured if you do not take this precaution.

Step 3: Soak the Parts of Your Microwave

Remove the rotating glass plate and roller wheel from your microwave, if these are present. Place these items carefully in the sink. Leave them to soak in dish detergent and hot water, while you tackle the inside of your microwave. If necessary, wash this in the dishwasher with the rest of your crockery.

Don’t place the roller wheel in the dishwasher, only the glass plate. Otherwise, wash both by hand if preferred. Rinse well and leave to dry in a safe place.

Step 4: Wipe the Inside of Your Microwave

Now, get your paper towel ready. Wipe off as much of the internal grease and grime that you can from the inside of your oven. Start by using your paper towel to remove dirt and build-up.

Once you have removed as much as possible with the paper towel, switch over to your cleaning cloth. Dip this in some warm soapy water and repeat the process of wiping the inside of your microwave.

Be sure to reach into the corners, top and bottom. Remember to wipe down the roof of your microwave too. When you have done as much as you can with the cleaning cloth, swap to using your abrasive sponge to tackle stubborn burnt food bits that are difficult to remove.

Step 5: Wipe the Outside of Your Microwave

Now is the time to start cleaning the outside of your microwave. Use a fresh cleaning cloth. Again, dip this in warm, soapy water to give the exterior a good wipe down to get rid of the muck that has collected over time. Pay close attention to the display panel or buttons when cleaning. Make sure to wipe down the top and bottom edges of the door, sealing and the hinged end as well.

Be careful about using cleaning liquids or sprays in and around the microwave vent. Rather, wet your cleaning cloth to conduct the wipe down process. Once excess dirt has been removed, you can use a disinfectant to clean the microwave inside and outside. Spray disinfectant onto paper towel to apply near the vent.

A cleaning cloth dipped in disinfectant can be used to wipe down the rest of the microwave. Use a new cleaning cloth to do this, not the same one that was used for the initial clean, as that needs to be disinfected before it can be used on anything else.

Step 6: Put the Parts Back Inside Your Microwave

Retrieve your rotating plate and roller wheel. Carefully install these into your microwave. Now, your microwave is once again hygienic, clean and ready for use.

To make your life easier, repeat these cleaning steps whenever you detect any food splashes or build-up of grease or grime.