How to clean a microwave – Notes From The Porch

In this article, I will show you how to clean a microwave using some simple hacks/ methods.

How to clean inside of a microwave

Most times when we use our microwaves the insides tend to get dirty a lot. This is because it is the only part that gets exposed to food a lot. When the interior of the microwave gets dirty this can cause a lot of issues. Not only will it look nasty but the smell can be terrible as well. Most times when a microwave has a foul odor anything you put inside and heat up will have that same odor as well and you don’t want that to happen. So it’s best if you cleaned inside of your microwave with these simple hacks/methods.

Clean with vinegar

cleaning inside of a microwave with a vinegar soaked cloth Vinegar is a safe and useful product to use when cleaning, deodorizing, and removing stains. It can also be used as a bleach alternative at times, except that it’s way less harsh. Now in this case we are going to use vinegar to clean the inside of your microwave. Doing this will not only clean the microwave but will also make it smell way better as well.

To clean your microwave with vinegar you need to do the following:

Get a measuring cup and fill it with 2 cups of vinegar and 2 cups of warm water.
Then place it in the microwave and turn it on for 4-5 minutes. After doing this do not open the door for another 12 minutes because you need the microwave to get steamy.
Now use a clean damp cleaning cloth or dry paper towel to wipe down inside of the microwave. Make sure to wipe everywhere but avoid the vents as you don’t want any liquid to go in them.

Another method you can do is to:

Get a spray bottle and fill it halfway up with warm water and mix it with 3 cups of vinegar and 1 drop of your favorite essential oil (preferably a citrus one).
Then get a bowl and fill it with warm water.
Now spray inside of the microwave with the mixture. Make sure to pray everywhere except for the vents and any other holes.
Then place the bowl of water inside the microwave and turn it on for 6 minutes. After doing this do not open the microwave until the inside of it is really steamy. The longer you let the steam is in the microwave the easier it will be to clean.
After that use a clean cloth or paper towel to wipe down inside of the microwave.

Clean with dish soap

When using dish soap to clean anything I usually use dawn dish soap. This is because dawn dish soap is one of the best dishwashing liquids that have multiple purposes. Not only is it good at degreasing but it can also be used to remove burnt-on stains as well.

Here are the steps needed to clean inside of your microwave with dish soap:

Get a damp cleaning sponge or cloth and squeeze a few drops of dawn dish soap onto it.
THen clean inside of the microwave with the cloth or sponge. Make sure to remove all the food stains that were in it.
After that make sure to clean the turntable in it as well.
Scrub from top to bottom but avoid wiping the vents as the liquid from the sponge or cloth will affect some things inside of it.
Now use another wet cloth to wipe away the soap from inside of the microwave.

Another method you can use is the hand-off method. This method will show you how to clean your microwave with dish soap without scrubbing.

To clean your microwave with dish soap without scrubbing you need to:

Get a bowl filled with warm water and add 2-3 tbsp of dish soap into it.
Place it inside the microwave and turn it on for 6 minutes.
After that wait, another 10 minutes then use a clean sudsy cloth to wipe inside of the microwave. You don’t even have to scrub because the steam made it easier for most of the stains to be removed.
After removing all the stains Use another dry cloth or paper towel to wipe away the soap sud that’s inside of the microwave.

I will now show you another simple method you can use, which is the spray method:

The first thing you need to do is get a spray bottle and fill it halfway up with warm water.
Then add 2-3 tbsp of dish soap into it. Then shake it up.
Now turn on the microwave for 4 minutes.
After 4 minutes spray the microwave with the dish soap and water. Make sure to spray directly onto the stains so that they will be easier to remove. Also, be sure to spray everywhere in the microwave except for the vents.
After spraying everywhere wait 3 minutes for the dish soap and water to soak through the food stains.
Then use a sponge to clean the inside of the microwave.
Then use a damp cloth to wipe away the soap.

After doing this the inside of your microwave should be way cleaner than before

Make your own oven/microwave cleaner

Making a microwave purpose cleaner is very easy and not only that but it’s also effective as well.

To make your own oven/microwave cleaner just do the following:

Get a bowl or a small container and mix together 2 tbsp of dish soap, 1/2 cup of vinegar, 1 cup of Fabuloso disinfectant, and 3 cups of warm water.
Now pour the mixture into a spray bottle.
Spray the mixture inside the microwave.
Then wait a couple of minutes to let the mixture soak through the stains.
After that just use a damp cloth to scrub everywhere inside of the microwave

Clean with lemons.

dish with lemons being placed inside of a microwave This may come as a surprise but lemons are great for cleaning microwaves. This is why for a method I mentioned previously I stated that if you are going to use essential oils is best to use citrus-scented ones. There are three methods you can use when using lemons to clean your microwave.

I will now show you how to clean your microwave with lemons.

Method #1

Take a lemon and cut it into small slices.
Place the slices inside of a dish filled with water
Now put the dish with the lemon slices inside of the microwave.
Now turn on the microwave for 5 minutes.
After that use a clean cloth to wipe inside the microwave.

Method #2 lemon spray

You can either buy the multi-purpose lemon spray or make your own.
Spray the lemon spray in the microwave.
Then use a clean cloth to wipe down the microwave.
After that use another wet cloth to wipe inside the microwave again.

Method #3 lemon and baking soda

Get a bowl and add 2 cups of baking soda to it
Then squeeze lemons onto the baking soda until it gets thick.
Now dip a sponge into the baking soda and use it to clean inside of the microwave.
Then use a wet cloth to wipe away the baking soda and lemon residue.

If you want to know some more ways you can use lemons to clean then click here.

Remove the turntable and clean it

Remove the turntable and wash it with dish soap and warm water
After washing it, wipe it with a dry cloth.
Now place it back inside the microwave.

Clean with Lysol disinfectant spray

spraying lsyol disinfectant spray inside of a microwave

Spray everywhere inside of your microwave with Lysol disinfectant spray.
Then use a paper towel to clean inside the microwave

This is a great way to remove any stain from your microwave.

Clean with Glass cleaner

spraying glass cleaner inside of a microwave

Spray the inside of the microwave with Windex glass cleaner (you can use any glass cleaner you want but Windex works the best). Make sure to spray the baked-on food spills as well.
Then get a bowl and pour around 1 and a half-cup of glass cleaner into it.
Place the bowl inside the microwave and turn it on for 3 minutes.
Then wait another 3 minutes to remove the bowl. After removing the bowl use a sponge to clean inside of the microwave.

How to clean microwave doors

Sometimes microwave doors have a lot of grease and smudges on them. I will now show you a couple of ways to remove them.

Clean the edges of the door with baking soda and a soft damp sponge. Doing this will remove the dirt and grime that was on the microwave door.
If the window is greasy then spray it with Windex and use a paper towel to wipe away the grease and fingerprint smudges from it.
You can also spray vinegar onto the door and wipe it down. Vinegar is known to clean glass and other clear things really well.

How to deodorize microwave (burnt odors etc)

Place baking soda inside of it

Get a bowl and add 3 cups of baking soda into it. Then place the bowl inside of the microwave. Let the bowl sit in the microwave for 1 hour or more. The baking soda will absorb the bad odors that were in the microwave.

Spray it with vinegar

Spray inside of the microwave with vinegar, then shut it close for 2-3 hours. After doing that make sure to wipe away the vinegar using a damp cloth. Vinegar is known for deodorizing areas so your microwave won’t be smelling like burnt food anymore.

Use an odor removing gel

If your microwave smells like burnt food, then it’s probably a good idea to use an odor removing gel. Just place the gel inside of the microwave until you are ready to use it again.

Use fabuloso disinfectant

Pour some Fabuloso disinfectant on a damp cloth and wipe it down inside of the microwave. Then open the microwave door so that the bad odor that was in it can leave.

When should you clean a microwave?

It’s always best to clean your microwave at least once every two weeks. If food is often spilled in it then you should clean it every week. The reason why you want to clean it very often is that it will start to smell again if you don’t.

How to keep microwave clean

I will now show you 2 ways to keep your microwave clean.

Cover your food or place it on something

Sometimes foods can pop when they’re in the microwave and this can cause spills. Oftentimes these spills are usually easy to clean but if you let them sit in the microwave for too long then it will be harder. Not only that but the more food stains you have in the microwave, the worse it smells.

To avoid this all you have to do is cover the foods you are heating up, especially any liquid food.

Always clean away any mess that happened while using it

As I mentioned above, if you don’t clean the mess that happens while using the microwave the food stains will cause it to have a bad smell. To avoid this all you have to do is clean up the food spills as soon you are finished using the microwave.