How Do You Clean and Deodorize a Microwave?
With hundreds of uses every year, microwaves can quickly accumulate odorous build-up. Luckily, everyday household cleaners may help rid themselves of those foul odors.
Mix lemon juice and water in a heatproof bowl to naturally deodorize your microwave, or alternatively use limes or oranges if lemons are unavailable.
Paper Towels
As one of our most frequently-used appliances, the microwave often becomes disorganized. Aside from being visually unappealing, a dirty microwave can harbor bacteria and pose a fire hazard if filled with food particles or debris. To maintain fresh and clean smelling microwave, regular wiping down inside and outside is key – there are numerous easy and cost-effective methods available that allow this.
Paper towels are an indispensable household essential, and are useful beyond simply wiping food off plates. They can also be used to steam your microwave and remove stubborn messes more effectively. Simply heat several handfuls of soaked paper towels on high for five minutes in your microwave. This will cause steam to form which will help loosen and soften stuck-on food and make wiping easier than ever!
Once the paper towels have cooled, remove them and use a damp cloth to clean both the interior and exterior surfaces of your microwave. Be sure to wipe up any food debris at the base as this provides an ideal breeding ground for germs that can lead to mold and mildew growth.
Making a paste out of baking soda and water is another effective way to clean your microwave, creating a thick paste which you can apply directly onto any caked-on food stains or grime in the microwave. Leave this for several minutes before wiping it off with a damp cloth.
Baking soda is an inexpensive and proven solution to effectively deodorize a microwave, leaving your space smelling fresh and clean. By absorbing any unpleasant odors, baking powder will leave it smelling clean and fresh!
Cleaning your microwave doesn’t need to be a tedious chore when using the right ingredients and tools for the task. All it takes are some common kitchen items like lemon juice, vinegar and baking soda to have your appliance looking and smelling like new again! Just follow all manufacturer recommendations when doing it; especially those related to paper towels featuring printed designs as this could create an unnecessary fire risk in your microwave.
Lemon Juice
Since microwaves are among the hardest-working small appliances in a kitchen, they quickly become covered with grime, grime and food residues that are difficult to remove without harsh chemicals and extensive scrubbing. When time is of the essence and you don’t want to dedicate an entire day scouring for stubborn stains, lemon juice might just be your perfect solution for quick stain removal.
Fill a microwave-safe bowl with one cup of water, add slices from lemons (or use bottled lemon juice if available), and heat on high power for several minutes until boiling takes place. This steam generated from the hot water should loosen any stuck-on dirt while also deodorizing your microwave’s interior space.
Once the steam has subsided, remove the bowl from your microwave and use a clean, damp cloth to wipe down its interior – taking special care around all corners and crevices, particularly vent areas.
If you’re concerned about adding too much acidic content to your microwave (which could potentially damage it), alternative solutions include swapping lemon juice for vinegar which still has similar results but has a stronger scent, or using vanilla extract in place of lemon juice for a fresher and more natural scent that won’t leave an offensive after-smell in its wake.
For a deeper clean, create a paste of baking soda and water and scrub away any stubborn debris. After wiping down the microwave, leave an open box of baking soda in it overnight to absorb any lingering odors – leaving your microwave smelling fresh and clean when you wake up! Alternatively, washing-up liquid may work just as effectively in deodorizing it; just ensure no metal objects enter it during this process as that could potentially scratch and damage its interior surface.
Vinegar
Microwaves can quickly become one of the dirtiest spots in any kitchen, from food splatters and leftover food particles to crusty bits from reheating, old smells can lingering from previous uses and old food odors lingering from previous times. But there’s no need for harsh chemicals or expensive cleaners when it comes to deodorizing and cleaning your microwave; simple pantry items like lemon juice and vinegar can effectively loosen and lift grime without needing scrubbing or harsh cleaners.
Make your own microwave cleaner at home by combining one cup of water with several slices of lemon or another citrus fruit like oranges or limes, then microwave on high power for two to five minutes until the mixture boils, keeping the door closed as long as necessary so the steam deodorizes your microwave for approximately 10-15 minutes.
White vinegar offers another easy and quick fix to an unpleasant smelling microwave: Combine one tablespoon with two cups of water in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high for five minutes until boiling occurs, before leaving to sit in your microwave for 10-15 minutes before placing back inside.
Once the timer goes off, remove the bowl from your microwave and clean its interior, paying special attention to any hard-to-reach places such as underneath the carousel plate or around its handle. Use this opportunity to disinfect and sanitize your hands using nontoxic, fragrance-free dishwashing liquid.
Add a tablespoon or so of white distilled vinegar to your regular cleaning cycle to help deodorize your microwave. The acidic solution can dissolve lingering food odors while its scent will dissipate quickly.
If your microwave is particularly smelly or stubbornly dirty, or there are stubborn bits of gunk that regular cleaning has not removed, try using a scrub brush dipped in baking soda as an scouring agent and deodorizer. Baking soda’s natural scouring properties will effectively lift away tough bits of food as well as deodorize and freshen up its interior, while leaving its handles and touchpad free from grease deposits and other sticky substances that attract them during normal operation. Once cleaned up with this method, be sure to wipe down these parts with damp cloth once done as they attract grease deposits quickly after usage!
Baking Soda
Baking soda is an effective natural deodorizer and excellent at dissolving grease, food stains and grime from surfaces such as counters and microwaves. With baking soda on your side, any caked-on mess in your microwave should soon vanish!
Sprinkle one teaspoon of baking soda across the interior surfaces of your microwave, and use a damp cloth to wipe. The baking soda mixture will absorb any lingering odors while loosening any gunk that sticks around, which you can then wipe away later with another wipe. For an added boost of cleanliness, try mixing in lemon juice.
Mix equal parts water and vinegar together with one tablespoon of baking soda and place the solution in an unheated microwave-safe bowl, heating for three minutes. The steam created from this combination will loosen any stubborn food residue while baking soda will help eliminate odors for an all-around cleaner microwave experience.
If you want a safe alternative to commercial cleaning products for stubborn, lingering microwave odors, try mixing up a homemade solution of lemon juice and baking soda on a clean cloth and using this to wipe down its interior surfaces. Leave your door open overnight so the microwave can air out!
Charcoal can also help naturally deodorize both your microwave and refrigerator by naturally fighting odors. Simply cut some charcoal pieces to size, place in an microwave-safe bowl and put into the microwave to use this natural method of deodorization. Leave the bowl in your microwave overnight, and it will absorb any unpleasant odors to leave your kitchen smelling fresher than ever. Repeat this method whenever necessary in order to rid yourself of unwanted smells from your microwave. Keep your microwave clean and sanitized regularly to reduce the risk of germs, bacteria, and mold growth. Utilizing DIY cleaning techniques like scrubbing and deodorizing it will make life simpler while keeping your home cleaner! Not only that; maintaining its cleanliness will extend its lifespan so don’t wait until its time for replacement–give these microwave cleaning hacks a try now and restore it back into pristine condition!
