I remember the first time I brought a home microwave and set it up on my kitchen counter. Neighbors, family members, and friends had only good things to say about this new appliance, and I wanted to see it for myself. The first time I pressed those soft-little buttons and heated a meal within seconds was something I will never forget. It was like magic. Things we normally cooked on the stove or in the oven, were now placed on a plate in the walls of the magic machine. To say our microwave gets used regularly would be a lie. It gets used often; several times in one day. With such a convenient appliance in the house it certainly gets its use, and food splatters are going to happen. There is no way around it. When a dirty microwave welcomes me with dotted food along the walls and crusted cheese burned to the plate, I take a few minutes to clean. With the right cleaning tools, your microwave can be looking new again.

Cleaning the Inside of a Microwave

Don’t let the crusty food intimidate you; cleaning a microwave is easy. When I first began cleaning my microwave, I would use every chemical my house had hiding in the cupboards. It would take a half-hour of heavy scrubbing to get the food to finally break loose. Now I let the microwave do the heavy work and leave the harsh chemicals behind. Simply take equal parts of both water and vinegar and mix it in a cup. Place it in the microwave and heat until it is boiling. Let it boil for 3-5 minutes. The mixture will emit steam, which will begin softening hardened and burnt-on food like splattered chili, coffee spills, and pizza. Open the microwave and easily wipe off the food. If you want a milder smell, use juice from lemons instead of vinegar. Once your microwave is looking new again, use paper-towels to safely prevent splatters from happening again.

Cleaning the Outside of a Microwave

Even if your microwave is looking like a sparkly new car on the inside, no-one is going to dare peek inside if the outside is grimy. Microwaves have a whole bunch of germs hiding on the surface, especially on that handle. If you are heating or thawing out poultry or meat, those germs can make you sick if left on the door of your microwave. Make a quick cleaning mixture out of water, borax, bleach, and baking soda, to eliminate germs and to scrub down the surface quickly. Once the dirt and germs are gone, pour some club soda on a rag to give your microwave a quick shine. To shine up stainless, rub a small dab of olive oil into the surface. Cleaning doesn’t have to be hard if you know what to do.

• How to Clean a Microwave – Easy instructions on how to clean a microwave.
• Using a Lemon to Clean a Microwave – How a lemon can be used to aid microwave cleaning.
• Clean Your Microwave with Vinegar – How steam and vinegar can easily help clean your microwave.
• Clean a Microwave Article with Video Tutorial – Check out this video on cleaning your microwave.
• Clean and Disinfect a Microwave – How to both clean and disinfect your microwave.
• Tips for Cleaning Appliances – Great tips for cleaning kitchen appliances including microwaves.