The average microwave does a great job of heating up leftovers, taking on baked potatoes, defrosting frozen food. And it does it all efficiently so you keep your energy bills low too. But what thanks does the humble microwave get? Nothing except food spills and smells that get baked in every time it’s used.
And while we might try our best to focus on microwave care, giving it a regular wipe and putting lids on bowls to avoid splatter, the truth is that it’s easy to forget. So, if your microwave is in a bit of a state, fear not. We’re here to tell you what to clean a microwave with and how to get it looking good as new in no time.
What is the easiest way to clean a microwave?
The good news is that the easiest way to clean a microwave is the most effective. No matter how dirty your microwave is, there’s no need to use harsh chemicals or abrasive scrubbers for microwave cleaning. With just a few things you’ll probably have at home anyway, a damp cloth and the power of steam, you’ll have a sparkling microwave in no time. Here’s how!
How to clean inside of a dirty microwave
The trick to making microwaves clean is steam. You can use a cleaner or detergent too, but steam will do the hard work for you…
Take a microwave-safe bowl and fill it halfway with water.
Pop it in the microwave and set your microwave to full power for a few minutes until the microwave fills with steam gets all worked up. This will loosen up the gunk and make it easier to wipe off.
Carefully take out the hot bowl. Put some oven gloves on to be on the safe side.
Now grab a damp cloth or sponge and give that interior a good scrub.
Start on the roof and work your way down the sides, finishing at the bottom. We’d recommend removing the glass plate and either washing it in the sink or put it in with a dishwasher cycle – if it fits.
Can you clean a microwave with lemon or vinegar?
If you’d rather not use chemicals, you’ll probably have all the ingredients you need already: lemon juice and vinegar!
Just follow the steps above but this time add the juice of a lemon and a splash of vinegar to the mix. Then microwave the bowl of water as before and wipe clean with a damp cloth or sponge. The combo of steam, lemon and vinegar combo will cut through the gunk and grease - and your microwave will end up sparkling clean.
How to get rid of smells in a microwave
Cleaning your microwave as above should shift pungent odours, but if smells remain – here are a few things that should shift the niff and remove microwave smells. Just make sure that your microwave is off when you try these out.
Baking soda: Pour some baking soda into an open bowl and pop it into the microwave. Now close the door and just leave the baking soda overnight.
Rubbing alcohol: Once your microwave is clean, apply some rubbing alcohol to a cloth and wipe the inside of the microwave. Once done, leave for a few minutes and give your microwave another thorough clean with soap and water to remove the alcohol residue.
Charcoal is a great natural absorber of both moisture and odour, and you should have plenty about if you love a barbecue. Just take a chunk and leave it in there overnight with the door shut.
That still didn’t work!
If you’ve tried all of the above and nothing is shifting the grease or stains that have been baked on over years of happy heating, it might be time to upgrade your microwave! The good news is that our Microwave buying guide can help you pick the perfect model – and you can get a brill new microwave crammed with useful tech – making it easier than ever to cook whole meals from scratch.
And if your old microwave has life left in it, you might even get a few quid for it when you trade-in. And even if it’s given up the ghost, you still get £5 off your next eligible tech when you recycle with Cash for trash.
