How to clean a microwave with steam and a cloth
To clean a microwave, heat a glass bowl of water with a few lemon slices or a splash of white vinegar on high for 3 to 5 minutes. Leave the door shut for 5 more minutes, then wipe the ceiling, walls, floor and door with a damp, soapy cloth. Wash the turntable in the sink. A baking soda paste takes care of anything still stuck.
What do you need to clean a microwave?
- A microwave-safe glass bowl
- Water, plus a lemon or white vinegar
- Dish soap
- Baking soda
- A non-scratch sponge
- Two microfiber cloths
- An old toothbrush, for the door edge and the corners
Skip steel wool and scouring powder. The coating inside scratches easily, and scratches hold grease.
How do you clean the inside of a microwave step by step?
- Take out the turntable and the ring and let them soak in warm, soapy water.
- Make the steam bowl. Pour 1 to 2 cups of water into the glass bowl. Squeeze in half a lemon and drop the halves in, or add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar. Stand a wooden spoon in the bowl so the water is less likely to overheat and boil over when you move it.
- Heat it on high for 3 to 5 minutes, until the window is fogged.
- Keep the door closed for 5 minutes. The steam is softening every dried splatter while you wait.
- Lift the bowl out with an oven mitt. It's hotter than it looks.
- Wipe from the top down. Start with the ceiling, because that's where soup and sauce land and it's easy to miss. Then the back wall, the sides and the floor. Use a cloth wrung out in warm water with a drop of dish soap.
- Work on anything still stuck. Mix baking soda with a little water into a thick paste, spread it on the spot, give it 5 minutes, then rub with the non-scratch sponge.
- Wipe again with a clean, damp cloth so no soap or baking soda is left behind, then dry the inside.
- Wash, rinse and fully dry the turntable before it goes back in.
A microwave with a week of normal splatter takes 10 to 15 minutes this way, much of it waiting. One that hasn't been touched in months may need a second round of steam.
Lemon, vinegar or dish soap: which one should you use?
Any of them, since the steam does the work. Lemon leaves a nicer smell and helps with food odors. Vinegar is better on greasy film. A few drops of dish soap help with heavy grease, in a bigger bowl because it foams. Pick one; mixing them doesn't make the steam stronger.
How do you get a burnt smell out of a microwave?
Burnt popcorn smell sits in the vents and door seal as well as the cavity. Do the lemon steam and wipe everything, ceiling included. Then put an open bowl of baking soda inside, close the door and leave it overnight. In the morning, take it out and leave the door open for a few hours. If you can still smell it, repeat the steam with vinegar instead of lemon.
How do you clean the microwave door and the outside?
- Inside of the door glass: this gets a greasy film that the steam loosens. Wipe it with the soapy cloth, then buff it dry.
- The door edge and seal: run the toothbrush along the gap where crumbs and dried drips collect.
- The control panel: spray the cloth, never the panel. Liquid that gets behind the buttons can cause problems.
- Stainless steel outside: wipe with the grain and dry it so it doesn't streak.
- Over-the-range microwaves: wipe the underside, which catches stove grease. Check the manual for the grease filter.
What should you not do when cleaning a microwave?
- Don't run it empty. Running a microwave with nothing inside can damage it.
- Don't use oven cleaner or bleach inside. They leave residue where your food goes.
- Don't spray anything into the vents.
- Don't use metal scrubbers or leave anything metal inside while it runs.
If the inside paint is chipped or rusting, cleaning won't fix it. That's a question for the manufacturer.
How often should you clean the microwave?
Wipe spills while they're wet. A quick wipe weekly and a steam clean monthly keep a microwave in good shape, and covering food when you heat it cuts the mess.
For the rest of the kitchen, see our daily, weekly and monthly kitchen cleaning guide, and for the bigger appliance next to it, how to clean your oven.
Is the inside of the microwave part of a house cleaning?
Yes. On a Standard House Cleaning, RoutineCare, the inside of the microwave is cleaned along with the countertops and backsplash, the stovetop, and the outside of the appliances. Deep Cleaning, PureRenewal, and Move-In / Move-Out Cleaning, CleanStart, include it too.
The inside of the oven and the inside of the fridge are add-ons. For the oven, run the self-clean cycle first. The fridge has to be emptied (and on Move-In / Move-Out, defrosted) before the cleaning, and the freezer isn't included.
See what's covered at House Cleaning.
FAQ
How long do you microwave water to clean a microwave? Heat 1 to 2 cups of water on high for 3 to 5 minutes, until the window fogs, then leave the door closed for another 5 minutes. Put a wooden spoon in the bowl so the water is less likely to boil over when you move it.
Can I clean a microwave with vinegar? Yes. Add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to a cup or two of water and steam it the same way. It cuts greasy film well, and the smell fades once the door has been open for a while.
How do I get a burnt popcorn smell out of a microwave? Steam it with lemon water, wipe every surface including the ceiling, then leave an open bowl of baking soda inside overnight with the door shut. If the smell is still there, repeat the steam with vinegar.
Does a house cleaning include the inside of the microwave? Yes. The inside of the microwave is cleaned on Standard House Cleaning, Deep Cleaning and Move-In / Move-Out Cleaning.
Book a house cleaning
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