by Ron Holt

Created on: December 31, 2010   Last Updated: January 05, 2011

If you're like most of our customers, you use the old, trusty microwave more than most of your other appliances inside the kitchen. It's used for all three meals in a day and it can sometimes get abused with nasty looking explosions. Clean up for these mini-bombs and major spills can be easy to deal with but they can also be difficult to handle if allowed to sit for an extended amount of time. Dried, crusty insides of a microwave are a problem no more with these easy cleaning methods. Here are a few tips to easily clean the grunge from inside your microwave.

Tip #1 - Place a bowl of water in the microwave (with a non-metal object such as a wooden spoon or stir stick in the water) and heat for 3 to 5 minutes, depending how hard the crud is really stuck on. When microwave stops, keep the door closed to give the moisture and steam the heated bowl of water generated to have time to work. Remove bowl and take a moist, warm cloth to the inside of the microwave. The crud bits should wipe off easily.

Tip #2 - Add a couple teaspoons of baking soda to a bowl of water and place in microwave. Follow same process as above. The added baking soda will act as a deodorizer. If you're brave, you can use the hot baking soda water to clean the insides of the microwave, but be careful - it is HOT water. Use a thick sponge and make sure to keep water away from your fingertips. You could also add a splash or two of cold water to bring the temperature down.

Tip #3 - Mix 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water in a bowl, place in microwave. Follow the same procedure as Tip #1. The vinegar also acts as a freshener and deodorizer. You can also use this water when wiping down, but again - the water is very hot.

Like I said earlier, the best medicine is to clean the spill immediately. Our customers don't always follow this plan because they know that we're just a few days away from cleaning everything inside their home. These tips have been very effective for our company and we're certain they'll help you too. 

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