As an essential part of most kitchens, it is essential that you know how to clean a microwave. Cleaning your kitchen can seem like a bit of a chore, especially with all of the different appliances. However, with daily use, your appliances can easily become dirty, especially if spills occur. As food is heated up, it may splatter onto the turntable or on the interior of the microwave.

Why do you need to clean your microwave?

Regularly cleaning is not only for aesthetic reasons, having a clean microwave has many benefits:

  • Maintains Hygiene - It’s so easy to ignore any food spillages or splatters, but leaving them in your microwave means that they can become a breeding ground for bacteria. You wouldn’t want to eat your food off a dirty plate, so why would you cook it in a dirty environment?
  • Prevents Odour - If you leave any food residue in your microwave, it will start to smell. As well as the bacteria causing unpleasant odours, burnt food will also give off a scorched smell that will only get worse the more you use the microwave.
  • Helps The Microwave Work Efficiently - If your microwave is caked in dirt and grime, this can seriously impact the way it works. It can interfere with heat distribution which may cause your food to be heated unevenly. If your food isn’t heated up properly, this will not only affect the taste but it can cause food poisoning.
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How often does a microwave need to be cleaned?

Just like your oven, it is important that you spot clean your microwave as you use it. Cleaning up spillages as soon as they occur will mean that they won’t get burnt onto the interior walls and will be much easier to clean up. As soon as you notice any sort of food debris, use a cloth and warm water to clean it up. As with all appliances, it is recommended that you deep clean your microwave. If it’s used regularly, then you should aim for a deep clean around once a month. You can easily add this task to your usual kitchen cleaning routine.

Deep cleaning with steam

The good news is that deep cleaning a microwave doesn’t require hard work or harsh chemicals. The best way to ensure that it is bacteria free and hygienic is to clean it with steam. All you need for this is a bowl, a cloth, water and white vinegar. As you may already know, white vinegar is a handy ingredient to have in the house. It can be used to clean many appliances and is fantastic for removing grime in ovens. White vinegar is very acidic which allows it to cut through all sorts of messes, including burnt on grime, grease and other food residues.

How to deep clean a microwave

Interior

  • In a microwave safe bowl or jug, add just 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and 500ml of water. 
  • Place the bowl or jug in the microwave and heat on full power for 3 minutes or until the water has boiled and. Once the timer has gone off, leave the door shut for around 15 minutes to let the steam work its magic.
  • After 15 minutes, carefully remove the bowl/jug from the microwave as it will still be warm. If your microwave has a removable glass turntable as many do, carefully remove this too.
  • Using a damp sponge or cloth, wipe down the interior of the microwave - again, take care as the appliance will still be quite warm. The steam should have loosened any caked on grime and you will be able to easily wipe it away. If there are any stains that are refusing to budge, you can use some warm soapy water. A small amount of washing up liquid mixed with hot water will help to cut through the grime. When you’re satisfied that it is all clean, dry the interior off with a microfibre cloth.
  • Wash the glass turntable in a bowl of warm soapy water with a cloth or sponge. Make sure you dry it off properly before placing it back inside the microwave. 

Exterior

  • Wipe down the exterior of the microwave with a damp cloth. If you want to avoid streaks on the glass door, you can use a glass cleaner. Always check the instructions on the bottle before use and use a microfibre cloth to avoid any streaks. 
  • If your microwave has dials like the Willow W20MWW, don't forget that they will need cleaning too!
  • Finally, make sure you clean the door seals. You can use a damp cloth with a water and white vinegar solution to wipe these down. Make sure you don't skip any of the crevices. Once these are all clean, use the microfibre cloth to dry them off.

How can you remove unpleasant odours from a microwave?

If your microwave has an unpleasant odour, perhaps from spilled and burnt on food, don’t worry. It is so easy to remove any smells using natural products. If you notice the smell before you use the steam method, then you can add either a few drops of lemon juice or a couple of lemon slices to the white vinegar and water. 

If after cleaning, there is still a smell which shouldn’t be there, you can use baking soda. Baking soda is another natural ingredient that is great for cleaning your kitchen appliances . It is gently abrasive, a natural deodoriser and is often used to remove unwanted odours. The best way to do this, is to put a few tablespoons of the baking soda into a bowl and place it inside your microwave. Leave the bowl overnight and make sure you remove it before you need to use the appliance again.

Shop Home Feeling's range of microwaves here.