Microwave Cleaning Made Easy

Cleaning a kitchen isn't always a pleasant thing. For me, it's a task to be avoided like WalMart on Black Friday. I simply don't like cleaning kitchens! Cleaning certain items can bring new meaning to the word "chore". The microwave that has been neglected can certainly prove to be one of these dreaded tasks if one doesn't know how to make it quick and easy. While I personally do not use microwaves, as the owner of a natural cleaning service, I have cleaned more than my fair share.


As with anything, prevention is worth a pound of cure. Wiping spills as they happen will save you endless amounts of elbow grease in the end. Unfortunately getting everyone in the house to comply with this rule may be easier said than done. Whether the blame can be put on kids, employees, or even our own lack of motivation to stay on top of the matter, a microwave can become a tomb of dried splatters and odors. So what about that pound of cure?

The truth is that cleaning a microwave can be made into a fairly simple task and you can do it in an eco-friendly way. All you need is a few very simple household ingredients:

Water
Vinegar
Lemon or lemon juice
20 minutes of your time


For a regular maintenance clean:

Put 50/50 water and vinegar (and maybe lemon juice for your own uplifting scent and increased grease-cutting power). Spray, allow to sit for 2-3minutes. Wipe.


For that really grimy, neglected microwave:

Place 2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of vinegar in a microwave-safe bowl. Turn on HIGH for 3-5 minutes. (The water must boil. If not, add a few more minutes until it does.) Then allow it to sit for another 5 minutes or so. This will allow the steam and vinegar to loosen the grime and food. Grab your micro-fiber cleaning cloths and wipe clean! Clean the top, bottom, sides, window, door, door seals and seams.


What about Odors?

The use of vinegar in the above recipe should rid your microwave of odors. But what if you didn't need to clean a grimy microwave? What if you just need to rid the microwave of that never-ending buttery-popcorn smell? Simple enough! Place a thick slice of lemon on a paper towel (or 3tbsp of lemon juice in 1 1/2 cup of water in a bowl) in the microwave. If you throw a few cloves in there, that's even better. Set on HIGH for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes or longer. Then wipe clean. Leave door open to air it out a bit more.

The next time you're facing the dreaded task of cleaning your microwave. Remember these few tips for natural, Eco-friendly, low-cost way of cleaning and freshening your microwave oven.