How to Clean a Microwave with Vinegar and Baking Soda

Believe it or not, food can explode. Your microwave will be happy to provide all the physical evidence needed to prove that point true. It does happen as food gets cooked from the inside out and if something is not right, presto, you have exploding food ruining your nice clean appliance.

When that situation happens, it means you have a lot of work to do in order to get the appliance clean again. But do not worry you have some natural aids that will help make that cleaning task easier than ever.

To learn how to clean your microwave with vinegar or baking soda, just continue reading our article. It will only take a few minutes to get all the information it contains.

How to Clean Your Microwave with Vinegar

This is not going to be that difficult as all you need is a microwave-safe bowl, 2 cups of water, and 2 tbsps. of vinegar. Mix well. Once you have mixed the ingredients, open the microwave, and place the bowl inside.

Shut the door and set the power to high or maximum. Then turn the timer to about 5 minutes and push the start button. Then when the microwave is finished heating the water, let the bowl sit inside for about another 5 minutes. You want that steam action to clean as much as possible before you start your end of the cleaning job.

After 10 minutes have gone by, open the door, remove the bowl the platter, and the ring. You can soak the latter two if you want while you start wiping the interior of your microwave with a clean cloth, paper towel, or soft sponge.

When you are finished wiping, take a clean kitchen towel and give the interior a final wipe down making sure it is dry. Wipe off the ring and platter and make sure they are dry. Then replace them back in your microwave.

How to Clean Your Microwave with Baking Soda

This version of cleaning your microwave has possibly one more step than the others. You need the same supplies, a bowl, water, and baking soda as well as a soft sponge.

Step 1: Mix 1 cup of water with baking soda with 2 tbsp of baking soda. You want the mixture to be like a paste, so mix well.

Step 2: Like the vinegar method, you will need to place that microwave-safe bowl inside the appliance and shut the door. Make sure the bowl is situated in the center of the platter.

Step 3: Next, set the microwave to high or maximum and the timer to 5 minutes, give or take a minute. Then start the appliance up and wait. When you hear the ding, leave the bowl inside for about another 5 minutes.

Step 4: Open the door, remove the bowl, use a mitt to protect your fingers, and then place the bowl in a safe spot on your counter or in the sink. After that, remove the platter and ring and soak them in your sink. You can use the left-over paste to clean them if you want.

Step 5: Take the soft sponge, once you have done all of that, and start wiping the interior of your microwave. Wipe every inch to make sure you do not miss any stains and when you are done, take a clean kitchen towel and wipe the microwave dry.

Step 6: Now clean the ring and the platter drying them thoroughly before putting them back inside the appliance. And you are done.

Dealing with the Vinegar Odor

Some people do not like the vinegar fragrance. They like how the liquid cleans and disinfects but that odor is a bit sharp for many noses. After cleaning the microwave, use a lemon to get rid of that vinegar smell.

The process is basically the same as all the cleaning processes described here. Just cut a lemon in half, squeeze the lemon juice into a cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl, and mix.

Put the bowl inside the microwave and let it heat up for 5 minutes. When it is done, wait a few minutes more before wiping down the interior of the microwave. Make sure the appliance is dry before putting the platter back inside.

That is it, and when you are finished, your microwave should smell lemony fresh.

Some Final Words

Cleaning your microwave is simple, easy, and quick. In fact, unless you have some really tough stains, your wiping time should not be that hard to do. Just make sure you do not burn your fingers on the hot bowl when the microwave is through heating it.