Cleaning A Microwave Interior With Steam And Nothing Else
Steam does the work that scrubbing usually gets credit for, and it takes five minutes of waiting instead of five minutes of effort.
The method
- Fill a microwave-safe bowl with about a cup of water and add a few slices of lemon, or a spoon of vinegar if there is no lemon.
- Run it for three to four minutes, until the water is boiling and the window has fogged.
- Leave the door closed for five more minutes. This is the part doing the work.
- Take the bowl out carefully, since it will be very hot.
- Wipe the roof, the walls, the door, and the floor with a damp cloth. Softened splatter comes off without pressure.
- Wash the turntable and its ring in the sink like a dish.
If anything resists, run the bowl again rather than reaching for an abrasive. A second round of steam is faster than scrubbing and it does not scratch the interior.
Why steam rather than a spray
A microwave interior is a small enclosed space that you heat food in. Anything sprayed in there needs rinsing out properly, and in practice most people wipe rather than rinse, which leaves cleaner residue where food goes.
Steam avoids the question entirely and works better on the actual problem. Baked-on splatter is hardened protein and fat, and heat plus moisture softens it. A spray on a cold surface just sits on top of it.
The parts almost everyone skips
- The roof of the cavity, which takes the most splatter and is the one surface you cannot see without ducking.
- The inside of the door and the seal around it.
- The vents on the inside wall, wiped rather than soaked.
- The turntable ring and the recess it sits in, where liquid collects.
- The outside: the handle, the keypad, and the top of the unit if it sits on a counter.
When the smell stays after cleaning
A burnt smell often outlasts the mess. Leaving a bowl of water with lemon inside overnight with the door closed helps, and so does leaving the door open for a few hours so the cavity dries and airs.
If the smell comes back every time the unit runs and there is nothing visible inside, check the grease filter if it is an over-the-range model. Those filters sit underneath, slide out, and are usually years overdue in a rental.
The line worth knowing in a rental
Cleaning stops at the cavity, the door, and the filter. If the unit sparks, runs when the door is open, hums without heating, or has a damaged door seal or mesh, stop using it and report it in writing. Those are safety items rather than cleaning items, and an over-the-range microwave came with the apartment in almost every case, which puts the repair on the building.
Where it fits in a bigger clean
The microwave is one of three appliance interiors that regular cleaning does not include, along with the oven and the fridge. All three are quick individually and all three get skipped for months, which is why they show up together in a first deep visit.
That set is what deep apartment cleaning covers in the kitchen, and the cleaning checklist lists which interiors are included in which type of visit.
Good answers before a cleaner shows up.
How do I clean a microwave without chemicals?+
Boil a cup of water with lemon slices for three to four minutes, leave the door shut for five more, then wipe. The steam softens everything so it comes off without pressure.
How do I get baked-on food off a microwave?+
Steam it twice rather than scrubbing once. Abrasives scratch the interior, and a second round of steam is both faster and safer.
How do I get a burnt smell out of a microwave?+
Leave a bowl of water with lemon inside overnight with the door closed, then air it with the door open. If the smell returns with every use, check the grease filter on an over-the-range model.
Is a broken microwave the landlord's responsibility?+
If it came with the apartment, normally yes. Sparking, running with the door open, or a damaged door seal are safety issues to report in writing rather than clean around.
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