In every home or even in offices, a microwave is used multiple times during the day but it is one of those appliances that most people clean very selectively. People clean the plate occasionally if there’s a spill, but nothing more than that. Isn’t it?
Once in a while you might get that rush to give your microwave a deep clean, but meanwhile the inside walls of the microwave are collecting oil residue from the food, there’s splatter, steam moisture, and layers of grease. And all of this gets reheated every time you use your microwave to reheat something.
In our Indian kitchens the buildup happens much faster because we are constantly reheating things like dal, chicken curries, sabzis, pizzas, and what not. Since the microwave heats food in a closed space, the particles harden over time instead of drying out naturally, as on a stove top.
Why Cleaning Your Microwave Matters and How Often You Should Do It?
I am not asking you to clean your microwave every now and then just because I am Monica from FRIENDS, and to avoid that stale smell. There’s also a health concern related to it.
If you keep reusing your microwave without cleaning it properly, then it also turns into a hygiene issue. Like I mentioned earlier, the residue in your microwave keeps getting heated every time you turn on the microwave.
These leftover food particles, moisture, and oil residue can also drop into your food if not cleaned for a really long time. Plus you get that unpleasant smell, and bacterial buildup too which I personally just can’t stand.
Brands themselves recommend that you should regularly clean the interior of your microwave because, over time, it can affect airflow, smell, and even heating.
Most appliance brands recommend wiping down microwave spills immediately, carrying out a light cleaning once a week, and performing a deeper clean every month. For Indian households, where microwaves are frequently used to reheat curries, milk, and oily leftovers, regular cleaning becomes even more important to prevent odours, stains, and food residue from building up over time.
Why Microwave Stains Become So Difficult to Remove
Most people realise that it is now time to clean their microwaves when the stains become too difficult to remove. The reason behind that is simple. Every time you reheat something, the old oil splatter and dried sauce particles already stuck to the interior heat up again. Over weeks, that buildup slowly hardens into sticky patches around the walls, ceiling, vents, and door edges.
If you wipe the top panel of your microwave chamber with a tissue paper you’ll realise this. And removing heated grease is not easy.
Steam Cleaning Does the Job
The easiest way to clean the toughened steam is through steam cleaning. Follow these steps:
Firstly take a microwave-safe bowl and fill it with water. To this water, add lemon slices/juice and a teaspoon of white vinegar. Keep this bowl inside the microwave and run the timer for 3-5 minutes depending on the amount of grease in your microwave.
This helps loosen the dried grease and food residue inside the chamber through moisture and heat. After that, you can simply wipe off the stains using a microfiber cloth or sponge.
If the stains are stubborn or relatively old, then don’t scrub hard on them. Instead, repeat this bowl-water method again.
These Areas Are Usually the Dirtiest
The rubber lining around the microwave’s door traps moisture and tiny food particles pretty quickly. This is one reason why some microwaves smell weird after a point, especially the ones in public places, or during humid months.
Even the side vents slowly collect grease over time, more so if the microwave is being used multiple times a day to reheat food. So does the underside of the ceiling. It easily gets coated with oil residue that comes from the splatter from uncovered food.
You should remove the tray/turntable in the microwavable in the microwave and then clean the entire section properly with warm water and any dish washing liquid. Just wipe it, don’t wash it like utensils. If you know which meme I am referring to.
Don’t Scrub Hard
Don’t use metal scrubbers or any aggressive cleaning tools to clean the stubborn stains in your microwave. There’s a coating going on inside the chamber of your microwave, if you scrub it harshly it will get damaged and once that coating gets damaged grease will stick to the surface more easily and will make cleaning even harder.
You can use materials like:
- mild dish soap,
- soft sponges,
- microfiber cloths,
- vinegar,
- or steam-based cleaning methods
Just clean your microwave lightly every couple of days, it just avoids the hassle all together.
Burnt Smell Isn’t Always an Electrical Problem
The splattered old food, grease, and oil when heated repeatedly inside the microwave can cause a burnt smell too. Many people panic and think that it’s an electrical issue and panic, but usually it isn’t the case.
Covering food also makes a big difference. A microwave-safe lid, a silicon cover, or even a tray placed loosely can make a huge difference in reducing oil splatter, especially if the food involves some sort of gravy or oil.
