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As with a lot of kitchen cleaning tasks, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when cleaning a microwave oven. While cooking, cover foods with a paper-towel square, a plain dish or a lid to prevent spatters. If you use a lid, don’t snap it down tight or the container can literally blow its top!
Wipe up any spills right away, particularly around the door seal. When cooking foods that generate a lot of steam, consider leaving the door open for a while when finished to dry condensation inside the oven. This is an excellent time to wipe down the cabinet, door and seals with a soft, dry towel.
The oven cavity can be cleaned with any non-abrasive cloth and any liquid household cleaner, including a well-diluted solution of water and hand dishwashing liquid.
Dried spills or spatters are more easily removed if you place a small bowl of water in the microwave, close the door and run the microwave oven on its highest setting until the water boils. The boiling water will create steam that will soften deposits for easier removal.
When wiping the surface, do not use any abrasive pads or cleansers, which can scratch the plastic interior and even compromise the door seal. Never use oven cleaners made for convection ranges – they contain chemicals that are both unnecessary and too harsh for use on the plastic interiors of most microwave ovens.
Remove any soapy residue from the oven interior using a soft cloth dampened with clean water, and then dry all surfaces well.
Odors can persist for months, even years, inside microwave ovens. Two alternatives for clearing the smell – and cleaning up those stubborn spatters – follow:
1. Mix 2 ounces (60 ml) of lemon juice in a bowl of clean water, place the bowl in the oven, and warm it on high. Warm the solution until it’s steaming hot – one minute may be enough in a high-powered microwave oven; two or three minutes may be necessary in a low-powered model. Leave the warm bowl in the closed oven for a few more minutes.
If you have burned-on stains on the oven walls, use the edge of a plastic spatula to gently scrape them away. Then use paper towels or a soft, clean cloth to wipe up the condensation that will have formed on the oven walls.
2. Mix a teaspoon (5 ml) of baking soda in 1/3 cup (80 ml) of warm water and use the solution to clean the inside of the oven. Start by heating a bowl of water so that condensation forms on the cavity walls. Clean the oven with the solution and a soft cloth, then wipe all surfaces thoroughly with clean water on a soft cloth, and then dry.
Once the oven is dry after following either method, leave the door open for a couple of hours.
Reference:
Consumer Reports editors in How to Clean and Care for Practically Anything.
Jeff Bredenberg, editor, in Clean It Fast, Clean It Right: The Ultimate Guide to Making Everything You Own Sparkle & Shine.
