Routine Clean Your Microwave

Whether popping popcorn, reheating spaghetti, baking potatoes or softening butter, your microwave does heavy-duty work day in and day out. Food splatters and food odors are a fact of life when using this appliance. And even if you can live with seeing an exploded food mess every time you nuke your burrito, know that heavy-duty grime can eventually make your machine run less efficiently. And nobody wants a cold burrito.

The good news is that we have a fast and easy way to get your microwave back to just-out-of-the-box clean, or almost there. Here’s how to clean a microwave.

How Often?

Daily maintenance. Steam clean once a week. Follow our routine listed below!

First Line of Defense.

Prevention is the name of the game here. Covering what you’re microwaving goes a long way toward minimizing most spots and splatters.

Wipe It Clean Daily.

Clean the inside of your microwave as part of your daily kitchen routine. Using a damp cloth, sponge or paper towel, wipe down the inside ceiling, floor, sides and tray. This removes any spatters that might have escaped containment before they have a chance to harden. Make it a part of your post-dinner kitchen clean-up routine.

Steam-Clean Stubborn Stains.

If the splatters are caked on, try steam before you apply elbow grease. Heat about 1 cup of water in a microwave-safe container on high for two to three minutes. Let it sit for up to five minutes, then carefully remove the water (it will be hot) and the turntable. Wipe down all the surfaces with a soft cloth, sponge or paper towel. You can use white vinegar as a natural disinfectant. Dip a microfiber cloth in a 50-50 water-vinegar solution, wring it out until it is slightly damp and use it for wiping the surfaces. The steam should help loosen the caked-on spots. We recommend steam-cleaning the microwave’s interior once every week or so, but this method works even if you go longer between cleanings.

You can remove odors and disinfect during this process as well. Just add half a fresh lemon to your cup of water while it’s heating up.

Finally, wipe down the outer surfaces, including the instrument panel, with a soft, damp cloth. If things are particularly greasy or covered in fingerprints, go over them again with the water-vinegar solution. You can dry the surface with a soft cloth for an even more polished look. If you have a stainless steel microwave, wipe the outside down with Boulder Clean Granite + Stainless Cleaner. It will remove the grease & grime and is streak-free!

Also, make vacuuming your microwave’s vents part of your vacuuming routine.