The problem of contaminated microwaves concerns everyone who has it in the arsenal of kitchen appliances. There are so many ways to clean a microwave that it’s very difficult to choose an option that suits you. Many hostesses resort to the old, proven "grandmother" method, which claims that there is nothing better than cleaning the microwave with vinegar and soda.
Most modern families use microwave to heat a cooled soup or to cook some harmful, but very tasty semi-finished product. Result: the walls of the microwave from the inside in greasy drips, which at the time dry out, and it becomes impossible to clean them without using additional funds.
Dirty microwave
Of course, it is better to monitor the cleanliness of all kitchen "helpers" and not bring them to a state where drops of fat will have to be scraped off. But even the most ideal housewives do not always have time to ensure that inside the microwave or gas oven there is a sparkle and perfect cleanliness. Therefore, methods were invented for cleaning contaminated surfaces with improvised means.
The easiest and cheapest way to clean your microwave is vinegar. How to use it correctly, we will consider a little later.
Microwave Cleaning Safety
It would seem that there is nothing complicated in this matter. But still, you should know some nuances that will help protect yourself from electric shock or splinters from a randomly broken glass plate (which is not cheap now). So:
- Before you start cleaning the microwave oven, you must unplug the appliance.
- When cleaning the microwave inside vinegar, do not use knives or other sharp objects that could damage the surface of the microwave. Inside, it is covered with special enamel, which serves as a reflector of waves.
- Before you start cleaning the microwave, as indicated in the instructions for it, and other means, you need to remove the glass plate and ring.
- Care must be taken to ensure that water does not penetrate electrical areas and into the ventilation inside the microwave. Otherwise, the device may malfunction.
Handy Microwave Cleaners
To clean the microwave with vinegar, you can use other improvised tools that can improve the final result. For example, fresh citruses: lemon, orange or grapefruit.
One of them can aromatize the surface of the microwave after it is rubbed with acetic solution. It is known to leave a pungent odor. The solution can be prepared by mixing 1 part vinegar with 2 parts water. A soft sponge should be dipped in this mixture and wipe the places contaminated with fat with it. A pair of table vinegar corrodes greasy stains well (and many others can also do it). After the microwave is cleaned with vinegar, you can wipe it with half a lemon or an orange. This will help remove the pungent vinegar odor. When working with vinegar, you need to give fresh air access to the room or turn on the hood.
We clean the microwave with vinegar and soda
Baking soda has proved to be an equally effective tool in cleaning greasy and simply dirty surfaces. From it you need to prepare a solution by adding 15 g of powder to 0.5 liter water. In the resulting solution, add two tablespoons of vinegar and mix thoroughly. How to clean the microwave inside with vinegar and soda? As well as the usual mixture of vinegar and water. With a soft sponge dipped in water, gently wipe the enamel inside the microwave that is turned off from the network. Then we leave it open that the smell has weathered.
Cleaning the microwave with laundry soap
This old improvised tool has a lot of useful properties. Including, removes greasy stains from clothes and other surfaces.
The main advantage of this method, as well as cleaning the microwave with vinegar and soda, is its safety for health, which can not be said about the toxic chemicals sold in stores. Laundry soap before use should be ground on a fine grater and mixed with water until gruel is obtained. By consistency, the product should resemble thick sour cream. Then you need to add a teaspoon of vinegar to the soap. This will enhance the effectiveness of soaps in the fight against fat on the surface. The resulting slurry should be applied over the entire inner surface of the microwave and leave it for half an hour. Then rinse with a soft sponge in warm water.
Microwave cleaning with steam and soda
Inventive housewives came up with this method to clean the microwave oven. This method, unlike how to clean the microwave oven with vinegar from fat, does not provide even the smallest physical efforts of the hostess. You can clean the microwave in this way by dissolving the soda in a heat-resistant glass with water. The fluid must be mixed and the container sent to the microwave oven, requiring immediate cleaning. Turn on the microwave timer for 10 minutes. During this time, water and soda will boil and the steam that will spread inside will dissolve a drop of fat and other contaminants.
How to clean the microwave with toothpaste?
The substances that make up toothpastes and powders can whiten not only tooth enamel, but also the one inside the microwave.
In this way, it is possible to clean up light pollution, but not dried greasy spots that have been on the walls of the microwave for more than a week. Toothpaste should be evenly distributed over the contaminated areas and left for 5-10 minutes. Then rinse with a soft sponge.
Competent microwave care
How to clean the microwave inside of fat with vinegar is one question. Another question is how to properly care for it, and how often you can clean it.
Breakage and other troubles can be avoided by removing all contaminants in time. Another reason why the microwave can fail is crumbs and small food debris from the bottom of the chamber. Due to inaccurate use of the microwave, including due to untimely cleaning, the enamel at the bottom of the oven may become microcracked and chipped, because of this, the “assistant” may break down or her work will then deteriorate, which will eventually lead to a complete rejection perform basic functions.
Microwave care outside
Despite the fact that the main part of microwave care is cleaning it from fat, crumbs and other contaminants from the inside, it will also require careful care from the outside. Slots are not on the surface of the microwave - ventilation, which is extremely important for the full operation of the device. Therefore, they should never be covered with napkins, towels.
It is also not recommended to put microwave plates and any other objects on the surface. The smallest specks can clog the ventilation holes over time, and the microwave will fail.
