How to Clean Stains From the Inside of a Microwave Oven

Over time, the inside of your microwave can start to look like a food fight gone wrong.

Like a standard oven, a microwave is sometimes a pain to clean. The stains develop over months of use. When food is uncovered while heating, it pops and flies around the oven and sticks there, becoming almost ingrained in the surface. When you are cleaning stains in the microwave, use a method that is gentle enough to protect the coated exterior from damage yet effective enough to remove the ugly, baked-in stain.

Things You'll Need

• White distilled vinegar
• Water
• Spray bottle
• Scrub brush with soft bristles
• Mild soap
• Lint-free cloth or paper towels

Instructions

1. Spray the inside of the microwave thoroughly with a mixture of half water (preferably distilled) and half vinegar. Vinegar is a very effective natural stain remover. Pay extra attention to the stains and food spots. For some stubborn areas, you might need to use undiluted vinegar.

2. Close the microwave and allow it to sit with the vinegar mixture on the stains for an hour. Give it time to seep into the stains and break them up so that you can wipe them away without much effort.

3. Soak a scrub brush with gentle bristles in soapy water (use a mild soap). Carefully scrub the entire inside of the microwave with your soapy brush in a circular motion.

4. Wet a few napkins or a lint-free cloth and squeeze out the excess water. Wipe the soap and vinegar from the inside of the microwave.

5. Dry the surface thoroughly with paper towels before using the microwave.

Tips & Warnings

• Use covered microwave dishes to prevent staining. Find these at discount and dollar stores at little cost.

References

• The New Homemaker; Vinegar: (Almost) the Only Cleaner You'll Ever Need; Noël-Marie Taylor