How to Use a Microwave Owner's Manual

A microwave oven, or microwave, is a kitchen appliance that uses microwave radiation to cook or heat food. This is done by using microwaves, ordinarily produced from a magnetron, to excite water, oil, fat and other polarized molecules within food to be heated. This excitation leads food to be heated everywhere at once, a feature not seen in other heating techniques. Although microwave radiation can be dangerous, when used properly these appliances heat food quickly, efficiently, and safely. Microwave ovens have revolutionized food preparation since their use became popular in the 1970's.

Like other kitchen appliances and ovens, microwave ovens can get very messy as heated food and liquids have tendencies to splatter. So, how do you go about safely cleaning a microwave? In this free video series, our expert will give you step-by-step instructions on how to clean a microwave, from using the owner's manual and gathering supplies to cleaning grease and the boiling water technique. Our expert will also show you how to clean individual microwave parts, such as the traps, racks, and turntable. With these video instructions, your microwave will sparkle, and you'll also learn helpful cleaning tips that can be applied to other kitchen appliances!

"Hi! I'm Jennifer Cail and on behalf of Expert Village, I'm going to show you how to clean your microwave from the inside out. The first step in cleaning your microwave oven is to look at your owner's manual. This is very important for a number of different reasons. First of all, you don't want to avoid any warranty by using inappropriate cleaners for your microwave. Secondly, depending on the type of front that you have for your microwave, you're going to use different types of cleaners. If you have stainless steel, that's completely different type of cleaner that you're going to use versus a plastic one like I have. You can usually tell based on color, obviously, if it's stainless steel. It's going to look different than if it white, cream colored, or black, which are the other main colors. The owner's manual will also tell you how to take apart various parts of your microwave to effectively clean around them. It's going to tell you the types of cleaners you want to use. They might have recommendations for specific brands, but you don't necessarily have to use those. It's just going to give you a good idea as to what types of cleaners are good to use for your microwave oven."