How to clean a microwave?

The microwave is a very practical device to reheat food without having to turn on the oven. Nevertheless, it gets dirty quite quickly. Picture this: a bowl of tomato sauce explodes or a plate of soup overflows, you haven't eaten yet, and you're already thinking about cleaning up. Luckily for you, multiple solutions exist on how to effectively clean your microwave. Here are some of them.

How to use white vinegar to clean a microwave

Are you tired of endlessly scrubbing the inside of your microwave? Between grease and tomato sauce splashes, do you have trouble cleaning your microwave and getting rid of bad smells? Try white vinegar! Thanks to its degreasing power, it removes accumulated dirt and grease in just a few minutes. To do this, you need:

• A bowl of water;
• Vinegar;
• A sponge;
• A microfiber cloth

Here is the procedure to follow to clean your microwave:

• Fill a bowl with water;
• Add 5 tablespoons of white vinegar;
• Place the container in the microwave;
• Turn it on for 5 minutes at maximum power;
• Remove the container (be careful, it may be very hot!);
• Rinse the inside with a damp sponge;
• Dry with a microfibre cloth.

If your microwave was very dirty and traces remain, clean the glass and its interior with a soapy sponge. Do not hesitate to take out the grill or the glass dish to clean them in your sink with a sponge soaked in dishwashing liquid. You don’t like the smell of white vinegar? Add a few drops of an essential oil of your choice (lemon, mint, etc.) to the bowl of water and your microwave will smell all nice again!

How to clean a microwave with lemon juice

You don't have any white vinegar in your cupboards? No problem! You can get the same results by using lemon juice. Lemon juice also has a degreasing effect. It is therefore particularly well suited to clean a microwave effectively while eliminating bad odors. To clean a microwave with lemon juice, the ingredients are almost the same as for the previous recipe:

• A bowl of water;
• A few drops of lemon juice or a whole slice of it;
• A sponge;
• A microfiber cloth.

Here's how to do it:

• Fill a bowl with water;
• Add the lemon (as a juice or slice);
• Put the bowl in the microwave;
• Turn it on for 5 minutes at maximum power;
• Take the bowl out, but be careful not to burn yourself;
• Rinse the inside with a damp sponge;
• Dry with a microfiber cloth.

Lemon has the double advantage of degreasing and eliminating bad odors naturally.

Cleaning your microwave with baking soda?

Baking soda, again! An essential ally in green cleaning. To clean your microwave with baking soda, there are two possible solutions. The first is to:

• Put a few teaspoons of baking soda in a bowl of water;
• Heat it in the microwave on maximum power for 5 minutes;
• Wipe with a damp sponge, then with a microfibre cloth.

The second option is even easier. Simply sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge and… scrub! While this recipe requires less equipment, you will need to roll up your sleeves. Baking soda is equally effective for either solution, so your efforts will be rewarded!

Is clay stone effective for cleaning a microwave?

Clay stone is one of the three magic ingredients (along with baking soda and white vinegar) to have in your cupboards for a zero-waste household. Also called white stone or silver stone depending on its composition, it has degreasing, cleaning and descaling powers. Its incredible capacities make it a multipurpose product to be used without a doubt throughout your home. And this is how you clean your microwave with it:

The method is pretty simple, you only need to:

• Wet a sponge;
• Soak it in the clay stone pot;
• Rub vigorously.

While the clay stone is effective, you will need a little more elbow grease to clean your microwave!