Vinegar and steam, a simple microwave cleaner.

Posted on October 12, 2009  |   Posted in Blog, Natural cleaning recipes   |   Comments 9 Comments   Tags: , , ,

vinegar Don’t you just love how the inside of your microwave always looks like you just exploded a Hot Pocket? That stuck  on food can be hard to remove if it is not cleaned right away. Microwaves are supposed to be fast and convenient, scrubbing each time you use it does not sound fast or convenient. Enter the wondrous vinegar.

In a glass or microwaveable safe bowl, combine 1 part water, and 1 part distilled white vinegar. Now bring the mixture to a boil. (This should take about 5 minutes or so for a cup and a half, depending on your microwave.) The steam from the vinegar and water will loosen the hard crusted on food particles, making them super easy to just wipe away with a moist cloth. So leave the harsh cleaners out, and clean the healthy way.

9 Comments to “Vinegar and steam, a simple microwave cleaner.”

  • October 12, 2009 at 3:31 pm
    Vinegar and steam, a simple microwave cleaner - SoWal Beaches Forum says:

    [...] and steam, a simple microwave cleaner Visit our blog for the newest natural cleaning article: Natural Cleaning Services blog Learn how to easily clean your microwave without harsh chemicals. __________________ [...]

  • November 1, 2009 at 5:51 pm
    Elise Walker says:

    This is cool! I often dread having to open my microwave and see if there’s another species growing inside it. I’ll give this a try. Thanks for the tip!

  • November 2, 2009 at 2:39 pm
    Harlan says:

    You are very welcome Elise, glad to help.

  • January 7, 2010 at 1:29 pm
    JANNE says:

    I HAD A POTATO TO CATCH ON FIRE IN MY MICROWAVE. I CAN’T GET THE SMOKE FILM OR THE SMELL OUT OF THE MICROWAVE. PLS HELP!!!!!!!

    THANK YOU
    JANNE

  • January 7, 2010 at 1:56 pm
    Harlan says:

    Janne,

    There are a few things you can try. First, slice up a lemon, and place it in a microwavable bowl with water. Heat it for about 5-8 minutes or so or long enough to boil, and then let it sit for about 20-40 minutes to cool. You should be able to wipe the sides a lot easier now.

    You can try the vinegar trick but with a larger bowl. You want it to really boil (make sure it doesn’t all boil off) The steam will all be expelled through the fan, hopefully cleaning everything out.

    If you get the surfaces all cleaned up but the smell remains, here is a small list of a few good odor absorbers: Tea Bags, Activated Carbon, Baking Soda, Coffee Grounds. I would let these sit in there in a container whenever the microwave is not being used.

    3% Hydrogen peroxide removes odors as well. You can mix 50/50 with water or just spray it in there and let it dwell for a few minutes.

    If these do not work, do a quick google search for “remove smoke odor from microwave” or something similar. There are almost too many remedies to count.
    Hope this helps! Thanks for posting. Let me know how it goes.
    -Harlan.

  • January 8, 2010 at 12:11 pm
    JANNE says:

    HARLAN I USED COFFEE IN THE MICROWAVE AND IT IS HELPING WITH THE ODOR. I USED 2 TBL COFFEE GROUNDS IN A CUP AND FILLED IT HALF FULL OF WATER AND MICROWAVE TIL BOILING.
    I HAVE TRIED VINEGAR, LEMON, GOO GONE, 409, GREASED LIGHTING, SPRAY BLEACH AND NAIL POLISH ON THE INSIDE AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE YELLOWING AND BLACK MARKS OUT OF THE INSIDE OF THE MICROWAVE. HELP!!!!! I CAN’T AFFORD TO REPLACE THE MICROWAVE AND PREFER NOT TO, SINCE MY HOME IS ONLY 4 1/2 YRS OLD.. THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE ME. JANNE

  • January 8, 2010 at 12:22 pm
    Harlan says:

    Janne,
    I am glad the smell is going away, it may take a little time. As for the black and yellow marks, It is hard for me to tell if it is just film or soot, or if the plastic was actually burned without seeing it. If you used acetone nail polish remover, and it did nothing I am guessing the plastic is burned and damaged. Open flame in such a confined area could have burned the plastic beyond repair in a very short time. Can you tell if it is actually burnt or is it just stained?

  • January 12, 2010 at 10:08 am
    JANNE says:

    HARLAN,
    I AM PRETTY SURE THE YELLOWING ALL OVER AND BLACK ON THE TOP ARE MOSTLY JUST BADLY STAINED. THE OUTER EDGE AROUND THE MICROWAVE WHERE THE DOOR CLOSES IS ALSO YELLOWED.
    THE SMELL IS STILL RATHER STRONG WHEN I OPEN THE DOOR. I CONT. USING THE COFFEE METHOD TO HELP RID THE MICROWAVE OF THE SMELL. IF YOU HAVE MORE THINGS FOR ME TO TRY, PLS LET ME KNOW. I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HELP.
    JANNE

  • March 23, 2010 at 1:02 am
    best cleaning service says:

    Very good tip, it worked for me and it will surely work for others too. I hope that you could post more useful tips here.

Post comment

Categories

Latest Blog Posts

RSS Feed

Feed yourself!
Subscribe to our blog RSS Feed

Natural Cleaning Services

Thank you for visiting our website. We are a professional cleaning service that services Destin, and South Walton including Scenic 30-A. We are focused on providing you with a safe, non toxic cleaning service. Our reworked site is designed to first, help educate about the benefits of natural, and non toxic cleaning products, and second, to provide you information about our services. Relax, look around, learn, and we hope you enjoy your visit. When it comes to your heath, responsibility comes naturally.

Pages

Local

Twitter feed

Posting tweet...

Tag Cloud

Archives