Does you microwave have crusted on stains that are hard to remove? Check out this article on how to clean your microwave with baking soda and vinegar. First we explain why baking soda and vinegar are great choices of cleaning products when it comes to cleaning your microwave. Then we describe how to clean a microwave using baking soda and vinegar.
Why clean a microwave with baking soda?
Why should you clean your microwave with baking soda? Baking soda has a few desirable properties that make it great for cleaning your microwave.
- Baking soda is abrasive. Baking soda is an abrasive substance which means that it helps to physically scrape stains off of the surface of your microwave. This is a great property to have when you are cleaning a microwave with tough caked on stains.
- Baking soda is a deodorizer. Baking soda is a natural deodorizer! You may have seen baking soda being used to absorb smells from your carpet before but you can also use it to absorb smells in your microwave.
- It is edible. Baking soda is a common household product that is even used in cooking! It is always good to avoid using potentially toxic chemicals when you are cleaning surfaces in your kitchen that might touch your food.
If you need more convincing as to why baking soda is a great option when it comes to cleaning your microwave check out this article but The Spruce on why baking soda is a great household cleaner.
Why clean a microwave with vinegar?
Why use vinegar to clean your microwave? Vinegar is another common household product that has many properties that make it great for cleaning a microwave.
- It is acidic. Vinegar is highly acidic which means that it chemically eats away at tough, baked on stains and helps to dissolve them. That makes it a great candidate for cleaning tough, crusted on stains in your microwave.
- It has antibacterial properties. You heard that right, vinegar has antibacterial properties. This makes it a great candidate for cleaning up your kitchen because it will kill any bacteria that are found on your cooking utensils and appliances.
- It is edible. Just like baking soda, vinegar is an edible cleaner that is used in many common recipes. That means you can take solace in knowing that no harsh or potentially toxic chemicals are touching surfaces that also touch your food.
How to clean your microwave with baking soda and vinegar
So how do you clean your microwave with baking soda and vinegar? Here is the best strategy for how to clean your microwave with baking soda and vinegar.
- Spray your microwave with vinegar and let it soak. Grab a spray bottle and fill it with some white vinegar then let the vinegar soak for 20 minutes. If you do not have a spray bottle you can also use a towel to apply the vinegar to the surface of the microwave. The towel should be thoroughly soaked in vinegar so that it leaves behind some vinegar when you scrub the surfaces of the microwave. You want to let the vinegar soak a little so that the vinegar starts to eat away at the stains.
- Microwave a large cup of water. Before you try to physically scrub stains from your microwave you should microwave a large bowl or cup of water for 3 – 4 minutes. Microwaving a cup of water will produce steam that will fog up the microwave and rehydrate the dry, crusty stains. It is much easier to remove wet stains from your microwave than dry stains. It is best to put a toothpick or another microwave safe object in the water to prevent it from overheating. If you want you can also add a little bit of lemon juice to the bowl to help cover up any smells in the microwave.
- Apply a baking soda paste and scrub. Mix your baking soda with just enough water to get it to come together into a paste then brush this paste over the walls of your microwave.
- Scrub with a stiff bristled brush. After you have applied the baking soda paste you should scrub the microwave with a stiff bristled brush. The baking soda in the paste is abrasive which means that it will help to physically scratch off bits of caked on gunk as you scrub your microwave.
Tips for cleaning your microwave
Here are some of our best tips for cleaning your microwave. These tips apply whether you are cleaning a microwave with baking soda and vinegar or with any other cleaning product.
- Clean your microwave frequently. The more frequently you clean your microwave, the easier it will be to clean it. This is because each time you use your microwave the stains on the walls of your microwave get cooked and dry out more. This makes it even harder to remove them from the walls of the microwave.
- Clean big splatters right when they happen. If you see that a dish you just cooked splattered all over the microwave then you should stop and clean that stain before you do anything else. Stains are easiest to clean off of the side of the microwave when they are still wet.
- Microwave a wet rag instead of a bowl of water. In our instructions on how to clean a microwave we recommend microwaving a bowl full of water. If you are concerned with your bowl of water becoming too hot and being hard to transport you can soak a kitchen towel in water and microwave that instead. The kitchen towel should not heat up as much as the bowl of water. You can also use the warm towel to scrub away the stains after it has cooled down a little.