How to clean your microwave properly, inside and outside

You probably use your microwave a lot, no? As due to this, you obviously need to clean it frequently. That given, it's also obvious that this cleaning should be done properly. Read on to find out more:

Clean the insides

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When it comes to cleaning the insides of the microwave, you can take advantage of some DIY methods to make this chore easier.

In fact, you can use the primary function of the oven itself and a few commonly-found products to do this cleaning.

Here's what you need:

• Lemon juice and lemon wedges, or;
• White vinegar.

If using lemons, take a small, microwave-safe bowl and squeeze a whole lemon into it. Then add a cup of water to this and put the squeezed wedges of the lemon into the same bowl.Put the bowl in the microwave (with the turntable and the grill) and start a cooking cycle at maximum power for 3-5 minutes.

Once the cooking cycle is complete, keep the microwave closed for another five minutes. After 5 minutes, open the door (using gloves to avoid burning yourself), remove the bowl (but keep it within reach). Wet a cloth or sponge with the liquid in the bowl (being careful not to burn yourself), wring it out, add a small drop of dishwashing liquid and use the cloth to scrub away the dirt from the internals. The steam from the lemon water should have softened the grime sufficiently to make this chore easy.

If using vinegar, you will do the same, simply replacing the lemon with water and vinegar in equal parts (or, for a slightly more concentrated solution, one part water and two parts white vinegar).

Heating and softening the grime also works on the inside of the door, so don't forget to clean this too!

How to clean the outside of your microwave oven

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The external surfaces of the microwave oven need to be cleaned a little less often, but don't put off this chore for too long.

Unplug the microwave and use a duster (dry, microfibre ones are fine) to remove surface dust, especially at the back.

Once done, you can take care of the door: to do this, you can use a damp sponge or soft cloth and sprinkle a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda on it. Rub it over the edges, rubber seals and both sides, then rinse the cloth well, wring it out perfectly and use it to wipe down. Dry immediately with a second dry cloth to avoid streaks and any traces of limescale.

If there is stubborn dirt on the door (or the other external surfaces), you can wet a sponge or cloth with equal parts water and vinegar to remove these.

If these remedies don't work, try commericial degreasers suitable for your microwave.

Turntables and grills

When you have softened up the grime on the turntable and the grids, wash them thoroughly in the sink (just like you would with your dishes).

If, however, there is very stubborn grime on these items, proceed as follows:

Soak the turntable/grill in a little hot water, adding a drop of dishwashing liquid and half a cup of white vinegar. Leave them to soak for half an hour (or longer). After this, the grime should be very easy to remove.

Alternatively, you can use a paste of made from baking soda to rub on stubborn bits of grime to remove them.

With a little attention, you can keep your microwave in excellent condition!