A microwave is an integral part of the modern kitchen environment. It has become an important and necessary subject of household appliances, as it helps to reduce the time of heating and cooking. A microwave oven needs periodic cleaning, only this way it can function properly and serve for a long time. With active use care of the device is carried out weekly, because stains from grease and dirt must be removed immediately.
How can I clean it?
To clean the microwave inside, you can use folk or purchased products. When cleaning, apply such household chemicals:
- special means for washing microwave ovens;
- dishwashing liquid;
- glass cleaner.
The stores offer a large assortment of chemicals from various manufacturers for cleaning microwave ovens. Special household chemicals contain fat-soluble components and acids. Any dishwashing liquid is suitable to clean the microwave chamber. It contains surfactants that break down fats. The wiper is used for internal and external cleaning. It contains solvents, surfactants and ammonia, which allows you to remove grease, oil and dirt.
If you don’t have the right household chemicals at hand, it will be successfully replaced by folk remedies that can be found in every home. They are no less effective, easy to use and environmentally friendly. In the fight against grease and dirt on the walls of the microwave oven will help:
- vinegar;
- water;
- laundry soap;
- soda or mustard powder;
- lemon or citric acid.
Vinegar and water wash off strong contaminants. Soda or mustard does a great job with dirt. Laundry soap is suitable for the fight against any grease stains.
Fat Removal Methods
To properly clean a microwave oven, you need to know how long it has been cleaned. Visually determine the degree of contamination. After that, you can choose the appropriate method for removing greasy deposits and dried stains in the device’s chamber.
A correctly selected cleaning method will save time that would be spent on sorting out all kinds of means.
Strong contamination removal
A heavily soiled microwave chamber is cleaned with vinegar and lemon. They contain acids that break down fat molecules.
However, a high content of citric or acetic acid can damage the top layer of the coating, so you should not often resort to their use, especially if the coating on the stove is enamel or stainless steel.
To clean the microwave inside quickly and efficiently, use whole lemon fruit, citric acid or lemon juice. If lemon is used, then it is pre-cut into 4-5 parts and poured with water. You can take not a whole lemon, but half. Citric acid or lemon juice is used in diluted form: for one or two glasses of water, take one tablespoon of “lemons” or four tablespoons of squeezed lemon juice. A bowl of lemon water or lemons is put to bask in the microwave for 10-12 minutes. Vapors of citric acid dissolve fat deposits, and it remains only to wash the entire surface with a clean sponge or wipe with a napkin.
Washing a very dirty stove chamber will help vinegar. This is a universal tool for cleaning any kitchen surfaces and household appliances. You will need a teaspoon of vinegar essence or three to four tablespoons of 9% vinegar. Pour 2 cups of water and vinegar into the dishes, put in the microwave for 8-12 minutes, turning it on at full power. The installation time of the timer depends on the degree of contamination and on how dried plaque on the walls of the device. 10 minutes after stopping, it is necessary to treat the walls with a damp cloth.
With soda and vinegar, you can get rid of old stains of dirt. To do this, add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to the vinegar solution and carry out the same procedure as using one vinegar solution. At home, he will be able to clean the grill from soot and soot. alcohol. The cotton pad should be wetted with ethanol and wiped clean until clean.
To reach the invisible side of the shadow, use a wire that is bent at the right angle. It is necessary to dip the wire wrapped in a layer of cotton wool in alcohol, after that - to clear out all inaccessible places.
A special tool will help to quickly clean the device from burning and burnt spots. tool for microwave ovens. Often it is sold in liquid form and applied with a spray. Creamy and gel-like products are distributed with a sponge over the entire surface of the chamber except for the mica pad and air outlet openings. Usually, household chemicals need to be allowed to act for several minutes (the manufacturer indicates the right time on the label). Then you need to wash the camera with a sponge from dirt and chemical residues.
To persistent smell of funds disappeared, the walls are wiped dry and ventilated.
Removing medium impurities
If there are no lemons, then baking soda always found at home. It will help to wipe away old fat and dried up particles of food. In a deep bowl you need to pour 300-400 grams of water and pour 2-4 tablespoons of soda, turn on the oven for 10-15 minutes, putting the soda solution inside. 10 minutes after turning off, it is necessary to wash the walls of the device with a sponge and wipe with a dry cloth.
If the soda solution could not cope with the burnt fat, then you need to rub the spots with mustard powder applied to the sponge.
Laundry soap degreases very well, therefore it is suitable for washing the microwave oven chamber. With a damp sponge, soaped with laundry soap, you need to wipe the fat deposits on the walls and wait half an hour for the fat to dissolve. After that, thoroughly rinse off the soap solution. For quick cleaning of dirt, use any store dishwashing detergent. A little dishwashing gel is dripped onto a wet foam sponge and foamed until a stable foam is formed. Next, put the sponge in the microwave and turn it on for half a minute, after which all the dirt is wiped off with this sponge and the remaining cleaning liquid is removed with a damp cloth.
Glass cleaner will remove greasy stains safely and effectively. To 100 grams of liquid wiper, add 50 grams of water. With this solution, you can clean the microwave both inside and out. If some stains do not rub off, then the product must be left on the surface for 5-10 minutes. The residue is washed off with clean water, often rinsing with a sponge. The washed appliance is wiped with a dry cloth and aerated.
Low contamination removal
Small fresh impurities easily depart, therefore the use of the steam method is sufficient. In a suitable container, pour 1-2 cups of warm water. The liquid should not reach the edges of the dish, during boiling it should not be sprayed. Next, turn on the oven for 5-10 minutes, and after the signal, leave the microwave oven closed for 5 minutes so that the hot steam softens the dirt and grease spray. Then wipe the inside with a damp cloth.
Eliminate odor
The zest of lemon, orange or grapefruit, dried leaves of mint, lemon balm, oregano will help to break the unpleasant smell from the microwave. Fresh or dried citrus zest should be poured with water and put in the oven for 3-4 minutes. With fragrant leaves of mint or oregano do the same. After that, all internal walls are wiped with a dry cloth.
Salt, soda, activated carbon and coffee grains absorb odors. These natural ingredients can be used at home. At night, put in a disconnected microwave oven a cup or saucer with 50 grams of salt or soda, and in the morning there will be no foreign smell. Instead of salt, 4-5 crushed tablets are used activated carbonthat is sold in the pharmacy. It effectively eliminates any odors and fights against high humidity.
Ground or whole grains of coffee will not only absorb the odor, but also leave a delicate aroma.
We clean outside
It is necessary to remove dirt and dust not only inside, but also outside the microwave oven. This also applies to the back wall, since a layer of dust can have a negative effect on the electronics and lead to a short circuit in electricity and damage to the microwave. The dust is washed with a well-wrung out damp cloth or cloth soaked in soda or soap solution.
If traces of the presence of cockroaches are visible on the back side, then the contamination must also be removed. To destroy harmful insects, it is worth buying a remedy for cockroaches.
It is easy to clean the external walls of the device with soda. Baking soda is diluted in warm water and wiped with a solution of the device on all sides with a damp sponge. If the dirt is not cleaned immediately, you need to wait 10 minutes, so that the dried particles are behind and easily moved away. Seams are cleaned with a damp cotton swab. After washing, wipe all surfaces with clean water and wipe dry with a cloth.
Remove yellowness
Over time, the plastic exterior of the microwave becomes yellow. This is due to exposure to ultraviolet rays and temperature changes. Also, a shade of yellowness acquires cheap plastic. The substances contained in the composition disintegrate over time, and the surface loses its original color. To remove yellowness, do not use aggressive cleaners that scratch and damage the surface. The yellowed plastic is cleaned with the following solutions:
- The concentrated solution of laundry soap. Dissolve shavings from laundry soap in a small amount of hot water to a gel state. Apply this gel to a yellowed surface. After 1 hour, wipe it with a rag or sponge. This method is considered gentle, it can be used several times to achieve the best result.
- Chlorine-containing bleach will help whiten plastic in several tones. In whiteness or other means containing chlorine, light cotton cloth is wetted, slightly squeezed. A wet rag is applied for several hours to the surface to be cleaned, then wiped with water until the solution disappears.
- A solution of soda and powder. In warm water, you need to dissolve any washing powder and baking or soda ash, and then apply the composition to a yellow spot. Leave overnight and remove in the morning with a damp sponge.
- Hydrogen peroxide. Moisten a cotton pad with hydrogen peroxide and wipe the plastic. Used in cases where yellowness is not pronounced, the procedure is repeated several times.
- 95% ethanol solution. Moisten a soft cloth in ethanol and rub the yellowed door of the stove until it is cleaned.
- Plastic cleaners. In the household department of the store you can find household cleaning products for plastic from different manufacturers. There are special wipes for wiping plastic soaked in a variety of solutions. They not only improve color, but also create a protective film from negative external factors that destroy and damage the surface.
Washing glass
The microwave glass on the inside is washed in the same way as the entire area inside the appliance chamber. The glass outside is cleaned with a glass cleaner. Purchased spray or aerosol is easy to apply. He will not leave stains and will quickly remove dust, grease, dirt, fingerprints. If there was no liquid for washing glasses at home, then prepare such a solution: add 100 grams of vinegar and the same amount of ethyl alcohol to a glass of water. In this mixture, moisten a soft, lint-free cloth and wipe the glass thoroughly until clean.
Cope with washing the glass without a special wiper will help ammonia: in a small amount of warm water, dissolve a couple of tablespoons of ammonia and wipe the glass from the outside. Salty water will cope with greasy marks on the glass. In a glass of hot water, completely dissolve 30-40 grams of table salt. Soak a cloth in salt water and clean the glass. Using glycerin, you can create a protective film on the glass. In 30 grams of glycerin, add a couple drops of ammonia and a teaspoon of water. Apply this mixture to the glass with a cotton pad and let it dry.
Care Tips
To facilitate microwave care, cover the plate with a special plastic microwave lid when heating food. Its cost is low, but its use significantly reduces the frequency of cleaning and the level of pollution. The lid will prevent grease and food particles from splashing onto the walls. Frequent washing is only needed for a removable glass stand. It can be washed in a dishwasher or as ordinary dishes.
Ideal for microwave wiping with a damp cloth after each use. This habit will keep all parts of the device clean. It will not be necessary to use additional means for cleaning, to spend time soaking and rubbing traces of fat and adhering food.
Whatever coating the microwave oven has — enamelled, ceramic or stainless steel — excessive mechanical impact, the use of aggressive liquids with a high acid content, the use of rough abrasive cleaning compounds, iron brushes, sponges, knives are not allowed.
In the scratches formed during careless care, dirt is clogged, which will be difficult to clean in the future.
To clean the surface of the microwave oven, you need to use a foam sponge that absorbs well with a cotton rag or rag, viscose and bamboo napkins. When wiping the microwave chamber with a damp sponge, make sure that the liquid does not get into the ventilation holes and duct. As little as possible you need to wet and rub the mica pad, closing the exit window of the waveguide of the magnetron emitter.
Before cleaning, the appliance must be disconnected from the power supply, so that water does not cause a short circuit. You can use the microwave only after the camera has completely dried and ventilated.
See how to clean the microwave inside of grease in the next video.