How To Clean Your Microwave With Vinegar And Citrus Fruits

Microwaves make life so much easier. What does take a lot of effort, however, is cleaning them. Between sauce splatters, caked-on messes, and liquids boiling over, microwaves get pretty dirty if you don't remember to wipe them down regularly. These food spills often harden onto the inside of the machine, especially if they aren't noticed and cleaned right away, making them difficult to remove.

Luckily, there are a number of tricks on the internet to make cleaning this appliance easier. One of the most common ones is to run just a few natural ingredients in the machine — water and either citrus or vinegar. In an interview with Homes & Gardens, Sabrine Fierman, who works for a high-end cleaning company, noted that steam helps loosen the food stains in the microwave. Using the heat of the microwave, the combination of steam and these acidic fruits helps loosen spilled food and makes it less challenging to remove. This allows for quick and painless cleaning without much scrubbing.

To clean your microwave using this method, you'll need a microwave-safe bowl, water, and either a citrus fruit or vinegar. While you can use paper towels, a sturdy microfiber cloth might be even better for the task.

Start by filling the bowl with a good amount of water, then add your fruit, citrus juice, or vinegar. Microwave the mixture on high for five minutes so the appliance steams up, then let it stand for a while without opening the door. By letting the microwave sit for a while without releasing the steam, you're allowing the vapor to work its magic. After a few minutes, carefully open the door, as the inside could still be hot. Then, simply wipe the food away.

While lemons are great for this hack, other types of citrus work too. You could use a lime, orange, or even grapefruit, depending on what you have on hand. Citrus juice will work just as well — simply add a few drops of lemon or lime juice to the water prior to microwaving. For vinegar, use white or apple cider varieties.

While the steam and lemon hack works great, sometimes that trick alone just won't cut it. For stains that won't come off even after these steps, try scrubbing them with baking soda or another mild abrasive. Even easier than cleaning the walls and ceiling of the microwave is cleaning the rotating plate — believe it or not, this can be removed and run through the dishwasher. If you don't have a dishwasher, you can wash it with dish soap and hot water.

The best way to keep the microwave clean, however, is prevention. Many kitchen supply stores have plastic covers designed to go over plates in the microwave. This shields the interior from any splatters and can easily be thrown in the dishwasher to clean. In addition, plenty of household items can be used, including paper towels (so long as they don't contain metal particles or nylon), wax paper, plastic wrap, and glass covers. If a cover traps steam, be sure to remove it carefully after heating. You can also use the butter wrapper hack to avoid greasy splatters while melting butter.