My microwave is (now was) a complete disaster. We don’t use it very often, but when we do everything seems to explode. And it’s generally not a mini explosion. I’m talking a big, powerful explosion that leaves sauce or grease everywhere. Over the years we’ve all tried to keep up. Each person is responsible for wiping out the microwave after warming or cooking something. That strategy worked for a while, but then the build up couldn’t be stopped.
The inside of the microwave started to look like a war zone. It got to the point where it was better to never open it so we wouldn’t have to look inside.
Vacation week wasn’t filled with as much skiing as we had hoped so we had to be creative with our time. My husband stumbled upon a CNET video, How to Clean Your Microwave With Just a Bowl of Vinegar. We watched the one minute video as a family, because we all knew that the microwave was just that bad. There were a few oohs and aahs (or maybe they were groans of boredom?) and I knew we had to give this a try.
It was so simple. Seriously simple.
How to clean your microwave with a bowl of vinegar and water
What you’ll need:
- Water, vinegar, bowl and damp cloth
- 7 minutes
Watch this video for the full instructions. Make sure your sound is turned on so you don’t miss the snazzy tunes.
Now give it a try! I would love to hear if it worked for you. I have to admit that I needed to do the 7 minutes twice, but my microwave is looking much better.
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photo credit: Bowl via photopin (license)
I literally use vinegar for everything…my clothes, showerhead, to get rid of fruit flies, to clean my blinds, carpet stains…etc
This is not a good image to use for this article. Metal bowls will spark and create a fire if put in a microwave. maybe consider changing the picture to a glass bowl.
Good point Emma. You’re correct- metal bowls won’t work in a microwave. I liked the image so I went with it. I’m certainly not suggesting using metal in a microwave. I used a glass bowl and it worked well.
Hey Lori!
I always use water + slices of lemon. I’m wondering if the vinegar leaves a smell?
No, the smell of vinegar will not linger.
A good tip for prevent food exploding is removing the cover and placing a paper napkin over the bowl. It works great for things like soups, which have a tendency to ‘blow up’!