Clean a microwave with steam
Let water do the work. Five minutes of steam turns baked-on splatter into something that wipes off with a damp cloth.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 15 minutes
Dried food in a microwave is welded on by heat, and no amount of pressure removes it cleanly. Steam softens it back to the state it was in when it splattered.
Steps
Step 1 of 5
Half-fill a microwave-safe bowl with water and add a few slices of lemon, or a tablespoon of vinegar. The acid is not doing the cleaning — it keeps the steam from smelling of old dinner.
Step 2 of 5
Microwave on full power for five minutes, until the window is fogged.
Step 3 of 5
Wait 5 minutes
Leave the door shut. This is where the softening happens.
Warning
The bowl and the water are scalding. Take the bowl out with a cloth, or leave it in while you wipe around it.
Step 4 of 5
Wipe the roof, sides and floor with a damp cloth. Anything still stuck gets another two minutes of steam rather than a scourer.
Step 5 of 5
Take out the turntable and wash it in the sink like a plate.
Safe on / Never use on
Safe on
- Enamel
- Glass
- Plastic