De-Gunk Your Microwave

Ohhh the microwave where would a college student be without one? You have made many bags of popcorn for late night snacking, warmed bountiful bowls of ramen noodles, and created copious amounts of gooey mac and cheese. Now that the year is coming to an end there is layers of baked on GUNK inside that microwave. Before packing up for the summer give that microwave a deep cleaning!

There are few simple and affordable methods to clean your microwave. Methods include vinegar and water, soap and water, baking soda and water, and even a lemon!

The Vinegar cleaning Method- Fill a microwave-safe glass bowl half way with water. Add a tablespoon of vinegar. Place the bowl into the microwave. Turn the microwave on for 5 minutes (less time if you are using a high powered microwave). The water and vinegar mixture will create steam on the walls of the microwave and loosen up that baked on GUNK. Once the 5 minutes are up remove the bowl and the glass turn table from the microwave, CAUTION it will be hot! Use a clean cloth or paper towel and wipe down the inside of your microwave. Wash the glass turn table with soap and water just as you would another dish.

The Soap and water Method- This method works much like the vinegar method. You will fill a microwave-safe glass bowl with water and add a couple of tablespoons of dishwashing liquid. Place the bowl into the microwave and turn on for 5 minutes or until the bowl starts to steam. Remove the bowl and wipe down the inside of the microwave with a clean sponge.

The baking soda method – Follow the same steps as both the vinegar and soap and water methods. Except in this method you will add 1 quart of water and 4 tablespoons of baking soda to your microwave safe bowl. The baking soda will not only clean your microwave, it will also deodorize it!

The Lemon Method - Cut a lemon in half and place it cut side down on a microwave-safe plate with 1 tablespoon of water. Turn on the microwave for about a minute or until the lemon is hot and steamy. Remove the plate and lemon from the microwave and wipe down the inside of the microwave just as in the other methods. This is our favorite method as it creates a fresh lemony scent in your dorm room!

Whichever method you choose be sure to clean your microwave with ample time for it to dry completely before packing for storage. The smallest amount of moisture on your items can cause mold to grow…and NO ONE wants that!