Cleaning Your Microwave Oven Without Spray Cleaner

Are you tired of scrubbing at the interior of your microwave oven with an expensive, smelly spray cleaner every time something splatters all over it? Worse yet is when your teenaged daughter splatters something all over the interior of the oven and walks away, leaving it like that. “But daaaad, I didn’t know I needed to clean that up!”

There are all kinds of powerful cleaners out there which will sort of clean up these messes. Most of them have one thing in common; they leave a strong “after odor” in the microwave. After you clean it you can expect to get gassed, with fumes, the next 2-5 times you use the oven. Yuck!

Actually, I suppose I should say most of these cleaners have two things in common; most of them are not cheap. Let’s face it spray cleaner companies are the “snake oil salesman” of the 21^st century. Most of them sell crap which does not work and, even if it did work, it will be way over priced. But, what choice do you have if you want to get the thing clean?

Here is what I do. I take 2/3 cup of vinegar and mix in about three tablespoons of lemon juice. I usually use a microwave safe glass measuring cup for this. I place this mixture in my microwave for about three minutes and allow it to boil and steam in the microwave oven. When the timer is done I open the door and, using a pot holder, remove the measuring cup. I then wipe the interior of the oven with a cleaning rag. The steam, from the vinegar/lemon juice mixture cuts through almost anything stuck to the inside of the microwave. As an added bonus, it leaves the oven smelling fresh and clean, with no foul, lingering “chemical” fumes.

I bulk buy both the vinegar and the lemon juice in order to save money. I have found them to be far cheaper than any spray cleaner. As a bonus, the vinegar/ lemon juice mixture makes an excellent kitchen counter/glass cleaner once it has cooled. Again, it leaves the kitchen smelling fresh and clean.

With the economy like it is today every little bit helps. Not having to buy an expensive spray cleaner is sweet. Knowing I am using natural ingredients in place of chemicals is even sweeter.