How to Get Rid of Food Odors in Your Microwave

I’m a real nut about keeping my microwave clean from spills and spatters. I use a spatter shield, paper towels and plastic wrap to keep the foods I cook from erupting all over the inside of my oven. I also wipe my microwave out with a damp cloth and a dry towel after each use. Even so, sometimes food gets burned, and the result is an unpleasant lingering odor. Or, you cook a certain food in your microwave oven and it smells funny afterwards. No matter what the cause is, if your oven smells less than clean, then you need to find out how to get rid of food odors in your microwave!

A Word of Caution: You should never, ever use a wet, sloppy sponge or cloth to clean your microwave oven out with. Nor should you use a rough scratcher that can mar or damage the surface. Only use a damp sponge or cloth and soapy water to wash your oven. Then rinse with tap water.

Apple Cider Vinegar is a natural product that has a thousand different uses. When it comes to removing the stink from your microwave, vinegar comes to the rescue again! For light odors, try wiping the inside of your microwave out with a 50/50 solution of vinegar and tap water. Rinse with tap water and then wipe the inside dry with a soft, clean towel. Finally, leave the door open and let your microwave air out.

If that method doesn’t get rid of the food odors in your microwave oven, then try another natural remedy: open up a fresh box of baking soda and place it inside your oven. Close the door and let the soda absorb the odors for a couple days. This should do the trick. If it doesn’t, then you have a stubborn odor that doesn’t want to go away. In that case, you can safely repeat this process a couple more times. Sometimes fishy or burnt odors tend to hang on and it takes some time to get rid of them.

Another method you can use to get rid of odors in your microwave is to mix up a half cup of lemon juice with a cup of tap water in a microwave-safe dish. Place the dish inside your oven and heat the liquid for a couple minutes on the “high” power setting. Carefully remove the dish, then leave the door open to allow the inside to air out.

And finally, if none of these methods work for you, and your microwave oven is still under the warranty, I would call the company’s customer service department. Even though I’m a “do-it-yourselfer”, I wouldn’t take the oven apart to find out if the cause of the odor resides there. First, doing so will void any existing warranty. Second, inside every microwave oven is a high voltage capacitor that can kill you with its power. So, think twice before you delve into the inner workings of your microwave oven in an effort to try to get rid of food odors.