Deep Cleaning the Kitchen - Microwave Edition

For the first project in the Order Up Organizing kitchen deep cleaning challenge, I tackled the microwave. It seems as though the owner of this particular appliance either has not used it in a long while or has chosen to overlook the gunk inside as she uses it to heat her cup of tea every morning.

ahem.

MICROWAVE BEFORE: (The identity of the appliance in question has been hidden to protect the innocent.)

Inside:

The door:

Here’s the crazy (lazy?) part: cleaning the microwave is not difficult. And I imagine that if it is done on a regular basis, it’s not all that time consuming.

Cleaning tools:

How to Clean your Microwave with a Lemon:

1. Slice a lemon in half lengthwise. Place the halves cut-side-down in a microwave-safe bowl of about one-cup of water.

2. Place bowl in said microwave and heat on high for three minutes. The steam from the lemon water will loosen any stuck-on food or other gunkiness.

3. With a gloved hand (particularly important if you have a paper cut on your finger—trust me on this one), use a cloth or sponge soaked in the warm lemon water to rub and/or wipe away the mess. Alternatively, you can use the lemon half as a scrub brush.

4. If there is a turntable, remove it to clean thoroughly underneath. It can be wiped down with the lemon water, hand washed with dish soap in the sink, or even washed in the dishwasher.

5. Wipe the inside of the microwave dry with a clean cloth. Replace the turntable.

6. Use the lemon water and cloth or sponge to clean the outside of the microwave. Mine … er, I mean this microwave had some build-up on the front and underside, so it required a bit more elbow grease. I’m sure this is common with microwaves mounted above stoves. right??

7. Enjoy the shiny view! And vow to clean it more regularly.

MICROWAVE AFTER:

Length of Time Spent on this Project:

10 Tobes’ Tunes (approx. 30 minutes)

My Thoughts:

• The steam + lemon worked wonders. It didn’t require a whole lot of scrubbing.
• I will admit that it seemed a bit risky to be inside an electronic appliance like that with water. (Maybe that’s what has kept me from doing it more frequently?)
• The project took longer than I thought it would. The underside and upper vents took a bit more effort than the inside. I even had to break out a trusty ol’ toothbrush.
• The lemon was no match for the fingerprints on the number pads. I ended up using a Clorox wipe on those.

All in all, it wasn’t too painful. It’s still certainly not my idea of a fun way to spend an evening, but I have hope that doing it on a regular basis will take less time and effort.

How about you? Is the microwave on your regular cleaning schedule? Do you have any tips for me?