Microwave Cleaning Hack – How To Clean With Natural Ingredients

During a family movie night, where multiple bags of microwave popcorn have been popped and consumed, it’s hard to say what’s scarier – the climax of the movie where all looks lost for the good guys, or the inside of the microwave.

Microwave Cleaning Hack
DIY Microwave Cleaner - before

Actually, at our house anyway, it’s not hard at all. The microwave wins that contest, hands down. But there’s a microwave-cleaning hack that is not only completely natural, it’s completely easy. It’s a game-changer, through and through. Gone are the days of scrubbing for 10, 20, even 30 minutes to make the inside of your microwave sparkle. Use this tip every time you need a clean microwave, and you’ll be on your way.

Natural Microwave Cleaning products

Materials you’ll need to clean the microwave:

  • 1 fresh lemon
  • 1/2 cup water in microwave-safe bowl
  • 1 clean dish towel

How to clean a microwave:

DIY Microwave Cleaner - water into a microwave-safe bowl.

Put 1/2 cup water into a microwave-safe bowl.

Tip: Although this tutorial shows a 2-cup glass dish, I would recommend using a quart-sized glass bowl if possible, because the water will boil over the edge during the cleaning phase. This doesn’t harm the cleaning results, but it does create more water to soak up on your turntable later on.

DIY Microwave Cleaner - cut lemon in half

Cut your lemon in half and squeeze all the juice out of both halves into your water dish. Don’t worry about seeds.

DIY Microwave Cleaner - lemon juice

Place both rind halves into the bowl with the water and lemon juice. Would you believe it if I told you you’re practically done? You are.

How to clean a Microwave - Place your lemon-treated dish

Place your lemon-treated dish into the center of your microwave. The lemon juice is an excellent natural cleaning agent, so boiling it inside the microwave will cause condensation on the inside walls and door of the microwave, which in turn loosens and dissolves the caked-on food.

DIY Microwave Cleaner - three minutes high power

Cook it on high power for three minutes. Tip: If the outside of your microwave looks as scary as the inside, you can multitask and use this time to wipe off the exterior. Otherwise, get yourself a beverage and a magazine and relax for a few minutes.

DIY Microwave Cleaner - keep it closet 5 minutes more

When the microwave is done, leave the door CLOSED for another five minutes. This allows the steam and condensation to further work on the crusty, cooked-on mess inside. Don’t you love it when something virtually cleans itself?

DIY Microwave Cleaner - smell

After the five minutes of waiting (a total of eight minutes since you put the lemon dish into your microwave), open the microwave door. At first, it may not look all that different from when you started – just a bit moister inside. But wait.

DIY Microwave Cleaner - Carefully remove your turntable glass

Carefully remove your turntable glass (especially use care if your lemon dish boiled over during the three-minute cook time). Grab your towel and wipe it off.

DIY Microwave Cleaner - soap remove

The beautiful thing is, what would before have required a bunch of soap and elbow grease to remove, now comes off with a simple swipe of your clean towel. This photo shows half the turntable where I literally wiped once on the left and not on the right. So easy!

Related: DIY Natural and Homemade Oven Cleaner With Baking Soda And Vinegar

DIY Microwave Cleaner - dish towel to wipe the inside

Use your dish towel to wipe the inside of your microwave door. Here’s a shot of before I started wiping mine.

DIY Microwave Cleaner - fast swipe

Here’s a shot of a quick swipe right after. Lemon juice is magical!

DIY Microwave Cleaner - floor of the microwave interior

While the turntable is out, wipe down all inside surfaces – the ceiling, walls, and floor of the microwave interior. This will likely take you less than a minute.

DIY Microwave Cleaner - turnable

Place the clean turntable back into your clean microwave.

How to clean a Microwave - with lemon

You’re done! It probably took about 10-12 minutes from start to finish, and the vast majority of that time was letting the microwave work itself. I just love a clean microwave, don’t you?