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One of the best inventions to humankind is the microwave, as this small and fast oven has been around for at least five decades. When it first arrived, the price was very high, which is why only affluent households had a microwave until time elapsed to the point where the price decreased as it became more common. Many homes love using their microwave; people who live in studio apartments and have offices use a microwave instead of an oven due to the lack of space and accommodation.
However, one common problem that people have when they use their microwaves is that it begins to smell over time. Think about it. You are heating a variety of food which ranges from popcorn, fish, meat, pasta, and other foods that cause the microwave to smell. That can cause your home to smell, and it can alter the taste of the food you heat in the microwave. Even once you become used to the microwave’s odor, they will undoubtedly smell those odors if you have guests over. Therefore, that would be embarrassing for you. The only solution to this is to remove those odors from the machine. How can you deodorize the microwave? Let’s talk about that now.
Steps To Remove Odors From The Microwave
Deodorizing the microwave is straightforward. All you need to do is follow the steps:
- 1. Scrub The Inside Of The Microwave
The first step is to do the basics when it comes to removing smells from the microwave. The first thing to do is to scrub the inside of the machine well. All you need to do is take a clean rag, some mild dish soap, and some water. Put your rag under running warm water and add a few drops of dish soap to it. Then begin to scrub down the inside of the microwave and do what you can to get into the nooks and crannies. You may want to take a toothbrush and add some soap and water for that purpose. You may not remove all of the debris left in the microwave causing the odors even if you scrub it down. It is difficult to remove every tiny particle of them even though it seems as if it would be easy to do.
And if you are still unable to reach all of the hard-to-reach areas, don’t stress. Remember, scrubbing down the inside of your microwave is the first step to deodorizing it. The next step is a lot more effective in getting rid of those pesky odors in the small oven. That is because it involves baking soda.
- 2. Add Baking Soda And Mix It With Water In A Bowl To Place Inside Of The Microwave
After you scrubbed the microwave, you will go to the next step to deodorize the small oven by adding baking soda and water in a bowl and placing it in there. Baking soda is a powerful odor eliminator, so it works so well for removing foul odors from the microwave. You put a package of opened baking soda in the fridge for the same reason.
What you want to do is to take a microwave-safe dish. Measure one cup of water and two tablespoons of baking soda. Mix the baking soda in the water and allow it to dissolve. Place the bowl of water with the baking soda in the microwave before you turn it on.
However, if you don’t have baking soda or don’t want to use it, there is an alternative method. You can use lemon juice or vinegar as the agents are powerful when eliminating odors. Take one cup of water and two tablespoons of vinegar if you want to use vinegar in the bowl. If you prefer to use lemon juice, you can use two tablespoons of lemon juice with water instead.
Whichever agent you use for deodorizing, use two tablespoons of it and place it in the water bowl. Place the bowl in the microwave. As you are about to power it up, you will learn what to do in the next step.
- 3. Allow The Microwave To Run With The Bowl Inside
You have the bowl of water and odor eliminating agent, whether baking soda, vinegar, or lemon juice, inside the microwave. What you want to do is turn on the microwave onto high for two to three minutes and allow it to run while the bowl is inside. The solution will become hot, and then the steam will soften and loosen up any caked residue in the areas that you could not remove by scrubbing. In addition to that, the baking soda (or the vinegar or lemon juices) absorbs the odors. That happens simultaneously as the solution heats from the microwave running.
- 4. Take The Bowl Out Of The Microwave
After the two or three minutes are up, you will need to take the bowl out of the microwave. Put on oven mitts before opening the machine’s door because the bowl will be hot to handle. Then take the bowl out, and you can dump the heated solution in the sink as it won’t be good to use to eliminate odors from anywhere else. Take a clean paper towel or cloth and wipe down the inside of the machine, and that is it.
Therefore, if you are dealing with difficult odors from the microwave again, all you need to do is do the same thing the next time. Don’t wait until the odors become out of control. Once you get a whiff of it, then begin the deodorizing process.
Conclusion
If you use your microwave often in your home, apartment, or office, you will have to face unpleasant odors from it, particularly if you microwave strong-smelling foods such as fish‘, meat, pasta, or popcorn. Once you start smelling those pungent or strong odors around your home or area, then you know it is time to get rid of the smells.
However, the good news is that deodorizing the microwave is very easy to do. All you need to do is follow the simple steps outlined in this post, and that will be enough to freshen up the inside of your microwave. Do it as often as you need.