This may be a tricky one> I had gobs of ants in the microwave so made the mistake of spraying it with Raid Ant Killer. Is there a way to clean the Raid remnants out of the Microwave so that it is safe to use for preparing meals again ? Thanks for any tips (and yah, it was a foolish thing to do).

Please don't do the wash-cloth thing, I burnt mine to a crisp!

I threw a couple of bay leaves in there (mind you I actually LIKE the smell of bay leaves). You could not smell anything else after that.

I use a bowl with water and a little drop of Mrs. Meyer's dish soap. (usually lavender or lemon) micro for 4 min. Check on it, then maybe another 4 min if stuff is really dirty. It makes the micro smell good and the crusty stuff wipes right off.

I posted last week regarding household cleaning tips about microwaving a small bowl of water with a few teaspoons of lemon juice for a few minutes. This disinfects and loosens stuck on food to be wiped off.

Well, this isn't about how to clean a microwave - but you can also clean up a sponge by throwing it in the dishwasher.

You probably already know this but make sure you don't use an oily cleaning product or an oily dish if you're microwaving water till it boils (lest surface film make it possible for the water to explode). I have a mild phobia of this!

The exploding water thing is only if you have a cup of pure water, which you are unlikely to get from a tap. But if you're concerned, add a drop of pretty much anything, even a couple grains of salt, and the danger is gone. They did a Mythbusters about it.

I don't know about ants in the microwave. That sucks. They do like electronics, don't they?

That's just American ants. European ants would rather spend their money on theatre tickets...

I have always used a damp paper towel instead of a damp sponge - no stink problems here!

i came up with this solution on my own in college! one of my more ingenious moments...i was quite proud of myself.

do you know what would work even better? one of those shark steam cleaning tools. ooh, at should have a giveaway for one of those...

Clean it once a week. I boil 1 cup of water, let it sit in the microwave 5 minutes, then wipe all the surfaces. Cleaning it on a regular base makes all the difference on how easy or difficult the job is.

Whenever I overheat a cup of coffee (warming it up in the microwave) and then put creamer in it only to watch it fizz up and get all over the counter, I always call it "my science experiment."

I highly recommend going to the site mentioned by M. It's really a very interesting topic.

I haven't got a microwave, but I saw this tip in a magazine a couple of years ago and in the next edition a firefighter had written in saying it's a dangerous thing to do, he'd been called out to a fire that started that way?

Maybe I'm just weird and completely out of touch, but when I make a mess in the microwave I CLEAN IT UP! I don't let stuff bake on and become crusty.

I've been using microwaves for at least 25 years and I've NEVER had a problem cleaning one out because I clean up after myself. It never gets yucky or smelly.

I used to clean up the microwave after used. so rarely I have a sticky dirt in my microwave. Most easiest is use a damp cloth with a little soap and wipe it. That's it. you got a clean an shine microwave.

For details you can see the video on How to clean a microwave

I use a tip from the Queen of Clean that cleans your sponges AND your microwave! Soak your sponges in vinegar and warm water and nuke them. Then wipe!

Every time I squeeze a fresh lemon I bag the remnants and freeze it. I boil them in a coffee mug to fill the microwave with lemony steam which can easily be wiped down. I place the carousel tray (as well as my sink tray, sponges and nylon scour brush) into the dishwasher weekly.

I'm going to try this right now.

Does anyone remember these little "bomb" things that were made a few years back where you just microwaved it and it cleaned the microwave for you and you literally just wiped the rest with the thing you microwaved? I know it's very single-use and not exactly green or economical, but I got a sample through the mail and got 5 years of gunk off my microwave in just a couple minutes. I have been looking for them for YEARS since and can't locate them.

Just say no to nasty microwave popcorn. Try the real thing next time. It's cheap and easy. Use any high sided covered saucepan. Add enough oil to just coat the bottom (I use a tablespoon or two of heart healthy olive oil). Add enough kernels of any popping corn to cover the pan bottom one kernel deep (less is OK). Every kernel must touch the bottom of the pan. Cover and put on stove burner at high heat. Wait till you hear the first kernel pop then gently shake the pan while the rest of the kernels pop. After a few minutes the popping will trail off to less than one pop per second. Turn off the heat and remove the cover. In a big bowl add salt & butter to taste (I like it with a bit of grated Parmesan). If you are used to microwave popcorn this will be the best popcorn you've tasted and pennies for a big bowl!

The microwave cleaning pads were made by Easy-off. To get the ants to stay away from your microwave....put a small "trail" of Cayenne pepper or chili powder around your microwave...ants won't cross it. Or get ant traps to place behind your microwave.

Interesting to hear there are people out there who wipe their microwave down every single time....they must love cleaning...
For the rest of us lazy folks, this method is easy (I did it today) and environmentally friendly. (The sponge and vinegar idea was a nice one too). I used the leftover water and lemon juice to clean the cabinets and countertops too while I at it.