i like
to put a
little bit
of
lemon juice in the water

you can add lemon juice if you want to help with any food odor.

oops. sorry - looks like chester beat me!

A dash of white vinegar in lieu of lemon juice also works well on just about any surface.

i third the lemon juice suggestion

OMG, I thought it was a murder scene.

You should leave the cup in and allow the inside to fog up before cleaning. The more steam the easier it is.

After cleaning leave the cup with vinegar in overnight to kill odors.

Great tip, thanks.

@nothinlikeadame, I think we're actually looking at the remains of Regina's poodle. No matter how many times we're warned not to dry the dog in the microwave, there's always someone....

This is brilliant and the lemon water will smell lovely when heated. On the other hand, what's so hard about cleaning as you go? Splatters are always super easy to wipe up with a damp sponge while the mess is still warm.

Might want to correct the title from Mircrowave.

It's also good to note that if you are using a glass container or something without scratches/imperfections, it's a good idea to put a wooden stir stick or bamboo skewer in the container.

WHO HAS BEEN IN MY HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHING MY MICROWAVE!?!?!?

rosenatti,
I knew it wasn't a puddy cat!

@elankat, it's a "mircrowave.." the miracle microwave . . .

Cover your food people!!!!

I've never had to "clean" my micro. I avoid all splatters by covering with a dish, paper towel, plastic wrap or...something! And don't tell me plastic wrap will kill me either. Look at the mess you've made.

I just pretend it's not dirty. Denial is so much easier.

Don't try this! putting an open container of water in the microwave for anything more than two minutes can cause it to superheat and subsequently explode. Especially, if you've opened the door when this occurs you can imagine the danger.

Apartment Therapy please remove this post! I'm sure it was unintentional, but the advice here is extremely dangerous.

mackenziedear is right. This is incredibly dangerous.

While the water may look still and calm, there have been instances of microwaved water suddenly breaking into violent boiling when the container is disturbed. Microwaving water for too long and then attempting to pull it out right away could seriously burn a person.

http://www.snopes.com/science/microwave.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superheating

If you choose to clean your microwave this way, let the water cool before removing it. The food particles should still be soft, and will still come out with some minor scrubbing.

I just looked at the last posting of this tip--a few comments were left about the danger of superheating, then, too. I'm disappointed AT didn't bother reading the comments or passing the information on to the readers.

What my mother always does is tosses her kitchen sponge into the microwave for one minute, then wiping down the inside of the microwave with the warm sponge. The bonus is, the one minute in the microwave also disinfects the sponge.

I think that's why someone suggested putting a stirrer or something in the mug, to break the surface tension of the water. Yes, water can boil in the microwave without bubbling, then boil over when you move the container, but I think a little common sense can prevent accidents in this case. If it's been in there for 5 minutes and isn't boiling, let it cool a bit before you move it (though you should be wearing a hot mitt when you move it anyway).

I boil a cup of water for tea every day in my microwave. Only takes three minutes, not five. I always use an oven mitt to remove it. I'm still here and so is the microwave. ;)

That icky picture is why I'll never use the microwave at work. It looks like that all the time, even after some poor soul tries to clean it. I just eat cold lunches. Better than being grossed out every day.

Thanks Regina. There is nothing more gross than having old food stuck to the inside of your microwave. I tried your trick tonight and am very happy to say that I now have a clean microwave. :)

I don't mean to sound harsh, but if people just cleaned their microwave and stove top when doing dishes, it would never get gross in the first place!

Does this work to rid a microwave of that burnt popcorn smell?

Mine isn't dirty, it just smells like burning...

I find if I use a wide bowl of water-not a cup, and put it on for 4 minutes and leave it...do not open the door etc...for 10 minutes, the water becomes safe to handle and the steam is trapped in and does its job better. Safer and more efficient.

It looks as if only one of 26 posts so far suggests covering your food in the first place. OK, you can't always judge the the exact time before your food will explode without keeping your eyeballs at the microwave window. I have a plate cover for reheating and a couple of other covers made of that rubbery silicone to cover bowls or cups, etc. They go in the dishwasher or just rinse under the tap usually. Yes, half a lemon with boiling water makes it smell better, but an ounce of prevention will save that disgusting mess.

burnttoast--plastic wrap? ew. I'd rather have to wipe up a few splatters than have that toxic nastiness melting into my food. Paper towels, or cinguettando's silicone, sure, but plastic wrap? Eeeeew.

You can also use baking soda in water...it helps with absorbing odors as well.

I do this all the time.
its the only way to clean the microwave without making your arm sore in the process.

The good thing, is that you can set this to go while you clean up other things and come back to it. Much more time efficient.

I have done this dozens of times and have never had a problem. I use a 2 cup pyrex measuring cup only half full.

I would be careful about sticking the glass tray into water (or under the faucet) during the cleaning process. It needs to be hot water, not cold. The temperature change could break the glass. The same cautionary note holds for cleaning the glass shelves from the refrigerator (with the temp change in reverse). Perhaps to avoid the issues involved in moving boiling water (explosions, burning hands), and cleaning the tray, the boiled water should be left in the microwave for a while till it cools a bit. And resolve to keep items near the microwave to prevent splatters. I keep a roll of wax paper on top of the microwave to counter the I'll-just-do-it-this-once-because-I'm-too-lazy-to-walk-across-the-room factor. I also keep some old Corelle plates handy to put both under and over dishes likely to cause messes. As for microwaving a sponge, as an old timer, I remember when microwaves were first being marketed for home use. Since we were all very leery of these new-fangled inventions, the safety instructions stick in my mind. One was to avoid microwaving too small an item, which would not be sufficient to absorb those microwaves, and possibly damage the oven. I don't know how valid this advice is, but I would be inclined to microwave the sponge along with a Pyrex measuring cup of water. I've also read it is not a sure-fire way to clean a sponge.

we all make mistakes, don't we? My well-intentioned husband put the popcorn in for FIVE minutes then got distracted. oops. That odor and the smoke damage are pretty hard to eliminate. I have tried lemon juice and water and have also added cinnamon and vanilla to the water (which already contained half a lemon—for safety concerns). I have also scrubbed with citrus spray, baking soda, and a mix of baking soda and vinegar (hello, kindergarden volcano experiment!). And I have left the vent fan on high for hours. It might be working, but it's taking forever. My fingers smell like I took up cigarette smoking. Any other ideas?!!