How to clean a microwave in about 10 minutes

The short answer: for how to clean a microwave without scrubbing, use steam: heat a bowl of water with lemon, vinegar or baking soda until it boils, and dried splatter wipes right off.

• Most microwaves come clean in about 10 minutes
• Lemon is best for smells; vinegar for grease
• Wash the turntable and work from the top down
• A quick weekly wipe keeps the job easy
• Next step: Plan it with the Cleaning Schedule ($4.49).

If you are wondering how to clean a microwave without scrubbing for half an hour, the answer is steam. A bowl of water with lemon, vinegar or baking soda, heated until it boils, softens dried splatter so it wipes right off. Most microwaves come clean in about 10 minutes, and a quick weekly wipe keeps the job that easy. This guide covers each method, the turntable and grease filters, smells and what never to use.

How to clean a microwave: the quick version

1. Steam it. Heat a bowl of water with lemon juice, vinegar or baking soda until it boils.
2. Wait. Leave the door shut for 3 to 5 minutes so the steam loosens the mess.
3. Remove the turntable and wash it in hot, soapy water.
4. Wipe the inside top to bottom: ceiling, walls, door, then floor.
5. Rinse and dry with a cloth dampened in plain water, then a dry one.
6. Clean the outside and, on over-the-range models, the grease filters.

What you need

Method 1: Lemon steam (best for smells)

Mix 1/2 cup of lemon juice with 1 cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl. This is the ratio Illinois Extension gives for removing caked-on food. Heat it until it boils, usually 3 to 5 minutes on high, and then leave the door closed until it cools a bit.

Consumer Reports uses a lighter version for odors: 1/4 cup of lemon juice in a bowl of water, run on high for 1 minute, then wipe the cavity using the condensation that forms. You can also slice a fresh lemon into the water if you do not have bottled juice.

Method 2: Vinegar steam (best for grease)

Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to 1 cup of water and heat it until it boils and the window fogs up. Vinegar cuts greasy film well. The smell fades within an hour, and a final wipe with plain water helps it go faster.

Method 3: Baking soda (best for dried-on spots)

Illinois Extension's other option is 6 tablespoons of baking soda in 1 cup of water, boiled and left to cool with the door shut. For spots that still cling after steaming, make a paste of baking soda and a little water. Rub it on gently with a soft cloth, leave it for 5 minutes and wipe it away. Consumer Reports suggests scraping stubborn stains off with a plastic credit card rather than anything metal.

Step-by-step: wiping it down

Take out the turntable first. Lift it out with an oven mitt if it is hot, and let it cool before you put it in water. A hot glass tray can crack if it hits cold water. Wash it and the roller ring in hot water with dish soap, or in the dishwasher if your manual allows it.

Work from the top down. Wipe the ceiling first, then the walls, the inside of the door and finally the floor, so drips land where you have not cleaned yet. Rinse the cloth often.

Mind the door. Wipe the inside of the door and the seal around the edge, where splatter hides. Consumer Reports warns not to scratch the protective mesh inside the door if yours is exposed, because it keeps the microwaves in.

Rinse and dry. Go over everything with a cloth dampened in plain water, then dry it with a clean towel. Put the roller ring and turntable back.

Cleaning an over-the-range microwave

Over-the-range models have two extra jobs:

• Grease filters. These sit on the underside and catch fumes from the stove below. Consumer Reports says letting them get too gunky can make the microwave run less efficiently and pose a fire hazard. Slide them out, soak them in hot water with a degreasing dish soap, scrub gently and rinse. Some makers allow the dishwasher, so check your manual.
• The underside. Wipe the bottom panel and the light cover while the filters soak, since grease from the stovetop settles there too.

Most manufacturers say a microwave should last about 10 years, according to Consumer Reports, and regular cleaning is one of the easiest ways to get there.

How to clean the outside

Wipe the outside with a soft cloth dipped in warm, soapy water and wrung out well. Spray any cleaner onto the cloth, never straight onto the control panel, so liquid cannot seep into the electronics. For stainless steel doors, use a stainless cleaner or mild soap and wipe in the direction of the grain. Finish with the handle, which collects more fingerprints than anything else.

What Consumer Reports adds

Consumer Reports suggests a mild cleaner and a soft cloth for the outside, and wiping interior spills right away. For cooking stains, wipe the walls and floor with a hot, damp cloth, and wash the turntable in hot water with dish soap. Stubborn spots can be scraped with a plastic card, but never scrape the inside of the door window, because that might damage the microwave-blocking finish. To extend the microwave's life, use the preprogrammed settings and never run it empty.

What not to use

How to get rid of microwave smells

For a lingering smell from burnt popcorn or fish, run the lemon steam method first and wipe everything down. Then leave an open bowl of baking soda, or a dish of fresh coffee grounds, inside overnight with the door closed. Wipe again in the morning. A second round of lemon steam usually takes care of anything left.

How often to clean a microwave

Common microwave cleaning mistakes

Scrubbing before steaming. Dry scrubbing grinds baked-on food into the walls and can scratch the coating. Steam first and most of the mess wipes away with no pressure at all.

Opening the door too soon. The steam does its work while the door is shut. Give it at least 3 minutes, and up to 10 for a really crusty interior, before you open it.

Forgetting the ceiling. Splatter flies up as often as it falls down. The ceiling and the area around the light are often the dirtiest spots, and they drip onto the floor if you clean the floor first.

Using too much water on the cloth. A dripping cloth can push water into vents and seams. Wring it out until it is just damp.

Skipping the hot-bowl safety step. A bowl of boiling water can bubble over when you move it. Use an oven mitt, lift slowly and set it down on a heat-safe surface.

Keep it cleaner for longer

• Cover your food. A microwave cover or a paper towel over the bowl catches most splatter.
• Wipe while it is warm. Steam from cooking leaves the walls damp, which is the easiest time to wipe them.
• Use the presets. Consumer Reports notes that sensible cooking times keep food from overcooking and spattering.
• Turn on the fan. On over-the-range models, the exhaust fan keeps moisture from collecting on the electronics.

Put it on your cleaning schedule

A microwave goes from fine to crusty in a couple of weeks, and the longer splatter sits, the harder it is to lift. A written routine fixes that.

Next on the counter: our guide on how to clean a Keurig.

Our Cleaning Schedule ($4.49) is a 9-page printable with daily, weekly and monthly checklists, a seasonal deep clean list, room-by-room checklists, a family chore chart and a cleaning supplies list. Put "wipe microwave" on the weekly page and "steam clean microwave and wash filters" on the monthly page.

If you want to organize the whole house at once, the Home Management Bundle ($16.99) includes the Cleaning Schedule along with the Household Binder, Home Maintenance Log, Home Inventory, Moving Planner and Password & Accounts Log. Bought separately, those six come to $32.94.

Your next step

Grab a bowl, a lemon and a cloth tonight. Steam the microwave for 3 minutes, give it 5 minutes to sit and wipe it out while you wait for the kettle. Then write "microwave" on your weekly cleaning list so it never gets this bad again.