How To Clean a Microwave Without Vinegar? ( 4 Simple Methods )

You can easily clean a microwave without vinegar by following one of the following methods-

METHOD 1 – Cleaning Microwave with Lemon

  1. Take a microwave-safe bowl and fill it up with 1 cup of water.
  2. Squeeze a lemon into the water and put the squeezed lemon halves as well in the water.
  3. Put the bowl in the microwave and run it for 5-7 minutes.
  4. Let it stand for another five minutes. Now, open the microwave and take the bowl out. Be careful as the bowl can be hot.
  5. The steam formed will remove the grease and smell from the microwave.
  6. Now, clean the turntable by removing it and then use a dish cloth. Also, clean the inside surfaces of the microwave with the dish cloth. Replace the turntable back in the microwave.
  7. You are done with cleaning the microwave.

METHOD 2 – Cleaning Microwave with Soap, Hands-on method

  1. Take a bowl of warm water and put some dishwashing soap in it. Soak a sponge in it and squeeze it until the water gets suds.
  2. Take the turntable out from the microwave and clean it with the soapy sponge in the sink. Rinse it properly and then dry it.
  3. Look inside the microwave for any crumbs and remove them with a damp paper towel.
  4. Clean the inside surfaces with the soapy sponge. In a circular motion, rub the surfaces of the top, bottom, sides, and door with suds but try not to put them in the vents.
  5. Use a damp paper towel to wipe all the surfaces.
  6. Now take a dry paper towel to wipe everything.
  7. Put the turntable back into the microwave. Now your microwave is clean and ready to use.

METHOD 3 – Cleaning Microwave with Soap, Hands-Off method

  1. Take a microwave safe bowl and fill it with warm water. Add dishwashing soap and a little baking soda in it.
  2. Put the bowl in the microwave and run it for 5 minutes on high.
  3. Let the bowl stand in the microwave for 5 minutes more and then take it out. Be careful as it can be hot.
  4. Take the turntable out and clean it with soapy water in the sink. Dry it with a dry paper towel.
  5. Use a damp sponge to clean the inside of the microwave and then dry it by using a dry paper towel.
  6. Put the turntable back in the microwave. This method will help to clean and deodorize the microwave.

METHOD 4 – Cleaning Microwave with Window Cleanser

  1. Take a microwave-safe bowl and a window cleaner. Spray about 10 pumps of window cleaner in the bowl and add a cup of water to it.
  2. Spray window cleaner inside the microwave as well, especially on large spills and baking trays.
  3. Put the bowl in the microwave and let it run for 5 minutes.
  4. Let it stand for another 5 minutes and then take it out carefully.
  5. Clean the turntable by removing it from the microwave. For this use a damp and dry paper towel.
  6. Use both these towels to clean the inside of the microwave as well. Be sure that the inside of the microwave is dried completely.
  7. Put the turntable back in the microwave.

how to clean a microwave without vinegar

Any one of the methods mentioned above can be used to clean your microwave and yes, you do not need to use vinegar to clean it.

How to clean a microwave with just water?

To clean a microwave with just water, you need to have the following things-

  • A microwave-safe bowl
  • Water
  • Damp paper towel
  • Dry paper towel
  • Soap solution

Below is the method to clean microwave with just water:

  1. Take a microwave safe bowl and fill it halfway with water.
  2. Put the bowl in the microwave and let it run for 5 minutes.
  3. Keep the bowl as it is in the microwave for another 5 minutes. This will help in forming steam inside the microwave due to which all the grease and dirt will loosen up.
  4. Remove the bowl and take the turntable out of the microwave. Clean it with the soapy solution in the sink and then dry it using a dry paper towel.
  5. Take a damp paper towel to clean the inside surfaces of the microwave. Once it is cleaned, dry it completely using a dry paper towel.
  6. Put the turntable back into the microwave.
  7. By following all these steps, your microwave will be cleaned perfectly.
  8. If you want to deodorize your microwave, it is important to add some disinfectant like vinegar, baking soda, or dishwash solution in the bowl of water.

How to clean a microwave with white vinegar?

To clean a microwave with white vinegar, you will need a microwave safe bowl, water, white vinegar, wet and dry paper towel.

The method by which you can clean the microwave with white vinegar is given below:

  1. In a microwave safe bowl, put water and add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar in it.
  2. Keep the bowl in the microwave and let it run on high for 5 minutes. You will see that the liquid has started to boil.
  3. Once 5 minutes is done, switch off the microwave and keep the bowl inside the microwave as it is for another 5 minutes.
  4. The steam formed in the microwave, will trap the dirt inside and loosen the burnt-on food particles.
  5. Open the microwave door and remove the bowl carefully as it may be hot.
  6. Remove the turntable and clean it separately in the kitchen sink. Take a damp paper towel and clean the inside surfaces starting from the roof, then the sides and the door.
  7. All the dirt will be cleaned easily due to the steam. Dry the microwave by using a dry paper towel.
  8. Place the turntable back inside the microwave and you are good to use a clean microwave again.

There are many benefits of using white vinegar for cleaning a microwave. These are –

  • White vinegar is not an expensive material to buy and is readily available in the market.
  • There are no harsh chemicals in it.
  • It works by removing odors and does not mask the odor.
  • White vinegar is said to be an environmentally friendly product.

How to clean a microwave without scrubbing?

To clean a microwave without scrubbing does not need much effort and time. All you need is to form steam with water and some simple ingredients and your microwave will be fabulous again to use it.

To clean a microwave without scrubbing, you will require a microwave safe bowl, water, dry paper towel, damp paper towel, and lemon (or white vinegar or baking soda or dish soap).

Any method as mentioned above can be used as none of these require any scrubbing of the microwave.

Why does vinegar explode in the microwave?

Vinegar explodes in the microwave because it gets superheated when heated along with the liquid in the microwave. It is not a common occurrence but can happen if the liquid is microwaved in a perfectly smooth container.

While microwaving, bubbles are not formed in the liquid, and thus, when you open the door of the microwave or try to remove the bowl, it may explode.

But you do not have to worry about this as most of the containers are not perfectly smooth. Also, as a precaution, you can put a wooden toothpick in the bowl of water and vinegar.

Due to this, bubbles will be formed on the wood and thus, the water and vinegar solution will boil without exploding.

Conclusion

Whenever there is a mess in the microwave, you need to clean it. There are many methods to clean it like a pro and cleaning without vinegar is a good one. For this, you will require either lemon, baking soda, or dishwash soap.

The methods mentioned above are simple and less time consuming and by following any of these, you can get a perfectly cleaned microwave in just no time.

Hope this article is helpful to you.