When life gives you lemons, make a cleaning aid! We’re here to help you unpeel how to clean a microwave with lemon and we’ll make it easy-peasy, too.
From using it as a general spray cleaner to getting down and not-at-all dirty with your kitchen appliances, a lemon can be a powerfully natural cleaning tool. If you know us at Seep, you’ll know we’re here for the sustainable choice. So, we’ve found things you might already have in your home to get the to-do list cleared.
P.s. if you’ve not met Seep yet, have a read of Our Story. That way, you can find out more about why we do what we do with lemons and more!
Why It’s Important to Know How to Clean a Microwave with Lemon
Cleaning your microwave is an essential task. It helps keep it running for longer, makes sure your food will taste just right and will stop any unwanted smells lurking around the house. Yes, we’re looking at you person who decides to reheat your fishy dinners.
Knowing how to clean a microwave with lemon, however, is the icing on top of the cake. Lemon-flavoured icing, if you will. This bright yellow fruit has natural antibacterial and antiseptic properties that make it perfect for getting rid of lingering food particles. Plus, because it’s naturally acidic (the part that makes you pull the funny sour face), it’s also the perfect food-safe substitute for bleach.
Then, there’s the smell. Nobody is going to complain about a lemon-y fresh kitchen after it’s been lovingly cleaned by you. This is why we’ve found other uses for lemon such as How to Stop Water Marks On Chrome Taps, too!
The Tools You’ll Need to Get Started
- Lemons
- A Mason Jar
- A Knife
- White Vinegar
- A Reusable Spray Bottle
- Water
- A Microwavable Bowl
- Oven Mittens
- An Eco Sponge with Scourer
The Step-By-Step on How to Clean a Microwave With Lemon
And now for the fun part. Here’s where you get all the know-how of microwave cleaning with lemon in the steps we use here at Seep.
Step 1: Be ahead of the game and make a batch of lemon spray
If you already know Seep, you may have seen our TikTok video about making our two-ingredient cleaning spray. But, if not, here are the segments you need to know:
Grab yourself a mason jar with a water-tight seal. Then, tear-up some lemon rinds and place them into the jar. Use your white vinegar to fill the jar before sealing and leaving for about 1-2 weeks. After this short wait, you can decant your new cleaner into a reusable spray bottle ready to be used in the microwave.
Step 2: Oh crumbs, wipe away the evidence
If you take a look at your microwave, there’s a good chance there are crumbs making a cosy home inside.
Whether it’s from the little ones experimenting or from that cheeky cookie you decided to warm up for a gooey late-night snack. It happens. But now’s the time for you to remove them before they become more of a scrubbing hassle than they need to be.
Step 3: Microwave a bowl of water and lemon
Grab a microwavable bowl, jug, sports direct mug or pyrex dish and fill it with around 300ml of room-temperature water.
Then, open your fridge and grab yourself a good-sized lemon. Use your knife to chop it into two and place one half back in the fridge. With the remaining half, squeeze all those good juices into the container of water. Finally, pop the squeezed lemon into the water for good measure.
Place your lemon water into the microwave and microwave on high (for an 800W microwave) for around three minutes to generate hearty steam and cut through the grime. Then, be glad we’re not talking you through how to clean a microwave with vinegar alone.
Step 4: Remove the removables
After hearing the ding, ping or sing from your microwave, grab your oven mittens and remove the bowl of lemon water. Then, it may go without saying but the turntable and its roller ring support should also be removed for the next part! We’ll get back to those bits later.
In the meantime, sit the warm bowl of lemon water on your table to bring an extra zest of freshness to your kitchen.
Step 5: Start scrubbing the inside of your microwave
With your lemon cleaner, spray the inside of your microwave. You won’t need to spray too much as the bowl of lemon water will have steamed up already, plus, too much liquid might damage the microwave and that defeats the purpose of making sure our appliances live a long and fruitful life. So, a couple of sprays and you’ll be good to go.
Using your eco-friendly Seep sponge with scourer (because we know it works), gently scrub tough food stains and wipe away any remaining splatters. This should reveal a sparkling microwave fit and fresh for your next re-heat.
Step 6: Give the outside and removables a lemon-squeezy polish, too
Before you can use your microwave again, you’ll need to use your lemon cleaning spray and Seep sponge with scourer on your removables. After all, it wouldn’t be a complete guide on how to clean a microwave with lemon unless we scrub every inch.
When they’re sparkling, pop them back into the microwave and do the same favour for your microwave’s exterior.
After all six steps are done, you’ve nailed how to clean a microwave with lemon as well as how to clean a microwave with vinegar (because there were some sneaky glugs of white vinegar in your lemon cleaner).
Tell us how easy you find cleaning your microwave using natural food-safe ingredients such as lemon and white vinegar. Then, let us know what else you want to learn when you grow into the world of green cleaning with Seep.
For more great reads, here are some of our favourite articles: “4 Tips for A Green Spring Clean” and “How to Wash Trainers With Baking Soda”.
