Any advice on cleaning a microwave oven with baked on food splatters?
Answers:
i would suggest a specific cleaner for microwaves. there is a cleaner out there called easy off for microwaves. you put a pouch in the microwave, nuke it for a few seconds and then it loosens the crud on the microwave. works wonderfully!
Other answers:
don't use a spray
don't use a spray
Get a good scrubber and some warm water.
Heat some water in the microwave. The steam may soften some of the baked-on stuff.
Heat up a bowl of water in there until it's almost boiling. Let it sit for a few minutes. The steam will help loosen the stuck on food and in most cases it wipes right off. You may have to leave it sit longer than a few mins (just make sure it's still warm & steamy) or repeat the process more than once for stubborn gunk.
Put in a cup or bowl of water and heat it til it boils for a couple of minutes. The steam always loosens up stuff in my microwave, and I've had some pretty tough spots to clean.
removed the tray and open up the microwave as far as you can and find some general cleaner like lysol or clorox cleanup and spray it on and let it set for a while
If the stuff doesnt loosen up within 10-15 mins, put a towel down incase it is drippy, spray it again and again until its clean
mix liquid fabric softner and warm water, clean with this solution and dish brush.
Boil some water in it for a few minutes, this should get the splatters moist and make them easy to clean.. be careful because the oven will be hot.
I know just the thing for this mess, and a story to prove it. My in-laws went on vacation and left hubby and me to housesit. Their house looks like a dollar store and a Salavation Army thrift store mated and exploded inside. To say they are packrats would be a vast understatement. Because of their extreme hoarding, cleanliness is a foreign language to this house. So...we decided to surprise them and clean while they were out of town.
Me, my best friend and a few other sucker-type chums invaded with mops, rubber gloves and Pine-sol. We waded into the kitchen and noticed a peculiar smell. After much timid searching (poke, back-up to see what jumps out, say "Oooo"), we discovered that someone had cooked a t.v. dinner and left it in the microwave before they left -- three days earlier. It was a serious science project, sort of a stinking mass of writhing goo, with creeping mold that had enveloped the interior of the oven. It was so disgusting that I took note of the brand for later revenge schemes.
While we stood there, gloved hands over our collective noses, one of our sucker-friends reached around me and filled the microwave full of the only spray-on cleaner we had -- bathroom "scrubbing bubbles." We gagged, slammed the door, and ran.
After about an hour, we gathered our courage and went back. After raking the ooze out, we wiped the thing down. It gleamed! It was so shiny that when we took a photograph (before and after shot, you know), there was a starburst where the flash bounced off of the clean metal. I was so amazed. I'm absolutely certain that the microwave was never this clean except maybe when it first came home from the store. Since that time, anytime I have a disgusting, dried-on mess, I go for the scrubbing bubbles. They clean almost anything, even better than oven cleaner.
I use 409 with orange oil...just spray it on and let it set for about 5 minutes then wipe. You may have to do this more then once. The orange oil will cut any grease that is in the oven.
baking soda mixed with water and allowed to boil for 30 sec in the microwave ..let stand for a minute and then begin wipe..because you dont say how many layers we are talking about it may take several times of this. It leaves no odors.
PUT IN A BIG GLASS OF WATER AND SET THE TIMER FOR AT LEAST TEN MINUTES LET THE STEAM FROM THE WATER SOFTEN THE BUILT UP MESS AND WIPE IT OFF WITH A SOFT CLOTH NEVER USE ANY CLEANING SOLVENT THATS TOO HARSH ON THE SURFACE. iT'S THE PERSCRIBED WAY FOR ALLMOST EVERY MICROWAVE AND IT MIGHT BE IN YOUR BOOK AS WELL.
Tiamet is correct with Scrubbing Bubbles. That stuff can clean anything. I have used it on carpet and furniture. It's great on dog pee or poop. I soak the spot, let it sit for 2-3 minutes and use a scrub brush. Then I repeat the process again for good measure.Removes the odors too.
I have used it virtually on everything in my house.
Pick Tiamat's answer! What a story, she sure deserves the points. Not only for the advice, but for being a wonderful daughter-in-law AND a great story teller. Thanks for leaving me rofl!!