How to Clean a Microwave with a Lemon

If you missed the introduction to How to Clean a Microwave, go read it now before you continue reading the lemon and lemon juice cleaner methods detailed below.
Not only is a dirty microwave unpleasant to look at, but it can also transfer foul odors to the food being cooked inside it, and harbor bacteria and germs.  The most frequent answer people give for why their microwaves are so dirty is that they don’t know how to properly clean them.  Cleaning a microwave is easy, and we’re going to help today by offering several different methods for how to get yours in tiptop shape.
First, follow the Preliminary Steps 1-5 here, then choose one of the following two methods:

How to Clean a Microwave with a Lemon

1. Cut a lemon in half length-wise.
2. Take a plate (safe for use in the microwave) and fill with water about 1/2 cm deep.
3. Put both halves of lemon on the plate with the flat sides down in the water.
4. Turn on the microwave for 1-2 minutes (adjust time depending on wattage of the microwave- you want the water to create steam on the walls).
5. Remove plate and lemons from microwave.
6. Hold half of the lemon in your hand (you may need an oven mitt depending on how hot the lemon is). Using the lemon like a sponge, scrub the walls, ceiling and floor of the microwave to loosen up all of the food articles.
7. Discard the used lemons.
8. Using a damp sponge, finish wiping down all surfaces inside the microwave.
9. Leave the door of the microwave open to allow the inside to air dry.
10. Once dry, replace the glass tray.

How to Clean a Microwave with Lemon Juice

1. Fill a microwave safe bowl or container with 1/4 lemon juice and 3/4 water.
2. Put the bowl into the microwave and turn on for 2 to 3 minutes, until a lot of steam appears inside.
3. Remove the bowl and wipe all the food off of the walls with a damp sponge.
4. Once the food particles have been removed, dip the sponge into the lemon juice mixture from the bowl, and finish wiping down all surfaces inside the microwave.
5. Leave the door of the microwave open to allow the inside to air dry.
6. Once dry, replace the glass tray.

Read our other microwave cleaning tips in the How to Clean a Microwave guide to get your microwave spotless in no time!