Used vinegar trick, worked pretty well
Either the order is wrong or your doing cleaning wrong
Idk if this is it, but whenever I use my phone to stitch photos, its default is to order in reverse, so if I select 1,2,3 its order (top to bottom) is 3,2,1
I always silently judge, when they get the order wrong, and now I did it myself…

it was perfectly clean before, idk why you did that
Chronology is hard, I get it. But you’re supposed to microwave a soap-soaked sponge for cleaning, then microwave popcorn for eating.
I’m going to take this as evidence that OP travels through time in the opposite direction. From their perspective, the microwave was dirty, so they put a bunch of popcorn and a paper bag in it. All the mess jumped into the bag, and the microwave became clean.
I’m guessing somebody was a fan of Beastmaster back in the 90s?
Found Christopher Nolan!
I like to crack an egg into a coffee mug then set it in the microwave for 10 minutes.
When you hear a pop it’s ready to be cleaned.
I liked it better before
What’s the vinegar trick?
You put water and white vinegar in a bowl and microwave it. The steam will make it easier to clean and everything will smell of white vinegar overpowering any other odour.
⚠️ Edit: I think it’s worth mentioning that microwaving water can be dangerous and lead to serious burn injuries. There’s a U.S. FDA article about it here.
Specifically, microwave it until it boils. In case that wasn’t obvious.
It is worth noting that you should be careful about heating water in the microwave. If you’re using filtered water, and the container you’re using is very smooth, it’s possible to heat it beyond the boiling point, at which point agitating it can cause it to essentially explode. Ann Reardon talks about it in this video here, and like she also mentions in the video the U.S. FDA has warnings about it on their website here.
I clean my microwave once a month by using a cloth I’ve rinsed in hot water, and wrung out. If it’s particularly grimy I use some mild soap too.
Boil? Just enough to steam.
Wait until you find out how steam works
I’m just going by 100% of the instructions online, which all say “until it boils.”
Southern Living, The Kitchn, The Spruce, Good Housekeeping all say “boil”
Wirecutter doesn’t specifically say boil but it uses the same time that all the other sources do, which is 5 minutes. In my experience, two cups of water will easily boil in 4.5 minutes in most microwaves (cheap potatoes), so there you go. Vinegar or lemon juice isn’t far from water’s boiling temperature.
You can use lemon water as well. Both white vinegar and lemon acidic and have antimicrobial properties.
Whatever it is, I bet maids hate them for it.
Its just cleaning with extra steps.
In the majority of cases wiping it out will be quicker.

Fixed
rotate(180deg);
Dirt = falls
Problem = solved
Is there a afterandbefore community?
I think that’s just Australia.
Brother, you gotta clean that thing more often.
I bought a lid (looks like a dome) that I put over things in the microwave so the microwave stays clean.
Confused, did you clean with popcorn?
That glass plate lifts right out, fyi.
They don’t say it for us lazy folk, this calls for the dishwasher. While mine is too big to fit normally I can set it up on the side so it doesn’t block the rotating arm.
I’ve seen worse
Yeah. I’m not posting mine.
Most microwaves can be fixed easily – they are pretty much identical inside and the failures are well-documented – but it’s not a good idea to try without prior electronics experience. And yes, many end up trashed just because of this.
Edit: “this” meaning “grime”
You might have misread but this post is about cleaning
I could have been clearer but the last sentence of my comment does refer to cleaning. There’s plenty of working high voltage transformers in roadside microwave ovens either way.
And yes, many end up trashed just because of this.
Because of cleaning them?
e: oh, you mean because of the vinegar?
Sorry? I misunderstood. I don’t think heating vinegar a couple of times a year causes issues, right? Otherwise there should be warnings against German takeout?
It feels like vinegar in food would be more common than a few times heating a cup of it, right?
I think most people do this pretty rarely – or is that actually enough? I’m really curious now.
No, because they are dirty. People are so lazy they will often buy a new one instead of cleaning it.
You’re not making any sense. Your comments are still not about cleaning; nothing of what you say regards cleaning. I think you’re a bot that doesn’t understand what the context of this thread is about.
I’m saying that people throw out dirty microwaves because they are too lazy to get them cleaned.
a bot
Woah, let’s not jump to conclusions
I’m saying that people throw out dirty microwaves because they are too lazy to get them cleaned.
Okay, apologies for suspecting you for a bot, but that was not clear at all. The only interpretation of your comment in my mind is that people throw away their microwaves because they can’t fix the electronics inside, even after your explaining that you mean cleaning. There’s just no other way for me to interpret the words.
I challenge anyone to show me where there’s a reference to cleaning, and I will yield 😆
I was very tired when writing that, not realizing that “Lots od people would throw it out instead. Good job!” and only then going on the repairability rant would be way more effective.
What are you even talking about?
Heating up soup or water in a microwave to releases steam and is a normal use of a microwave. Doing it with vinegar gets rid of some smells and the steam makes dried on stuff easier to wipe out for cleaning.
This will not harm the microwave.
I’m saying that people throw out dirty microwaves because they are lazy.
That’s why I said long enough to stream but not boil. I just recently found out that too much moisture internally and door slamming are terribly bad for microwave ovens. So my question to you, mighty microwave mage, is reheating beverages and soup bad for my new microwave (it was old and the men in my family had a propensity for slamming doors while hurrying) and lemon water until steamy actively damaging my microwave?
mighty microwave mage
Thank you. I see you’ve read my comment on metal in a microwave.
Steam will condense on the metal chamber and cause corrosion, better wipe it every time. You can also fix a big bag of silica gel inside as a “reservoir” to regulate moisture levels: when heating something mostly dry, it will heat up and evaporate some of its accumulated moisture, and when heating steamy liquids, collect the moisture from saturated air.
As for slamming the door: door switches and latches are standard and cheap, and you can replace them without touching any high voltage parts.
Delightful! 👏👏👏
No, I hadn’t read it until now, but it was a fascinating read, thanks!
I know zed about electronics, so I’ll be respecting my ignorance and leaving that alone, but that’s good to know. I’m not sure what ailed my old one, but I suspect it was the door latch. It had begun with the plate turning after the timer beeped and food removed a year or so ago, but I hadn’t wanted to spend for another, then about a month later behaved normally again until a month ago. I put in some food for a fur baby and hit “add 30 seconds” and within five of those a huge “pop” and very bright flash. It looked like a fireball rather than an arc and scared the wind from me! I immediately unplugged the poor thing and warily opened the door. I looked at the same ceramic ramikan my pet always uses for wet food, stunned, and at the huge scorch-mark inside the microwave in dismay. My baby got kibble and cold wet food the rest of the week, until I got another microwave. In the betwixt time, I was researching in case there was some simple fix but couldn’t find the exact problem, so money was spent. With tariffs price-jacking, my $50 microwave went to the recycle center, and became a $100 new one. But you’ve delighted me with your calm replies amid the vitriol of confident incorrectness and clearly superior knowledge! I hearby dub thee the official Lemmy Microwave Mage, and thanks for the lesson! 🧙♀️🪄
Eta my atrocity of forgotten manners due to excitement strikes again! My apologies, and thanks so much for the silicone packet tip.
Buy a cover with magnets that sticks to the ceiling of the microwave. Then you just pull it down over your food
We just have a cover we put on the plate.
NEVER!!!














