Q&A for How to Get Bad Smells out of a Microwave

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  • Question
    How can I freshen my microwave?
    Raymond Chiu
    House Cleaning Professional
    Raymond Chiu is the Director of Operations for MaidSailors.com, a residential and commercial cleaning service based in New York City that provides home and office cleaning services at affordable prices. He has a Bachelors in Business Administration and Management from Baruch College.
    House Cleaning Professional
    Expert Answer
    Fill a microwave-safe bowl with 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and half a cup of water and put the bowl inside the microwave. Turn the microwave on high for 5-minutes, and let the bowl sit for an additional 15 minutes. The steam will loosen up the debris and remove the odor in the microwave. You can then use a cloth to wipe the inside of the microwave.
  • Question
    How much water is needed for the baking soda method?
    Janice Tieperman
    Community Answer
    You’ll need 1 US quart (or 0.95 liters) of warm water to use the baking soda method.
  • Question
    How do I get the smell of fish out of my microwave?
    Janice Tieperman
    Community Answer
    Try replacing the smell with something sweeter, like berries. Cover a bowl of berries with plastic wrap and heat it up for several minutes.
  • Question
    How do i the smell of mildew
    Janice Tieperman
    Community Answer
    Try using baking soda to deodorize the microwave. Mix 5 teaspoons (25 mL) of baking soda into 1 US quart (0.95 L) of warm water to make a natural cleaning solution. Dip a sponge or rag into the mixture and wipe down your microwave to see if that will erase the smell of mildew.
  • Question
    How many WATTS does the microwave need to be for using coffee grounds?
    Janice Tieperman
    Community Answer
    You don’t need a specific wattage to heat up the coffee grounds. The wattage tends to indicate how powerful your microwave is. For instance, a 1500 W microwave is stronger than a 500 W microwave, so the 500 W mic would require more time to heat up the coffee grounds.
  • Question
    How do I get rid of a bad smell from vents?
    Janice Tieperman
    Community Answer
    Try microwaving a mixture of coffee grounds and water for several minutes. This might help a new scent to circulate through your vents. Other nice smelling items, like vanilla extract, can work for this as well.
  • Question
    What do I do if I've tried everything to get a bad smell out of a microwave, but nothing worked?
    Janice Tieperman
    Community Answer
    If no natural methods seem to work, try using a chemical cleaner designed specifically for the microwave, like Lysol or Pine-Sol.
  • Question
    Will apple cider vinegar work in place of white vinegar?
    Community Answer
    Yes, it works the same, but you might need to use more.
  • Question
    When talking about using coffee mixed with water to get rid of an odor in a microwave, does it mean coffee grounds or brewed coffee?
    Community Answer
    It's better to use coffee grounds, as they have not been diluted and have not lost their power.
  • Question
    How do I get rid of yellow in a burned microwave?
    Community Answer
    Place 4 teaspoons (20 ml) of white vinegar in a microwave-safe bowl with water, and microwave on high for six minutes. Leave the solution in the microwave to steam for an hour, then wipe the inside. Clean the microwave with soap and water.
  • Question
    Will coffee get rid of the smell of bacon?
    Community Answer
    No, cleaning the microwave with a cleaning agent strong enough to cut through the grease will do it. Get a washcloth, warm water, and dish soap. If the smell remains, leave an open box of baking soda inside the microwave for a few hours, then take it out; do not turn on the microwave while the baking soda is inside it.
  • Question
    What will get the terrible smell out of my microwave?
    Community Answer
    Put a bowl of baking soda and lemon juice with a little bit of water and then microwave it for 10 minutes.
  • Question
    Are there other ways besides vinegar to deodorize a microwave?
    Community Answer
    Vinegar is the recommended and most common way to deodorize a microwave, but there are others ways. You can put baking soda and water into a bowl and microwave it for a couple minutes - which not only cleans out the microwave itself, but cleans out odors.
  • Question
    Are these solutions also suitable for a microwave-oven combination?
    Community Answer
    Put a tablespoon of baking soda in a bowl filled with a cup of water. Microwave until boiling. Take a hot wet wash cloth and wipe out microwave. Repeat until clean.
  • Question
    How do you get cigarette smoke out of a microwave?
    Community Answer
    Use a fan directed into the microwave or wave/waft an open newspaper in front of the opened microwave -- the smoke should soon go. As for the smoke smell, the cleaning instructions in this article should do the trick.
  • Question
    If I cleaned my microwave with a chemical oven cleaner and now it smells like that foam, what can I do to get rid of it?
    Community Answer
    Leave it outside with the door open for a few days. If that doesn't work, you will have to buy a new one.
  • Question
    How can I get burned cherry pie smell out of my microwave?
    Community Answer
    My friend gave me his microwave because he couldn't get rid of the burnt smell and bought a new one. I used all the regular methods of cleaning the walls, so I figured the smell was in the vents. It takes time to get rid of that smoke smell, but what I did was buy a small battery-operated fan at the dollar store and put that in the microwave and closed the door. I pulled the plug to the microwave and left the fan in the microwave until the batteries died. This circulated the air out of the vents, and eventually the smell disappeared.
  • Question
    Clean microwave plugged in smells like it's burning. Does this mean it's going bad or it is wall plug that's bad?
    Maija Moraitis
    Community Answer
    To see if the wall plug is bad, check to see if it's hot. If it is, then that means the wall plug is bad and you'll have to replace it. If it's not hot, the best thing to do would to buy a new microwave or have it repaired professionally.
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