Oops...!?
Question:Well, I just blew my microwave up. haha...
No, I was just melting some cheese on toast in my microwave, and instead of pressing 20 secs, I pressed 20 minutes. I didnt realise this, and completely forgot about it. Until I smelt burning... then I thought my house was burning down!
I opened my microwave and it was completelyt yellow and brown inside. The toast is like a tiny patch of charcoal, and my house has been smelling (even from outside) ever since. Mum just came home and after a bit of a yell, she told me that the whole microwave is ruined now. We have to buy a new one. I am convinced it will be fine. It still works, but mum thinks that any food we cook in it will turn out smelling burnt. Even after cleaning it, the colour is still yellow and brown. Can we still use it, or do we need a new one?
I feel so bad... hahaha!!
Answers:
If you put a big (microwave safe) bowl of water with a large sliced lemon in it and microwave it for 5-10 minutes, the entire microwave oven will steam up, the lemons will assist in cleaning and removing the smell.
If you are trying to remove the yellowing try using some Jiff/Gumption to clean it up first, then rinse the gumption off with clean warm water with two or three cap fulls of apple cider vinegar first.
The apple cider vinegar will help remove any chemical residue from the Jiff/Gumption and will also assist in removing the smell.
Afterwards you may have to steam your microwave a few times with lemon and water (its good to do this once a week regardless of whether you have burnt something in the microwave).
As long as the inside of the microwave did not actually catch on fire, it should be fine. After thoroughly cleaning it, leave the door open to let the air flow and dry it out.
With regard to the 'burnt' smell in your house. If you wash your floors with a little cider vinegar and water and wipe you benches/table tops down with the same solution (you can add a little lemon juice for a fresher smell) - then air out your house by opening up your windows - it should be fine.
Next time watch your food while its cooking and choose an appropriate setting.!
Also any smoke residue on the ceiling of your kitchen can be removed with cider vinegar, lemon juice and water!
It's probably going to stink for a while..and it won't ever look the same again. Try and boil a cup of vinegar water for a few minutes, let it get really good and steamy in there and sit for a while. Then wipe it down well, this may help some with the odor.
**Put the mix in the mic and set it for about 5 minutes. Let it boil away in there and then let it sit to steam..also cool DON'T TOUCH THE CUP IF ITS BOILING**
I agree with the other guy, vinegar may work but if not, try lemon juice in water. It should be fine and you can still use it. If you decide to get rid of it, give it to someone that really needs it like Goodwill or something so it's not just a waste!
That is by far the funniest thing I have read all day too. I know what you mean about completely forgetting about it too. I do it all the time but never as bad as this! lol. Good luck!
I have used lemon juice and baking soda to clean up stinky microwaves. It foams up when you combine the two but after it works great.
I'm a real nut about keeping my microwave clean from spills and spatters. I use a spatter shield, paper towels and plastic wrap to keep the foods I cook from erupting all over the inside of my oven. I also wipe my microwave out with a damp cloth and a dry towel after each use.Even so, sometimes food gets burned, and the result is an unpleasant lingering odor. Or, you cook a certain food in your microwave oven and it smells funny afterwards. No matter what the cause is, if your oven smells less than clean, then you need to find out how to get rid of food odors in your microwave!
A Word of Caution: You should never, ever use a wet, sloppy sponge or cloth to clean your microwave oven out with. Nor should you use a rough scratcher that can mar or damage the surface. Only use a damp sponge or cloth and soapy water to wash your oven. Then rinse with tap water.
Apple Cider Vinegar is a natural product that has a thousand different uses. When it comes to removing the stink from your microwave, vinegar comes to the rescue again! For light odors, try wiping the inside of your microwave out with a 50/50 solution of vinegar and tap water. Rinse with tap water and then wipe the inside dry with a soft, clean towel. Finally, leave the door open and let your microwave air out.
If that method doesn't get rid of the food odors in your microwave oven, then try another natural remedy: open up a fresh box of baking soda and place it inside your oven. Close the door and let the soda absorb the odors for a couple days. This should do the trick. If it doesn't, then you have a stubborn odor that doesn't want to go away. In that case, you can safely repeat this process a couple more times. Sometimes fishy or burnt odors tend to hang on and it takes some time to get rid of them.
Another method you can use to get rid of odors in your microwave is to mix up a half cup of lemon juice with a cup of tap water in a microwave-safe dish. Place the dish inside your oven and heat the liquid for a couple minutes on the "high" power setting. Carefully remove the dish, then leave the door open to allow the inside to air out.
And finally, if none of these methods work for you, and your microwave oven is still under the warranty, I would call the company's customer service department. Even though I'm a "do-it-yourselfer", I wouldn't take the oven apart to find out if the cause of the odor resides there. First, doing so will void any existing warranty. Second, inside every microwave oven is a high voltage capacitor that can kill you with its power. So, think twice before you delve into the inner workings of your microwave oven in an effort to try to get rid of food odors.
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