A microwave oven should last around 7-10 years, but some people find that they have to replace their microwave once every 4 or 5 years. It’s mostly because of the heavy use combined with poor maintenance. One of the most important steps of maintaining a microwave is to clean it and this is how to clean your microwave properly, in order to make it last longer.
Be Quick
When you’re using your microwave to prepare your food, sometimes you could spill something. When this happens, don’t wait another second to clean it up, preferably using a sponge that could absorb liquid. This is important because if you let food debris stay inside the microwave and turn it on, they will get cooked and then stuck, making it very hard to clean.
You might think that stuck food debris could be removed by using solid stuff like a spoon or a knife. Yes, you could do that, but while doing it, you could accidentally damage the inside of your microwave which will be expensive to repair.
Clean the Filter
Not only the inside of the microwave, you also need to pay attention to the grease filter. This part is easy to forget since it is usually located on the underside of the microwave. But if you let your grease filter with too much grease and make it gunky, your microwave will run less effectively and efficiently. Not only that, this could also impose a fire hazard.
The filter beneath your microwave is easy to slide out in order for you to clean it. Use a pair of rubber gloves, soak the filter with hot water and degreasing detergent. Do this once in a while to make sure your microwave’s filter is always clean.
Turn On the Exhaust Fan
Microwaves are equipped with an exhaust fan while on. Some people don’t use this or just forget, but that could cause the moisture from the cooking process to rise from the pots or pans to the electronic parts of the microwave. This could affect and shorten your microwave’s life span. To avoid this, turn on the exhaust fan and if there’s moisture, use soft cloth or paper towels to wipe it off.
Those are the three things you should do in cleaning your microwave oven to make sure it lasts as long as possible.