Caked-on microwave food can loosen without hard scrubbing; boil 6 tablespoons of baking soda in 1 cup of water, then let it cool inside

Most of us treat our microwave like our group chats: necessary, frequently used, and poorly maintained. The bowl of macaroni and cheese that erupted last Tuesday is still around, a delicate stalactite of congealed cheese on the appliance's ceiling. You've tried to remove it with a fork and battled a Brillo pad, but it continues to elude your efforts.

Turns out you are fighting a lost battle, because the key to removing stubbornly stuck-on food from a microwave lies in steam, according to a University of Illinois article. The food safety experts there recommend boiling six tablespoons of baking soda in one cup of water in the microwave and allowing the mixture to cool, all while leaving the oven’s door closed.

Why scrubbing isn't the answer


When food is left to dry on a surface, the best way to remove it is not by force. Scrubbing it will eventually dislodge the bits of dried food, but it will also scratch the surface; imagine taking time out of your busy schedule, only to end up potentially ruining a manicure. Instead, boiling a baking soda solution and releasing the steamy goodness into the microwave will loosen the residue, so that the cleaning can be done with minimal effort.

This method is not a lifestyle blogger's home remedies dream; it's actually recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which pairs the baking soda method with an alternative: half a cup of lemon juice mixed into the same one cup of water. Both solutions will loosen up residue and get rid of odors in the microwave, so it's no surprise that two government agencies are big on it.

Why this should matter

You may be thinking that it's just a microwave, and even if there are germs and bits of leftover spaghetti, it's not as if the microwave is a sterile surgical suite. That instinct is worth checking: a 2013 NSF International Household Germ Study, still one of the most frequently cited home-hygiene surveys on this topic, found that common kitchen appliances like microwaves were hosts to bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, and mold. In fact, the microwave keypad was believed by study participants to be the messiest part of the kitchen, but it was merely a contender for the title. It's worth noting that the keypad is an exterior, touch surface: a separate concern from the interior ceiling and walls the steam method targets, since a closed microwave's steam never reaches outside the cavity. Still, the appliances we use and neglect to clean are proven to be more germ-prone than people assume.

The method, in layman's terms

If you want to try the wonder method yourself, you will need to mix six tablespoons of baking soda with one cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Once you've heated the mix until it is boiling, you must let it cool while the door is closed. After it has cooled, you can wipe the inside clean with a damp cloth or a paper towel. The FSIS warns against using steel wool, scouring pads, and other cleaners on microwaves, so keep that in mind next time you are in a hurry and contemplating whether to scrub furiously or use a recommended cleaner.

You will be surprised to see just how much steam is needed to loosen up the food, and even more surprised that there isn't a special cleaning product required to wipe it away. The combination of baking soda and boiling water is simple, practical, and doesn't involve throwing away any of the products you already own. It won't fix the fact that you still haven't cleaned the dishes from last night, but it might help you feel better about that microwave.