Microwave
Maintenance Tips

Cleaning your microwave is one of the best ways to ensure longevity for your microwave. One thing about food splatters and dirt in your microwave is that they can take away energy from the microwave and create spots that burn and can even damage the microwave itself. The best way to clean your microwave is with soapy water (while it’s turned off of course) or if it is really caked on, a microwave/oven cleaner can work well too. You can also steam clean the microwave much like you can with your oven by putting a bowl of water in the microwave and letting the steam that evaporates loosen the dirt on the inside.

Many types of dishware can cause fires, explosions, and sparks to fly in your microwave if you’re not careful, which can damage your microwave. This means it’s important to choose what dishware you put in your microwave carefully.

Items that should never go in the microwave are:

• Aluminium foil
• Metal cutlery or dishware
• Dishware with silver or gold decoration

Most ceramic, plastic, glass, and Perspex items are safe for the microwave but always check, as if it is safe it should have a label saying it is microwave safe. If you want to check, you can heat it up in the microwave for a minute and if it is really hot then it is probably safest to not use that for the microwave going forward.

The latch on the door of a microwave is actually a more complex mechanism than most people would think. We’ve all failed to treat the door of a microwave properly before whether it’s by slamming it or opening it before the timer is done. This can all gradually wear down the latch mechanism in your microwave. Some microwaves have safety switches that only allow the door to open once cooking is done, pulling it open too early may break this switch, so it’s a good idea to learn your microwave’s mechanism and treat it accordingly.