Microwaves are a familiar device in many families, especially for quickly heating food. However, because they are usually only used for a few minutes and then close the door, many people have a habit of leaving the microwave in a state of grease, food debris or food blisters for a long time.
According to experts, cleaning utensils and the kitchen environment plays an important role in limiting the risk of food contamination. Utensils that still contain food residue can become a place for microorganisms to grow if not cleaned regularly.
This can also be applied to microwave ovens. Food spills onto the walls, ceiling or bottom of the oven, if left for a long time, will dry out, forming stains that are difficult to clean. When continuing to use, steam and temperature in the oven can cause these impurities to continue to exist, and also cause unpleasant odors to appear.
For families who use the microwave regularly, the simplest way is to wipe immediately after heating the greasy or sauce-prone dishes.
If there are only a few minor stains, you can use a soft, damp cloth to wipe the entire oven compartment after the device has cooled. For dry, hard stains, you can put a suitable bowl of water in the oven and heat it for a short time so that the steam softens the stains, then wipe it again with a clean cloth.
Do not use sharp objects to scrape food stains as it can damage the inner surface. Also do not pour water or cleaning solution directly into the oven, especially at vents and electrical parts.
When cleaning the microwave oven, many people only wipe the bottom and sides of the oven but ignore the rotating disc, rotating ring, door inside and the top of the oven.
Rotating plates should be removed for separate washing if manufacturers allow. The gauze and door edges also need to be cleaned because these are places that easily accumulate grease and food debris.
If the oven smells of food for a long time, has a lot of plaque or the food is burned to charcoal, the family should clean it thoroughly before continuing to use it.
Kitchen utensils and avoiding cross-contamination are important factors in preventing foodborne diseases. When processing, families also need to pay attention to washing hands after contacting raw meat, seafood and uncooked food; utensils that come into contact with raw food need to be cleaned promptly.
Therefore, microwave cleaning should not be simply seen as a way to make the device "look cleaner". This is part of the habit of keeping the kitchen area clean.
There is no fixed time frame suitable for every family. If using the oven daily, you should check and wipe the oven compartment regularly, especially after heating greasy, sauce, or flammable dishes.
The simple principle is that if you see food splashing out, you should wipe it early, not let it accumulate into a layer of dirt over time.
