How to get rid of burning smell in the microwave

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to follow the cooking process in a microwave oven, and then smoke appears from the oven. And along with it comes the smell of burning and the not entirely pleasant aromas of burnt food.

As you know, the smell of burning is absorbed faster and deeper than others into all surfaces and it is then that it is so difficult to remove.

In addition, an unpleasant odor in a microwave oven can be caused when cooking dishes made from fish or heavily flavored with garlic, as well as in cases where bread is burnt.

Lemon

A widely used method to get rid of burning smell in the microwave is to use lemon.

Lemon juice is squeezed into a bowl and placed on a microwave turntable. Set to maximum power and heat for 10-20 minutes. As the juice evaporates, together with condensation, it removes unpleasant odors from the microwave.
Pour water into a bowl and cut lemon into small slices (it is also recommended to use citrus fruits such as lime and grapefruit). The power and time of the procedure are set to the same. As in the previous method.
Cut the lemon into slices on a saucer and heat with a glass of water for 10 minutes.

After using any of the procedures, you must wait until the microwave has cooled down. Then wipe off any condensation that has settled on the walls with a soft cloth. Leave the oven door open for a while.

How to remove odor from a microwave oven using chemicals

In cases of particularly complex odorous contaminants that cannot be removed with improvised means, you can use substances with an aggressive composition. The best way to remove odors from your microwave is with sprays and gels designed to combat grease.

Sanita

Sanita spray is designed to remove stubborn deposits that emit an unpleasant odor on kitchen and sanitary surfaces. It can also be used to clean the microwave. The product is sprayed onto the walls directly or first applied to a rag, and then the oven chamber is wiped. It is enough to leave the composition on the surfaces for just a couple of minutes and then rinse with water.

Sanita dissolves dried-on grease with an unpleasant odor faster than household products

Synergetic

A gel product with a natural composition removes any odorous contaminants well. The walls of the unit are treated with the substance using a dish sponge, after 510 minutes the microwave is wiped until clean and dried with a rag.

Hypoallergenic Synergetic is as safe as possible for kitchen appliances

Mister Muscle

Mister Muscle for the kitchen is suitable for removing odors in the microwave, and also removes dried-on food debris, plaque and grease from the walls of the microwave chamber. Use the product in the same way as similar substances - pour a small amount of solution onto a rag or spray the spray inside the kitchen unit.

Mister Muscle contains antibacterial components and is especially good at fighting odors

Activated carbon

You can get rid of the burning smell in the microwave using activated carbon. Crush a couple of packages of coal to a fine powder and scatter on a large dish. Close the oven door tightly and leave overnight. The next morning there will be no trace of the unpleasant smell.

Use of aromatic herbs

One of the popular ways to remove odor from the microwave is to use an herbal infusion. You will need mint, thyme, lemon balm, lavender. Boil the infusion in the microwave for about 25–30 minutes. Leave inside until completely cool. Instead of a burnt smell, the microwave will exude the aromas of fresh water meadows.

Causes of odor

Every owner of a microwave oven experiences an unpleasant odor. Typically, the aroma appears a few months after purchase, but the exact timing depends on how often the unit is used and what is heated in it.

In some cases, the smell can only be felt when the door is opened, in others it comes even from a closed microwave oven. An unpleasant odor can be caused by several reasons:

The appliance is often used to heat strong-smelling dishes, such as fish, vegetables with hot spices and garlic.
When cooking food, do not use a special protective cover for the microwave oven. In this case, pieces of food from an open plate may fly apart and settle on the walls, and then burn when the unit is turned on again.
The fan in the microwave oven is too weak and does not cope with the task of freshening the air. In this case, the aroma of food lingers in the chamber of the unit after any dishes and accumulates over time.
When using a microwave oven, food is often overheated to the point of burning. In this situation, a sharp and persistent unpleasant aroma quickly appears.

For whatever reason, the microwave oven chamber begins to smell, the problem can be easily removed with home remedies.

Washing the microwave with a simple damp sponge usually does not remove odors.

Toothpaste with mint or menthol

Many housewives have noticed that toothpaste eliminates odors from the microwave and effectively cleans its internal surface. The method includes the following steps: squeeze a little paste from the tube onto a sponge and treat all areas of the microwave, excluding those with holes. Leave for 3-4 hours without closing the door. When the time is up, prepare an aqueous solution with the addition of detergent. Wash off any remaining paste with the solution. Wipe dry. After the procedure, the microwave will shine clean and fresh.

Recommendations and preventive measures

The microwave oven inevitably begins to smell even if you carefully care for the device. But if you follow simple rules, the odor will not appear so quickly, and it will be easier to remove it:

Fatty foods and frozen semi-finished products, when heated in the microwave, “shoot” hot splashes into the walls of the device. When processing such food, it is especially recommended to use a special hood.
After each use of the microwave, the chamber should be left slightly open. This way, fresh food aromas can naturally escape from the confined space and won't stay there for long.
You need to wipe the inside of the microwave oven chamber a couple of times a month, even with minor dirt. Timely prevention does not take much time and at the same time allows you to remove the unpleasant aroma in the first stages of its appearance.
When using the device, you need to keep an eye on your food and, if necessary, remove it from the microwave ahead of time so that it does not burn.

If, after heating the food, the walls are still splashed and the oven begins to smell, the device must be cleaned urgently. In this case, the aroma from the food will not have time to properly settle in the microwave chamber.

Prevention measures

Preventing negative consequences is always better than dealing with them later. If many people used to say that a clean stove in the kitchen is the face of a good housewife, today this saying can be applied to any owner of a microwave oven.

To prevent unpleasant odors from appearing inside the oven, just follow simple rules.

Cook and heat foods in a special thick-walled microwave-safe container that has a glass lid.
Do not heat the finished dish, especially if it is liquid for more than a couple of minutes in the open state.
When placing food in the microwave, it is best to monitor the process through the window, since the operating speed of a microwave oven is several times higher than the same procedure in a conventional oven.
Do not place paper or cardboard packaging on heating as this will cause a fire. An open fire or sparks can not only lead to a persistent burning smell, but also damage the electronic mechanism of a household appliance.
If after use there are food particles or a strong odor left in the microwave, it is better to immediately wipe all the walls with detergent and leave the door ajar for several hours.
Before attempting to remove odor from your microwave, you must thoroughly clean all visible dirty areas.

Important! Cleaning with aggressive products containing abrasives or chlorine is prohibited. Hard particles can damage the coating, and chlorine vapors can cause an allergic reaction.

Harmful bacteria that multiply on food debris preserved on the walls when splashed, as well as burning odors can ruin any fresh dish. Do not allow them to remain inside the oven.

Using household chemicals

If, due to carelessness, a dish was left in the microwave longer than expected, resulting in smoke and a burning smell, then you will probably have to use household chemicals. At the same time, liquid detergents such as Fairy or a solution of laundry soap are sufficient for regular maintenance. But if there is an emergency in the kitchen with severe burning, then stronger “players” come into play.

On the shelves of hardware stores there is a large list of anti-grease products. However, first of all, you should pay attention to the presence of abrasive particles that can damage the walls of the furnace, and subsequently lead to an electric spark and fire.

It is best to use special cleaning products that can be used daily without harm to health ( Oven Cleaner , Bon , HG ). Such chemicals not only will not cause harm, but will also leave behind a pleasant, fresh aroma. If cleaning is carried out using more aggressive agents (Cif), then after removing greasy stains you will have to additionally wipe the surfaces with clean water.

Important! The most effective is the use of special sprays, as they are easy to apply and penetrate into hard-to-reach places.

Owners of steam generators are the luckiest of all. After all, in order to rid the microwave of the smell, it is enough to clean the surfaces with steam under medium pressure with the power turned off. During the procedure, not only will any remaining food or unpleasant odor be removed, but at the same time an antiseptic treatment will take place. The microwave oven must be completely dry before turning it on.

Why do odors appear?

An unpleasant odor can appear in a microwave for a variety of reasons. And when this happens, when you open the door, sometimes you don’t want to use it at all. A persistent “aroma” in the stove occurs due to constant violations of the rules not only for preparing dishes, but also for using the device. The main causes of the problem:

food stains on the inner walls of the microwave, which are again and again subjected to temperature heating and, of course, deteriorate;
incorrectly set cooking time, as a result of which the food burns;
preparation of specific products, for example, fish, lamb, offal, garlic, onions, radishes;
using the device without a special lid, the absence of which leads to drops of fat and food debris appearing on the walls of the microwave;
lack of systematic cleaning of the microwave even in the absence of visible stains or deposits.

What means will harm the equipment?

It is prohibited to clean the internal panels of kitchen electrical appliances with piercing, cutting or sharp objects. Damaged factory coating cannot be replaced by painting the panel even with special aerosols.

How to quickly remove burning smell from a microwave

Do not use metal scrapers and scourers, abrasive powders or detergents containing caustic compounds, acids, or toxic substances.

The use of detergents containing chlorine should be avoided.

Herbs and water

Herbs used in cooking or brewing tea are found in almost every kitchen. As a rule, to remove burning odor the following are used:

Mint.
Thyme.
Lavender.
Their combinations.

These herbs do an excellent job of eliminating unpleasant stench. As a bonus, during the procedure the apartment is filled with the wonderful aroma of a summer field and flowers.

Instructions:

Pour boiling water over the herbs.
Place them in the device.
Set the heating temperature to the highest setting and the timer for 30 minutes.
When finished, wipe the walls dry with a rag or dry wipes.
The procedure is repeated as necessary.

What to do

As mentioned earlier, the most optimal and frequently used option is to thoroughly wash your device.

You have two options: either purchase products in the store that are specifically designed to eliminate both odors and dirt, or use improvised products, which in turn are cheaper and require less time to implement.

What speaks in favor of household chemicals is that manufacturers purposefully developed its composition, adding only those components that are guaranteed not to harm the special coating of the internal walls of the microwave.

Such products are sold in the form of pastes, sprays or liquids. They are easy to use and can be used in other areas, such as cleaning ceramic or metal surfaces. They do not contain aggressive or abrasive substances.

The method for using them is quite simple:

A certain amount of detergent is applied inside the oven. Depending on the manufacturer and purpose of the product, it is either diluted with water or applied in its pure form, spreading evenly over the walls;
The treated surface is not washed off for several hours so that the chemical elements can fully carry out their work, dissolving the stains;
After the measured time, all the product is removed with a sponge soaked in warm water or a special cloth. It is important that both the sponge and the napkin are soft so as not to damage the protective layer of the walls.

It is possible to use dishwashing detergent diluted in water.

How to get rid of odors in a microwave oven?

Two types of odors remain in the microwave - from food residues and from specific products. The methods for removing them are very similar.

Methods for removing odors from specific products

Residual amber from garlic, dairy products or fish is absorbed by the surface of the oven so much that it remains for another 4-5 days . Users know how best to remove odor from your microwave.

Traditional methods

There are several of the most popular ones.

Soda solution

2 tsp. soda is diluted in 50 ml of water.
A cotton pad is soaked in the solution.
Use a swab to thoroughly wipe the inside of the microwave.
The product is left for 60 minutes.
The procedure is repeated.

Important! After repeated treatment, the soda solution is removed with the soft side of the sponge.

Natural coffe

Prepare unsweetened brewed coffee.
Soak a cotton pad in the drink.
Wipe the interior surfaces of the stove.

Important! Do not use sweet coffee - it will leave a sticky layer on the surface.

Spices

How to quickly remove the smell of specific food from the microwave? Use lavender, thyme, lemon balm or oregano. Spices are placed in a glass container with water, which is placed in a microwave oven. You need to set the device to maximum power and boil the broth for 25-30 minutes. The product should remain inside until it cools down.

Lemon and water

Fill a small bowl with water.
Add a few drops of dish soap and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon.
Place the container in the microwave.
Set maximum power.
Heat the liquid for 10 minutes.
Leave the door open overnight to dissipate the smell faster.

Baking soda

Vinegar

Lemon wedges

Coffee

Frying lemon slices

1 lemon is cut into equal slices and placed on a flat dish. The slices are fried for 4-5 minutes. Do not leave the microwave so that the lemon does not ignite during the drying process.

Activated carbon

You will need 10-12 tablets of the drug, which are thoroughly crushed. The coal is placed in a bowl and placed in the stove for 12 hours.

Vinegar

A solution is prepared from 9% vinegar in a proportion of 100 g per 1 liter of water. The mixture is wiped from the inside of the stove and left in the open position for 5 minutes. After treatment, the microwave oven is washed with water. The second method is boiling for 3-4 minutes with similar processing.

Interesting to know! Vinegar not only removes odors from the microwave, but also disinfects it.

Special means

How to effectively remove ingrained odor from the surface of a microwave oven if traditional methods do not help? Try special products:

Mister proper. The product is suitable for ovens and microwaves, removes fat and makes the aroma fresh from the inside. It is sprayed onto the walls of the equipment and left for 5 minutes. Residues are washed off with a kitchen sponge;
Anti-fat Chistyunya. The potent product is evenly distributed throughout the interior. Active particles will remove odors within 10 minutes. The composition must be removed with a sponge without streaks;
Amway, On Cleaner. Soda-based cleaning products are used in a similar way. The aroma remains for a long time.

Advice! To prevent the product from damaging the skin of your hands and the vapors from damaging your mucous membranes, work in a medical mask and gloves.

Removing odor from leftover food

Food particles and residual fat are difficult to remove, but some folk recipes and special products will help you with this.

Traditional methods

Simple but effective techniques

Water and food

The inside of the device is thoroughly wiped.
Water is filled into a glass or other glass container.
The container is heated for 5-6 minutes.
The stove is wiped again.
After this, you can prepare a delicious dish.

Important! It is better to leave the stove in the open position overnight or for 7-8 hours.

Milk and sugar

A solution is prepared from 500 ml of milk and 3 tbsp. l. Sahara.
The composition is boiling.
The door is left open for 30 minutes.
The inner surface is wiped with a vinegar solution.

Advice! For 1 liter of water, take 1 tsp. 9% vinegar.

Ground coffee

Ground coffee is poured onto a flat dish. It stays inside the oven for 24 hours. Old and pungent odors disappear after 2-3 days.

Mint toothpaste

The product effectively cleanses the surface of grease and ingrained odors. It is applied to the surface and remains there for 3-4 hours, and then washed off with a damp sponge or cloth.

Advice! Instead of mint toothpaste, you can use menthol.

Composition of milk and sugar boiling

Toothpaste

Special means

From the entire range of products, the following are suitable for removing odors from leftover food:

Sutter. The product is designed to clean old dirt and specific odors from refrigerators and microwaves. It does not need to be washed off;
Amway. Soda cleaner leaves a good scent for a long time.
Silit Bang and Forte Plus. Liquid products are intended for heavily soiled surfaces;
Grizzly. Removes very old odors of grease and decomposition products. It has a strong chemical aroma, so ventilate the microwave for 24 hours;
any dishwashing liquid. 1-2 drops dissolve in 1 tbsp. water. The container is placed inside. The microwave should boil the composition for 5 minutes. Pieces of food are removed with a sponge.

Important! The compounds are applied only to the inner surface and removed with a soft sponge.

How to clean a microwave using lemon and citric acid?

Food grade citric acid and lemon are a panacea in the fight to keep many kitchen appliances clean. It’s worth remembering about them first of all, because these ingredients successfully cope with a variety of problems: they clean, disinfect and neutralize odors. Lemon juice or a solution of citric acid will soften and remove impurities, leaving behind a light, pleasant aroma, which, gradually disappearing, will create an aura of purity. It’s easy to prepare a cleaning solution:

Dissolve 10 g of citric acid or the juice of half a lemon in a bowl of water.
Boil the mixture for about five minutes, setting the stove to maximum power.
At the end of the procedure, carefully wash the walls of the device and allow it to dry.