The Self-Cleaning Microwave

Don't you wish your microwave had a self-cleaning function like your oven? I mean, microwaves get dirtier and more quickly than ovens, and are used twice as much. One thing I can't stand is a dirty microwave. I feel so yucky when I open up a microwave and get punched in the face with the smell of popcorn and garbage disposal, and then have to set my food in a box that looks like someone blew their chunks into. Of course, the best way to keep a microwave clean is to clean it after every food explosion. But sometimes the baby's crying, the pot's boiling over, the phone is ringing, and you're running late to the doctor's office, and you just can't get to it right then. Then, by the time you are able to get to it, the splattered food is plastered-stuck on to the walls of it. Bending 90 degrees over the counter with a scraper and a bowl of soapy water is not something anyone enjoys doing. Couldn't you just scream, "You made this mess, YOU clean it up!" at your microwave?

Fortunately, your microwave can help you with the hardest part of restoring it's cleanliness. Here's how:

After you're done washing dishes or wiping down the counter with your dishrag or sponge, rinse the remaining crumbs or grime off of it, then wring most, but not all, of the water out. Stick the dishrag in the microwave, and microwave it on high for three minutes. This sanitizes your dishrag and prevents it from getting smelly.

When the microwave beeps, carefully remove the dishrag (it will be very hot) and drape it over the faucet to let air dry. You will notice that your microwave is steamy and a lot of moisture has accumulated, thus soaking the hardened stuck on food.

Get one sheet of paper towel, and begin to wipe all the walls of the microwave (starting with the ceiling wall) and the microwave plate. You will notice that the messes glide right off. If needed, you can dampen the paper towel if some food is really stuck. Done!

So, there you go. You handed your microwave a wet rag and told it to get to work on cleaning up the mess it caused. AND, you sanitized your dish rag.