Cleaning a smelly microwave oven. Any tips?

[sumi]

A few weeks ago DS sacrificed a packet of microwave popcorn in my almost brand new microwave oven. I sprayed it thoroughly inside with kitchen cleaner and scrubbed the oven to within an inch of it's life and I cleaned it quite a few times since, but it still smells when I cook something in there that makes steam. For example this evening I pre-cooked some potatoes in there before roasting them. When I opened the door I got hit with the smell of burnt popcorn.

Any ideas on what I can do to get that smell out for good?

 

[sumi]

Sorry I didn't update sooner. I put a bowl of diluted vinegar in the microwave after I cooked some potatoes in it, so it was hot and steamy (and smelly!) in there already. I cooked the vinegar for about 3 minutes and the burned popcorn smell seems to be gone I didn't get another whiff of it since. Thanks so much for the tip!

 

[moxies_chickennuggets]

Microwave a bowl of distilled vinegar maybe? Dilute in water half and half. Let it sit overnight. Or longer. The smell is all up in the unit, where you can't reach it to clean it.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Lemon, Lime, Orange or Grapefuit peels in the garbage disposal works to freshen both the sink drains and the whole kitchen.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I have used white vinegar to freshen up the couch - just spray it on and let it dry. The vinegar smell disappears and the couch no longer has that stale person/animal smell to it, it smells fresh. It even removed the urine smell from the dog bed that cat decided to use as a litter box for a week before I discovered it.

 

[Hinotori]

I always use the vinegar method for steam cleaning the microwave. I don't dilute it, but then the hot vinegar next helps clean the sink faucet.

For smell you can do water and lemon juice to help. Unplug (if you can) and leave the door open for a bit as well.

 

[sumi]

Thank you! I'm going to try the vinegar today and see how it goes.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Yay, glad the vinegar worked. I was going to suggest using vinegar also.

 

[moxies_chickennuggets]

I recently tried the half a lime and bowl of vinegar thing. Not only did it clean, the whole kitchen smelled good!

 

[YourRabbitGirl]

I would put a bowl of water with lemon juice instead of vinegar for a more citrus-y smell!