How to Remove Smoke Smell From a Microwave Oven

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Things You'll Need

  • Microwave-safe bowl

  • Water

  • Baking soda

  • Cloth or sponge

  • Lemon juice or a whole lemon cut in half

  • 3 to 5 whole cloves

  • White vinegar

Burning food in the microwave leaves behind a smokey odor.

Microwaves are a convenient way to heat food. Just as with a stove, food can overcook in a microwave. When that happens, you end up burning the item and leaving a nasty odor inside your microwave. Microwave odors can linger long after the food has been burnt. These odors can latch onto other foods cooking in the microwave and even fill your home with an unpleasant aroma. Fortunately, removing the odors from your microwave is a relatively simple process that can be accomplished with a few household items.

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Baking Soda

Step 1

Fill a microwave-safe bowl with 1 cup of water. Add 2 tbsp. of baking soda.

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Step 2

Place the bowl inside the microwave.

Step 3

Cook the mixture on high for 3 minutes. Remove the bowl from the microwave.

Step 4

Wipe the inside of the microwave with a damp cloth.

Lemon Juice

Step 1

Fill a microwave-safe bowl with water. Add a few drops of lemon juice or a lemon chopped in half to the water. Place 3 to 5 whole cloves into the bowl.

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Step 2

Place the bowl inside the microwave. Cook for 2 minutes. The water will need to be boiling.

Step 3

Allow the bowl to sit inside the microwave for 15 minutes. This will allow the steam from the water to remove the smoke odor and help clean the inside of the microwave.

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Step 4

Open the door and remove the bowl. Saturate a sponge or cloth in the water and wipe the inside of the microwave.

Step 5

Keep the microwave door open for several hours.

Vinegar

Step 1

Fill a microwave-safe bowl with white vinegar.

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Step 2

Cook the vinegar inside your microwave for 3 minutes so that begins to boil. Vinegar is a natural deodorizer and will remove the smoke smell from your microwave.

Step 3

Leave the bowl to sit inside the microwave for 20 minutes.

Step 4

Wipe the inside of the microwave with a damp sponge.

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