Laura McKenna’s In The Kitchen Tip: Cleaning Microwaves Without Chemicals


September 17, 2024 1:06 PM CDT
By: Laura McKenna
Supported by
There’s nothing nastier than a microwave with caked on gunk from one too many sauce explosions. Eww!
First, keep it from happening by getting yourself one of those domed microwave covers. It’s easy to throw those in the dishwasher or rinse them off in the sink (compared to scrubbing out the microwave after every plate you heat). They’re cheap and so worth it!
But in the meantime, let’s get your gross microwave sparkling clean with NO CHEMICALS (or hard work) REQUIRED.
Take a microwave safe bowl or glass and fill it with water. Heat it up in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. What that will do is create steam in the microwave that softens all the caked on crud that has splattered all over.
Remove the glass/bowl and with a wet rag, easily wipe away all the (now softened) splatters! Easy!
Want a fresh clean smell that’s not made from toxic cleaners, too? Add a couple squirts of lemon juice to the water before you heat it. Now you’ll have a lemony clean scent without lemony scented cleansers.
If you have a really grimy mess, just heat the water again and those splashes and splatters should wipe off with the second go. Rinse your rag between wipings and that will help too so you aren’t smearing around the same goop.
And that’s it! It’s so simple. Because otherwise you’ll be spraying cleaner and wiping and spraying more cleanser and complaining and your microwave still might not be spotless. Plus, the less chemicals near your food, the better!
Want to contact Laura McKenna about In The Kitchen cleaning tip or anything else that’s on your mind? Email anytime, she’d love to hear from you: [email protected]
And tune in weekdays starting at 10am to St. Croix Country & WCFW!
More Articles By Laura McKenna

12.10.25
Recall Alert: Crayola Magnetic pip-Cubes
If your kids have these or you were planning on wrapping one for Christmas, there’s a recall because the magnets could come loose. CreateOn Crayola-branded pip-Cubes are magnetic building cubes sold in Bold Colors and Glitter in sets of 24 or 27 cubes. The Bold Colors cubes are red, green, blue and yellow. The Glitter […]
Read More >

12.08.25
Movie Monday: Inside the Golden Globes movie nominations
The 83rd annual Golden Globes will be held on January 11th, hosted by comedian Nikki Glaser. They’ll air on CBS and stream on Paramount+. Jacob Elordi, Amanda Seyfried, and Jeremy Allen White were all double nominees for their acting in both film and television categories. I wasn’t a fan of Sinners (2025) but that movie earned […]
Read More >

12.03.25
Recall Alert: Shredded Cheese
More than 1.5 Million bags of shredded cheese has been recalled due to potential metal contamination. The bags were sold at major retailers like Walmart, Aldi, Target and other stores in the area (as well as stores across the US & Puerto Rico). The affected products include five different styles of shredded cheeses sold in […]
Read More >

12.01.25
Movie Monday: Wicked Part 3-The Prequel?
Wicked fans, don’t put your pink and green too far back into the closet because you might need it again. I’ve heard there is a new prequel book in the works from the author who penned the “Wicked Years” series. And you know Hollywood- if there is money to be made, they’re going to keep […]
Read More >




