Odd/bad smell in microwave

[kayb]

Wondering if anyone else has this particular problem with their microwave. Periodically, mine will develop a bad smell, like something has possibly soured in it. I try to keep splatters and spills cleaned (using anti-bacterial wipes), but I don't use the thing a whole lot, and it will often go days without being opened. (Its chief use is to reheat coffee, melt butter, and occasionally warm up leftovers or nuke frozen veggies in the bag.)

 

Today, I reheated some coffee and got "the smell." So I pulled the carousel plate and little ring with wheels on it out, washed those, swabbed the entire interior out with a handful of antibacterial wipes, and left it standing open for most of the afternoon to air out.

 

Anyone else have this issue? Any fixes other than what I'm doing?

[Amy D.]

I have had this after warming/ splattering butter inside. Takes a decent clean with a warm damp cloth to decrease it properly

[kbjesq]

Also you can take 1/2 cup of plain vinegar in an uncovered bowl and nuke until it boils. Let stay in the microwave until it cools off. That will remove the smell. 

Or you can just put the vinegar in the micro overnight (uncovered). That works too. 

Lemon juice will also work but vinegar works better. 

[kayb]

Thanks, y'all!

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

The way I keep bad smells out of the microwave is by a thorough cleaning if I even suspect the husband has used it. 

 

I would be afraid that the corrosive properties of vinegar steam might get to some contacts or fan bearings or something. First I clean up any obvious spills or splatters. Then I put a pint Pyrex measuring cup full of water in there and bring it to a boil and let it sit until it has condensed on all the surfaces and then clean it again, including under the turntable. No chemicals or acids involved, and my microwave looks and smells like new inside although it's many years old.

 

The easiest way is to cover every single thing except water or coffee you put in there. It will concentrate the steam that's trying to escape and carry odors with it, heat your food faster and contain splatters. I try to convince my husband of this fact, but I catch him all the time putting stuff in there uncovered. I can always tell, even hours later. I've taken to putting leftovers in recycled containers from the smothered burritos he loves from Taco Bell, which have a snap-on cover. That has worked pretty well so far. I have microwave cover lids for dinner plates, but apparently that is too much bother, but if the lid is already snapped in place, he'll put it in there that way. The Taco Bell oval containers take up less space in the fridge, but can hold as much food as a dinner plate because they are deeper and have a domed lid that's flat on top. You can even stack lighter stuff on top of them. I might worry about the health implications of reheating in No. 5 PP plastic if this guy didn't reheat stuff in stryrofoam, which I have repeatedly begged him not to do. With him, it's whatever is easiest for him, so this solution works for both of us.

 

It's actually easier (less mess) to melt butter on the stove. At least with my microwave, it burns holes through it like a laser gun and splatters like crazy even at reduced power, and the clean up just isn't worth it to me.

 

Whatever you do, don't ignore even small splatters. They will get cooked again into something that is impossible to remove.

[weinoo]

I'd also leave it open a crack when not using, as I do with the Steam Girl. Inside cleaning with baking soda works nicely too.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

Several people have mentioned leaving the microwave open, but when mine is open even a crack, the latch which turns off the light bulb in there holds the door open and the light stays on. Wouldn't be a big deal, except there is no access panel to replace the bulb. I would hate to lose that helpful feature, and so I try to keep it closed. If I could replace the bulb without paying a repairman, I would go for that approach. I haven't had a problem with odors, and the exhaust fan system is really good on my Sharp Carousel unit. You should be able to feel a strong stream of air coming into the room when the oven is operating. I imagine if the fan were to quit, or the intake or output vents were restricted that could contribute to odors building up.