How to Get Rid of a Smell in Your Microwave
Short answer
A microwave smells because food has splattered onto the ceiling, walls, door, or under the turntable and keeps cooking every time you use it. Wipe everything, steam the inside with a bowl of water and lemon or vinegar, wash the turntable in the sink, and leave the door open to air out. For burnt popcorn, leave a bowl of baking soda or a charcoal bag inside overnight.
Quick steps
- Take out the turntable and its ring and wash them in hot soapy water.
- Heat a bowl of water with lemon slices or a spoonful of vinegar until it steams.
- Leave the door shut for 5 minutes, then wipe the ceiling, walls, floor, and door.
- Leave the door open for a few hours to air it out.
- For burnt smells, leave baking soda or a charcoal bag inside overnight with the microwave off.
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Why it smells
Every splatter on the ceiling, walls, or door gets reheated each time you use the microwave. Over time it dries, burns, and smells. Food also drips under the turntable where you don’t see it. Clean all of it before you try to absorb the smell.
1. Wash the turntable
Take out the glass plate and the roller ring underneath it. Wash both in the sink with hot water and dish soap, and wipe the floor of the microwave under where they sat.
2. Steam the inside
Put a cup of water in a wide microwave-safe bowl with a few lemon slices or a tablespoon of white vinegar. Heat it until it steams and the window fogs, usually 3 to 5 minutes. Leave the door shut for another 5 minutes so the steam softens the dried food.
The FDA warns that water heated in a microwave can get hotter than boiling without bubbling, then erupt when moved. Don’t overheat it, and let it stand before you take the bowl out with an oven mitt.
3. Wipe everything
Wipe the ceiling, walls, floor, and the inside of the door with a damp cloth. Scrub stubborn spots with a little dish soap. Clean the rubber or metal edge where the door meets the oven, because food collects there and stops the door sealing well.
4. Air it out
Leave the door open for a few hours. Open a kitchen window too, since a burnt popcorn smell spreads into the room and comes back into the microwave.
5. Absorb a burnt smell overnight
If a burnt smell is still there, put an open bowl of baking soda or an activated charcoal bag inside, close the door, and leave it overnight. Take it out before you use the microwave again. Never run the microwave with a charcoal bag inside.
Over-the-range microwaves
A microwave mounted over the stove also works as a range hood. It has a metal grease filter underneath, and models that blow air back into the kitchen also have a charcoal filter behind the top vent. A greasy grease filter or an old charcoal filter can make the whole kitchen smell. Wash the grease filter in hot soapy water and replace the charcoal filter as your manual says. For lingering kitchen smells, see how to get rid of cooking smells.
What to buy
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Activated charcoal odor bags
Moso Natural Air Purifying Bag, 200 g (4 pack)
Soaking up leftover smell in cars, closets, shoes, and small rooms once the source is gone. Unscented, so they don't mask one smell with another.
Good to know: Charcoal absorbs smell; it won't fix an ongoing source like a damp carpet or a spill under a seat.
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HEPA air purifier with carbon filter
Levoit Core 300 True HEPA Air Purifier
Smoke, pet, and cooking smells that hang in the air of one room, plus the dander and fine particles that come with them. The carbon layer handles odor; the HEPA layer handles particles.
Good to know: It cleans the air, not the walls, carpet, or furniture where smell is stored, so clean those first. Size it to the room and replace the filter on schedule. Avoid models that make ozone.
Check price on AmazonCommon questions
How long does a burnt microwave smell take to go away?
After a good clean and a night with baking soda or charcoal inside, most burnt popcorn smells are gone in a day or two. If it still smells after that, the smell is in the vent or filter, or the plastic inside was scorched.
What neutralizes a burnt smell?
Nothing cancels it out instantly. Remove the burnt residue, air the microwave and the room, and leave baking soda or activated charcoal inside to absorb what's left.
Why does my microwave smell weird even when it's clean?
If it smells like burning plastic or electrical, or you see sparks when it runs, stop using it and unplug it. The FDA says not to run a microwave whose door doesn't close properly or is damaged. Have it repaired or replaced.
Can I use both lemon and vinegar?
Yes, but you don't need to. Either one in water makes steam that softens the splatters so they wipe off. Lemon leaves a nicer smell behind.