How to Maintain Your Microwave Oven?

When shopping for a microwave, every shopper hunts for top quality and trusted products to ensure efficiency and longevity. However, this is only the first step, proper maintenance measures must be taken so the earlier efforts don’t go waste.

The best form of maintenance has always been preventive maintenance. In this article, we’re going to walk you through the various steps to be taken to ensure you get your money’s worth out of your microwave. 

Tips to Maintain Microwave Oven

Keep it clean

As simple as it sounds, keeping your microwave clean at all times is one of the most effective ways of keeping it in good working condition. Both the inner and outer parts of your microwave should be wiped from time to time.

The liquid and other food particles that are left in the microwave after every use eventually lead to rust, stubborn stains, and unfriendly odors. These leftovers are also capable of absorbing energy from your microwave while in use and this may lead to damage causing burns. 

Dirt on the exterior of your microwave can affect its look and might even damage the controls.

A warm wash is advised in a case of stubborn spots.

Placement Is Key

Before getting a microwave you should ensure you’ve enough space to accommodate the size you’re getting. 

Also, it should be kept in a convenient and safe spot. It is not very advisable to place your microwave oven over the range as it can be unsafe going over hot stoves to access it.

Use A Surge Suppressor

A sudden surge in the power supply can cause serious damage to your microwave. These surges come with no warnings as they can be caused by either weather or electrical issues. This means you can’t simply protect your microwave by unplugging when it’s not used.

The best way to protect your microwave against electrical surges is by using a surge suppressor to regulate the power supplied to it at all times.

Avoid The Use Of Non-Microwaveable Materials

The use of non-microwavable materials poses a real risk to both your microwave and your home as they are fire hazards. Brown paper bags, aluminum foils, and metals should never go into your microwave.

Before putting any dishware into your microwave, you should first ensure that it is microwave safe. Microwavable utensils normally carry a “microwave safe” tag. Materials made of glass, ceramic and most plastics are usually microwaveable.

Not All Food Items Can Be Microwaved

Food items boiled eggs, hot peppers, and red pasta sauce can cause explosions, smoke, and even start a fire when microwaved. 

Also, the heating of water in the microwave at a very high temperature can leave you with superheated water which can cause an explosion.

Always Keep Your Food Covered

In the process of heating food, spills can always occur. This can lead to a lot of mess and might even the inner walls of your microwave with time.

An easy and efficient way to solve this problem is by finding proper lids for your dishware. You should remember to use only microwaveable utensils though.

Handle The Door With Utmost Care

Proper care should be taken while opening and closing the door of a microwave as it is very important to the entire system. The door does more than just open and close, it’s designed in such a way that the microwave shuts down the moment it opens. This is a delicate system and slight damage can result in a less effective oven.

Also, a leaking door means that radiation will escape from the oven resulting in less effective cooking 

Never Keep Your Microwave ON When Its Empty

When a microwave runs on empty, the energy created by the system bounces around with nothing to absorb it. This eventually ends in the components of the microwave absorbing the energy and they weren’t designed to absorb it. 

When this happens, delicate components like the magnetron, which generates the heat in the system, can be damaged and they cost a lot to replace.

Follow Weight Limitations

Microwave ovens come with weight limitations. This is to ensure that the delicate components do not become overburdened during use, possibly causing damage to them. 

This is mainly for people who are looking to microwave heavy or large amounts of food items at once. Information on the weight limit of a microwave is normally available on its body or manual.

Use Preset Cooking Times

While the use of preset cooking times will save you time and energy, it can give your microwave more longevity.

With the use of this function, the microwave will automatically go off when your food is ready, straining the system less. It would also put an end to the issue of overcooking which leads to a mess in your microwave, leaving less chance for burns and stains.

Always Call a Technician For Repairs

The microwave oven is a complicated and delicate system. You should get a technician whenever a repair or replacement is necessary. This is because they work at very high voltage and are capable of delivering serious electric shocks. 

The inadequate repair will also pose a high amount of risk during use.

Conclusion

A well-maintained microwave may very well last up to a decade and with these simple steps, you can not go wrong.

Aniket More
 

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