Get Burnt Popcorn Smell out of the Microwave

The smell of burnt popcorn is strong and can linger in your microwave for a long time. Every time you use the microwave, you’ll be reminded again of that popcorn you let pop for too long. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to get rid of the smell once and for all. You should start by steaming and scrubbing your microwave with lemon water. If that isn’t enough to remove the smell, there are a number of other solutions you can try using ingredients that you already have in your home!

Steps

Steaming with Lemon Water

  1. Put water and lemon into a microwave-safe bowl. Pour a half a cup of water into a ceramic or microwave-safe bowl. Then take one lemon and cut it in half. Squeeze each half of the lemon into the water. Drop the halves into the bowl after squeezing. Put the bowl into the microwave.[1]
  2. Microwave the bowl for three minutes. Microwave the bowl with the lemon and water on high for three minutes. This will produce a steam that will pervade the microwave and make it easier to clean. Keep the microwave door closed for five minutes after the cycle is complete to let the steam do its work.[2]
  3. Wipe the microwave. After the five minutes are over, open up the microwave. Carefully with an oven mitt or towel, remove the bowl and set it aside. Use a sponge or wet cloth and wipe down the inside of the microwave.[3]
    • If the microwave has a turning tray, you can take this out and clean it individually to make the process easier.
  4. Scrub any stubborn food remnants. Use a scrub brush to scrub away any drips or stains in the microwave. The stains are probably not from the popcorn, but the popcorn odor can stick to these stains. If the scrub brush isn’t working, try dipping a cloth into the lemon and water mixture and rubbing at the stains.[2]
  5. Dry the inside with a dry cloth. After you have removed the stain, do a final wipe down of the microwave with a dry cloth. This will remove the moisture from the inside of the microwave. You should notice that the odor of the popcorn is gone and is replaced with a nice citrus smell. If not, there are a couple more measures you can take.[3]

Using Vinegar

  1. Do a steam-clean process with vinegar. Fill a bowl with equal parts water and white vinegar. Put the bowl in the microwave for three minutes on high. Leave the microwave door shut for a few minutes after the steam, then take out the bowl. Rub the interior of the microwave with a clean towel or cloth. Vinegar is a powerful cleaning agent, and the steam should have eliminated the smell of the burnt popcorn.[4]
    • Vinegar will leave a vinegary scent behind that will dissipate after a couple days.
  2. Pour vinegar and baking soda on a sponge and clean the microwave. If the steam-treatment doesn’t work, you may want to be more direct with the vinegar treatment. Pour about half a tablespoon of vinegar and a teaspoon of baking soda on a damp sponge. Heat the sponge in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, and then scrub the inside of the microwave with the sponge.[5]
  3. Use a scrub brush. A scrub brush is a more aggressive tool than a sponge, and its bristles may be able to get into the nooks and crannies that a sponge can’t. Dip the scrub brush into the water-vinegar mixture, then scrub the inside of the microwave.

Absorbing the Smell

  1. Combine water and ground coffee in a cup. Coffee is a very effective at absorbing odors. If you have not had luck in getting the burnt popcorn smell out of your microwave, pour about 2 tablespoons of ground coffee along with ½ cup of water into a microwavable cup or bowl.[6]
  2. Microwave the coffee and water mixture. Put the cup or bowl with the coffee and water into the microwave. Then microwave the coffee on high for 3 minutes. Leave the coffee in the microwave for a minute or two after the cycle is over.[5]
  3. Take the coffee out of the microwave. Carefully remove the cup or bowl with the coffee from the microwave. You should notice that the smell of burnt popcorn is gone. Coffee is not only very good at absorbing smells, it also masks bad smells as well.
  4. Place an open box of baking soda in the microwave. If the coffee didn’t work to entirely absorb the smell, leave an open container of baking soda in the microwave overnight. Baking soda also has strong absorbing capabilities and can once and for all fix your problem.[5]

Masking the Smell

  1. Use vanilla to mask the smell. If you cannot fully remove the smell of burnt popcorn, there are several ways you can cover the smell until it fades away. Pour one tablespoon of vanilla extract into a coffee cup, then put it in the oven. Leave it in the oven at 300 degrees for an hour. The smell of vanilla is strong and very pleasant, and will mask the smell of burnt popcorn by spreading the vanilla scent all around your kitchen.[7]
  2. Use dryer sheets. Sometimes the smell of popcorn can get stuck in the vents of the microwave. There is no easy way to clean these, but taping dryer sheets to the vents can absorb bad and unpleasant scents. Take the sheets off the vents when you are using the microwave, and then reattach after you're done. [6]
  3. Cook other things in the microwave. Cook other strong-smelling foods in the microwave. These can mask and cancel out the unpleasant smell of burnt popcorn. Any food like pizza that has high amounts of cheese is a good option for masking the smell. Other foods include bacon, soups, or sweet-smelling pastries like cinnamon rolls.[8]
  4. Burn candles. Burning candles is a good way of neutralizing burnt popcorn smell. Buy candles in scents that you enjoy, and leave them burning whenever you are in the kitchen. Make sure to blow them out before leaving the house or going to sleep.

Tips

  • Air out your microwave by keeping the door open when you aren’t using it.
  • You may also use paper towels if you don't have a sponge.
  • Always remember to use a clean sponge, otherwise you may be making the microwave dirty.

Warnings

  • Never put a metallic object in the microwave.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-clean-the-microwave-9770
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://lifehacker.com/use-a-lemon-to-make-cleaning-the-microwave-easy-1525960405
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-clean-your-microwave-with-just-a-lemon-cleaning-lessons-from-the-kitchn-200294
  4. ↑ http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/06/how-to-clean-and-shine-your-microwave.html
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 http://www.topcleaningsecrets.com/house/kitchen/how-to-clean-a-microwave.html
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/removing-burned-popcorn-smell-from-a-microwave/
  7. ↑ http://lifehacker.com/5828262/get-rid-of-household-odors-with-vanilla-extract
  8. ↑ http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/does-my-house-really-smell-like-that-5-ways-to-mask-the-musk-198678
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