The Daily Fix: Clean Melted Plastic Off Your Microwave
- by Erin Loechner (RSS feed) on Jan 28th 2010 12:00PM
- Filed under in the kitchen, ventilation
Photo: Brenda Anderson, Flickr
After trying dozens of cleaners to get the plastic bulge off, I stumbled upon a few easy steps that did the trick. I'm happy to say my microwave is plastic-free! Here's how I did it:
1. Let the plastic cool and harden before attempting to clean any surface so as not to burn yourself.
2. Soak a dishcloth in household ammonia and wring out the excess gently, ensuring the dishcloth is still wet. Lay the soaked cloth on top of the melted plastic and allow the plastic to soak under the cloth for at least 15 minutes. At this point, I'd open windows and leave the kitchen, as ammonia and plastic can become toxic.
3. Rub the surface with an abrasive scouring pad; the plastic should come off in pieces and reveal a clean, non-stained surface!
If the above steps don't work, repeat the process a few times and try an ice scraper or credit card on the affected spot. It may take some scrubbing, but the ammonia should absorb the plastic after a few tries, making it easier to remove.
Another tip? After the plastic has been removed from the surface, it's a good idea to clear the air of plastic fumes. Place a bowl of equal parts lemon juice and water, then microwave on high for sixty seconds, or to boiling point. Keep the microwave door shut and let sit for a few hours. Your microwave will smell fresh in no time!
Looking to clean spills and splashes inside your microwave? Check out this tutorial on ShelterPop.
Want your microwave to multitask? Read Unusual Uses for Microwaves - 16 Sweet Ideas
Comments [3]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-30-2010 @ 2:58PM
Coop said...
Plastic won't stick to glass (and I assume every microwave has a glass tray). Just wait for the melted stuff to cool - put ice on it if you're in that big a hurry. Take a razor blade or other sharp/thin scraper and lift an edge of the melted blob. The plastic will lift right off. No need to use a bunch of toxic chemicals. Putting ammonia in a microwave is just asking for trouble.
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1-30-2010 @ 4:54PM
Marie said...
I have 2 microwave oven stories:
Ok, first one.......not so funny. My son (8 at the time, now 18) was sick with pnemonia. Drs. wanted to admit him in hospital. I refused, and said I would care for him at home, huge mistake! My hubby had him on nebeulizer for breathing treament. I decided to fill a huge tupperware container with vicks and water. The plan was to have him breathe in the vapors to loosen the bronchials.
Forty five minutes later, I took it out of microwave. Had totally forgotten about it, as I was busy doing a million things with my 2 other young kids. Anyway, I removed container...and, as the saying goes, "the rest is history" It proceeded to spill all over me!! Luckily, I had just changed to shorts, from dungarees...as these were easier to rip off. I had severe 3rd degree burns from my hips down, and second degrees on other various parts. Was in ICU burn unit for 9 days, out paitent for about 4-6 months. Needless to say, pain was unbearable. But, am thankful every day that my children werent in the room with me, and that it never hit my face!!!!! Amazingly so, I have very minimal scarring one upper thig of only one leg.
OK..next story is pretty funny. I was babysitting for a friends daughter. She was 4 and had a "pee-pee accident". I changed her into my daughters pants, and decided to dry hers in the microwave.another huge mistake! (Think I would've learned when I got burnt to be more cautious) About 3 minutes into the mission....I smelled smoke...went into kitchen, and the pants were on fire in the microwave. When up in flames becuase they had lycra..not a good mix! I was horrified, manily because her mom was due any second, and I thought, "crap, how the hell am I gonna explain this"? All turned out well, and, again, luckily no children around that were injured.
And, yes, her mom and I are still great friends, and we laugh about it often.
Moral: "know what the hell you're doing when dealing with your microwave'
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1-30-2010 @ 8:00PM
Barb said...
When i have a bad, dried or cooked on clean up job to do, (which i try to never let it get to that) i just put a bowl of water in the microwave and bring it to boil. Dont touch or try to take it out, but, just leave it in there until it cools and presto, wipe off the food......... easy..... I also was told by a microwave repair man, (when they did repair them instead of replacing them, since now they are lots cheaper) the worst thing a person can do is not covering the item when heating . The top is is most prone to making it not work anymore. I dont know why, but, now i cover EVERYTIME with a store bought microwave cover, found where they sell microwaves and it does keep clean up to a minimum. hope this helps someone...... Dont berate me, I am not a pro, just saying what i was told...... LOL Good Luck..... dont boil water for coffee or tea in a cup either...... DANGEROUS........
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