The microwave should be free from mold, mildew and other fungus. Only then it can cook the food in a safe way. Like any kitchen appliance, you should clean your microwave regularly to remove mold and other harmful bacteria from it.
The microwave is designed in a way to not get affected by water spills or outside humidity. The interior of the microwave is closed tightly all the time except getting the food in or out. So, the chances of mold growth are lower in the microwave compared to other kitchen appliances.
Why Does Mold Grow in the Microwave?
When you cook food, some particles may fall inside the microwave. The tiny food particles and liquid spills are the primary causes of mold growth in any microwave oven. The mold can also grow if you keep the leftover food inside the microwave for a longer period.
The food particles and fluid spills cause humidity in the interior of the microwave. As a result, the mold gets an opportunity to grow in the microwave as they get the nutrients and moisture.
The mold is often found in corners, narrow spaces and hidden area in the microwave. So, you need to carefully inspect the cooking space of your microwave to find out mold and do the cleaning process to get rid of it ASAP.
Effective Ways to Clean Mold Out of Microwave
Cleaning mold out of microwave is very important. It removes the harmful mold spores so that they cannot spoil your microwave anymore. You can save your family from eating contaminated food by cleaning mold from your microwave oven.
You don’t need to be an expert of skilled person to remove mold out of microwave. It is very simple, there are two effective ways for cleaning mold from the microwave. But you need to keep the safety instructions in mind before you start cleaning the microwave.
Safety Instructions to Clean Mold Out of Microwave
When cleaning mold from the microwave, it is important to take care of your safety as well. In order to clean your microwave safely, you need to follow the safety instructions I am sharing here.
- Unplug the microwave cord from wall outlet at least one hour before cleaning
- The microwave interior temperature may take time to get normal, so wait for it.
- Remove rubber gloves for your safety during the cleaning process.
- Wear a face mask and spectacles to avoid unpleasant odors and dust particles to affect you.
- Remove food tray, bowl, glass, cup, rack and the turntable/carousel before cleaning.
- If the turntable is dirty, clean it separately with water and mild detergent.
- Make sure that the cooking space of the microwave is not hot at the time of cleaning.
Here I provide both the methods with step-by-step procedure to help you clean your microwave safely and easily.
Method-1: Clean Mold with Mild Detergent and Water
To clean mold out of microwave, you need a small bucket/bowl, a sponge or soft cloth, a clean damp cloth, a clean dry cloth, one spoon mild detergent and some water. You can use either regular water or lukewarm water whichever is suitable for you.
When you have all required things ready, follow the steps given below to remove mold from your microwave.
- Make sure that the microwave cord is unplugged from the power source and its interior is not hot anymore.
- Fill a small bucket with water and add a spoon full of mild detergent, mix it well for a minute.
- Dip a sponge or soft cloth into the bucket.
- Use the sponge or soft cloth to wipe the whole interior space of the microwave.
- Rub the sponge/soft cloth thoroughly in corners and crevices to remove mold from all narrow spaces.
- After eliminating mold, use a clean damp cloth to remove traces of detergent-water from the microwave interior.
- Keep the microwave door open for 15 to 20 minutes so that the interior can air dry.
- Use a dry cloth to remove remaining moisture, if any, from the microwave.
- Clean the turntable, rack and other accessories with mild detergent and water.
- Your microwave interior is clean and free from mold, mildew, debris and all harmful things.
After following all 10 steps shared above, you can plug-in the microwave cord into wall outlet and start using it. In case you don’t want to use detergent for cleaning your microwave oven then you should go with the next method.
Method-2: Clean Mold with White Vinegar and Water
The detergent with strong chemicals is harmful for the microwave. If you don’t have mild detergent then get one or use white vinegar. You can clean mold out of microwave with the help of white vinegar and water, you need to mix them in a small bucket or bowl.
The vinegar contains acetic acid to provide deep cleaning of microwave interior. It will remove the mold, debris, dust and all fungus from the microwave.
To perform the cleaning process, get a sponge or soft cloth, a damp cloth, a dry cloth, white vinegar, water and a small bucket. When all things are ready, follow the method given below to remove mold from your microwave.
- Unplug the microwave cord from the power source, make sure its interior temperature is normal and remove the turntable, rack, other accessories, if any.
- Add white vinegar and water in the bucket, add 50% water and 50% vinegar.
- Mix the water and vinegar properly for one minute.
- Dip a sponge or soft cloth into the bucket filled with water plus vinegar.
- Wipe down the entire interior of the microwave to remove mold, mildew, debris, dust, food particles and fluid spills.
- Make sure that you reach all narrow spaces, corners and crevices where tiny mold spores may be hidden.
- Keep wiping down the microwave interior till it’s clean and leave vinegar-water there for 30 minutes. It will kill remaining mold spores to prevent it from growing in future.
- Clean the microwave interior with a damp cloth first and then use a dry cloth.
- Keep the microwave door open for 20 minutes to let the microwave interior air dry.
- Also clean the turntable, rack and other accessories of your microwave.
Both the method-1 and method-2 are effective to clean the microwave and eliminate mold from it. After the interior space is dried, you can plug-in the microwave cord into wall outlet and start using it for cooking/reheating the food.
What Will Happen If I Don’t Clean Mold Out of Microwave?
The mold grows gradually inside the microwave, so you may not notice it easily. If you have a hectic work schedule then you may take time to notice the mold. Even if you find mold in your microwave, you may ignore it because of scarcity of time.
You may think what if you don’t clean mold out of microwave immediately, you can do it later. Well, it’s extremely dangerous. It is not safe to cook the food in a moldy microwave, it causes serious health issues.
If you don’t clean mold from your microwave, it will contaminate the food that you cook/reheat in it. Such contaminated food and beverages are quite dangerous, they can cause respiratory illness symptoms and allergic reactions as given below.
- Difficulty in Breathing and Breathlessness
- Headache and Nausea
- Digestive Problems like Diarrhea, Loose Motion, Vomiting etc.
- Brain Fog and Chronic Fatigue
- Runny Nose, Coughing and Red Eyes
- Hair-fall, Hair-loss and Skin Irritation
- Respiratory Issues and Neurological Disorders
- Stress, Uneasiness and Mood Swings
If you keep using your microwave with mold in it, it will make you and your family ill with above health issues. Therefore it is important to get rid of mold in your microwave before you use it for cooking or reheating the food again.
How to Prevent Mold Growth in the Microwave in Future
You can clean mold out of microwave with help of one of the two effective ways I have explained above. After cleaning, you may think how to prevent mold growth in future. You can do it easily with awareness of keeping your microwave interior clean all the time.
The main reason for mold growth in the microwave is the food particles and liquid spills that stay there for some hours or days. In addition, the messy turntable/carousel, rack and food plates/bowls can also cause mold growth in the microwave.
Here I provide 3 simple tips to prevent mold growth in the microwave. I assure you that you can get rid of mold completely if you follow these 3 tips with your microwave oven.
[1] Clean Food Particles and Fluid Spills After Every Use:
After every use, you should clean the tiny food particles and fluid spills from the interior space of the microwave. It will prevent the mold to develop in your microwave.
[2] Wipe Down the Whole Interior of Microwave Everyday
You start using the microwave in the morning and use it till night. So, I recommend you to wipe down the microwave interior with a damp cloth and a dry cloth daily after last use. For example: If you use the microwave at 21:00 then wipe down the interior space at 21:30 Hrs. Thereafter you can go to sleep.
[3] Clean the Microwave with Vinegar & Water Every Week
I don’t recommend to clean the microwave after mold is detected but I suggest to do it every week. Get a small bucket filled with vinegar & water, then clean it with a sponge, a damp cloth and a dry cloth respectively.
If you clean the microwave with vinegar & water every week, it will remove all dust, debris, mold, mildew and other germs.
You should follow all 3 tips shared above to keep your microwave free from mold all the time. Keeping your microwave clean regularly will prevent the chances of mold growth in future. It is good for the microwave and for your family’s health.
Can Microwave Radiation Kill Mold?
No, the microwave radiation cannot kill mold completely. The microwave uses radiation of heat waves (microwaves) to cook the food. The interior temperature is very high when you cook/reheat the food at high power level. The heat can kill the germs but it is not true for the mold.
The extreme heat of the microwave can neutralize some colonies of mold. But that doesn’t mean that the heat can kill all mold spores. After neutralization of some mold, the mold spores will find other ways to grow inside the microwave, so you have to do something to remove mold.
There is only one way to clean mold out of microwave and it’s that you have to clean the microwave with mild detergent/vinegar plus water as I explained above.
Can I Use Bleach to Clean Mold Out of Microwave?
No, you cannot use bleach to clean mold out of microwave because it is harmful for the microwave. The bleach contains alkaline that can damage the plastic parts and interior surface/walls of the microwave.
The bleach can kill mold but its scent will remain there and it will infect the food that you cook in the microwave after cleaning. That infected food can cause illness and health issues. So, it’s better not to use bleach for cleaning the mold from your microwave.
FAQs about Mold in the Microwave
When you see any mold in the microwave, you should immediately clean it. In case you have any query or doubt about cleaning mold out of microwave, kindly check the important questions that I have shared here.
Q.1 How do I clean the mold out of my microwave?
You can clean the mold out of your microwave by wiping it down with a sponge dipped in vinegar-water mixture, followed by wiping with a damp cloth and a dry cloth.
Q.2 Can you kill mold in the microwave?
Yes, you can kill mold in the microwave by cleaning it with either mild-detergent & water mixture or vinegar-water mixture. You can also use lemon juice but vinegar-water is most effective for killing mold in the microwave oven.
Q.3 Does vinegar kill mold?
Yes, vinegar kills mold completely, it eliminates the tiny mold spores so that they can’t grow in future to cause mold buildup again.
Q.4 Does heating up mold kill it?
No, heating up mold doesn’t kill it, the extreme heat neutralizes some mold colonies but it does not kill it completely.
Q.5 Is it safe to use a microwave with mold in it?
No, it is Not safe to use a microwave with mold in it. If you use a moldy microwave for cooking food, it will contaminate the food which will cause a variety of health issues.
Final Thoughts: Clean Mold, Prevent Mold Growth in Future
The best way to clean mold out of microwave is with vinegar-water mixture i.e. method-2 explained above. The vinegar is completely safe to use for cleaning the interior of microwave and it is very effective as well.
With help of vinegar-water mixture, you can not only remove the mold but also prevent mold growth in the microwave in future. Never use a moldy microwave to cook or reheat any food as it is quite dangerous for your health. So, clean it first and then cook the food. I recommended some of the best mini microwave for small spaces from my personal experience that you can view here.
Some people use bleach or harsh detergent for deep cleaning but I don’t recommend it for the microwave. The bleach can damage the microwave interior and its plastic parts. So, you will end up damaging your microwave oven if you clean it with bleach.
