The Best Way To Clean Your Microwave Filter

Your microwave is more than just an appliance. Think of it as a reliable comrade in your everyday culinary battles — from reheating morning coffee and popping the family movie night popcorn to speeding up our weeknight dinner prep. Yet, hidden within the metallic sheen lies an overlooked component — the grease filter. So, what happens if you don't clean your microwave filter? Ignored over time, that simple component becomes a repository for grease and aromas. And while gunk isn't life or death, it's an unnecessary hurdle and, more so, a potential threat to your microwave's normal function. After all, you don't fancy funky smells coming from your microwave. But surprisingly, cleaning a microwave filter is as innate as your morning routine: remove, rinse, soak, scrub, rinse, and reinstall.

A microwave typically houses two filters — a grease filter, the rectangular silver plate at the appliance's bottom, and a charcoal filter at the top. The former prevents grease bursts from your stove from reaching the exhaust fan. On the other hand, the charcoal filter, which should be replaced biannually, serves as an olfactory shield that keeps your kitchen air fresh. A microwave charcoal filter replacement from Amazon typically costs $11 to $21. Beyond satisfying aesthetics and hygiene requirements, microwave grease filter cleaning helps maximize your appliance's efficiency. 

To clean a microwave grease filter, begin by turning your microwave off and letting it cool down if it was on duty recently. Extracting the filter is a simple slide or pop-out from the microwave's underside. But if unsure, turn to your device's manual – an e-version in the form of a PDF is also available if you Google your machine's model number.

Next, ready your baking soda and hot water solution  – a quarter cup of baking soda to a full sink or basin. Avoid any ammonia-laced cleaning product; otherwise, you risk darkening the filter material. Dip the filter in the solution and let it soak for 15 to 20 minutes, perhaps a bit longer for stubborn grime. From there, scrub the filter using a dish brush, then rinse with hot water. Shake off the excess water and pat the filter dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. You can allow air drying to work its magic for a few hours before remounting the filter. As a routine chore, you should be cleaning your microwave filter roughly every three months.