Michael1942's Blog

I recently made some repairs on my microwave, I had to replace the latching mechanism and waited several months for the part. Having replaced it and had all parts working again, I thought about the “public” and “work” microwaves I have encountered. The common factor in these units is that no one takes responsibility for the cleaning of these units. Occasionally someone will attempt the cleanup but more often than not they go uncleaned after spills. While I do speculate on the folks who do not do any cleanup after themselves in this instance, I am more concerned with the life of the unit and the inconvenience of its demise to others. Basic maintenance of a microwave is this: After use wipe the side walls, top and bottom and the plate. Use a mild soap solution but be sure to follow  with a clear rinse to remove ant sops film. The final stage is to wipe the door, the door ledge and door gasket. Doing this will extend the life of the unit and prevent an early demise. Two last but important points are to insure the vent (s) are not blocked by being placed near a wall or in some cases a cabinet (if the cabinet has an open back, it is usually OK) and cover what you cook or heat, I use a wax paper under a lid if available for the cooking utensil. Microwaves are not tremendously expensive any  more but why buy one when you can extend the life of the one you have.