Maintaining Your Microwave Oven

By Richard McIntyre

The microwave oven is a cooking device exposed to food that can decompose and has bacteria festering inside if kept too long and not cleaned. Like every other appliance, proper functioning of the oven and for how long, depends on the way in which it is maintained. Maintenance includes cleaning, servicing and repair of broken parts on time. Cleaning of the oven goes hand in hand with the cleaning of the kitchen. People in the habit of keeping clean kitchens will keep the oven clean too. But there are many who never notice dust and dirt, bugs and cockroaches, or even grime anywhere. This will always manifest itself in improper functioning of appliances and in this case, the microwave oven.

A Few Tips

The microwave has a complicated machine that only a qualified technician can set right. So in case there is a problem, do not even try to open it up, or else you may suffer an electric shock.
Do not unplug with wet hands.
Never run the oven empty even to check whether it is working properly.
Never use a microwave oven that has a broken door since this will lead to leakage of microwaves outside. The door serves to keep them inside and confined to the food they are meant to heat.
Maintenance Steps

The interiors of the oven end up with food particles, spluttered on the walls. Even if the food is covered, some moisture and odors linger inside. Each time the oven is switched on, these particles also get heated with the waves and will eventually burn inside, if not cleaned. Therefore, it is preferable to clean the inside once a day, if not each time it is used. This can be done with a wet cloth, or a heavy duty oven cleaner may be required to clean stubborn spots.
The exteriors need not be cleaned everyday especially in dust free places. But a weekly cleaning regimen will keep it looking sparkling and new for years. The panel at the back has holes to let out hot air. It is important that these do not get grimy or else they will get blocked and there will be no outlet for air. It is also important to keep the kitchen clear of cockroaches, which can enter the machine through these holes and eventually eat up the wiring inside. One area needing special attention is the door area, which is often touched with dirty hands. The food build up there, can prevent it from closing. So this must be cleaned more thoroughly.
Voltage fluctuations can destroy the circuits inside the oven. It is important to keep the microwave oven attached to a surge processor for protection against damage from spikes in the voltage often caused by lightening.
Use carefully. This is the biggest maintenance tip. Try and ensure that every bowl placed inside is covered. If there is a food spill, wipe immediately. Never keep food directly on the turntable, instead place it on a paper towel or plate.
Look out for rusting metal inside the oven, since it needs to be repaired.
The microwave oven is easy to operate and handle and if all of the above mentioned points are followed, it will work and look like a new one for a long time.

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