We’ve all been there — you’re eagerly waiting by the microwave for your leftovers to re-heat, only to open the door to find a splattered mess inside. Do you clean now and risk letting your food get cold or wait until after eating, most likely forgetting until the next time you go to heat up food? If you’re the latter, we totally get it. That’s why we’ve rounded up all the products you need to tackle everything from built-up grease on your microwave door to those hard-to-clean food splatters on the walls. Never cringe when you open your microwave door again.

Clean Buildup on the Inside of Your Microwave Door

Odds are your eyes are more focused on the warm, ready-to-eat foods coming out of the microwave than you are on the inside of the appliance’s door. But, it’s definitely a place you don’t want to ignore for too long. If grease has built up, you are going to need a cleaner that can cut through that.

Dawn Dish Soap is known for its powerful clean, and this spray cleaner makes getting the whole door scrubbed down beyond easy. With a damp sponge or cloth, make sure you’re hitting every surface, including the inside seal, edges of the door and all the nooks and crannies between the door and the glass.

Tackle Splatter and Tough Stains Inside Microwave

Rather than turning to cleaning products with a lot of chemicals to tackle dry, caked-on food, try softening that up with the cleaning powers of steam. This gadget, which you fill with water and vinegar, has small holes at the top to release the steam to soften hard-to-remove food. The company claims that, after running in the microwave on high for seven minutes, all you’ll need is a sponge or cloth to wipe away residue.

Wipe Down the Outside of Your Microwave

How you clean the outside of your appliance will be determined by the material. If you have a stainless steel microwave, pick a cleaner that will tackle fingerprints and smudges. Since the buttons and handle are a high-traffic area of a microwave, you also want to make sure you’re sanitizing often.

Don't Forget the Turntable

You might not know this, but your turntable is most-likely dishwasher safe. If you’ve been neglecting foods that have spilled over, a quick wipe down or hand wash might not be enough. Place it in the dishwasher for a deep clean from a heavy-duty mess.

If you’re good about keeping up with handling messes the moment they happen, be sure to keep some reusable towels on-hand in the kitchen to avoid reaching for a paper towel every time you need to wipe up a quick mess. In testing, we loved the microfiber towels from Mr. Siga for their impressive absorption.

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