Cleaning your microwave is one of those tasks that always seems more daunting than it really is.
As it turns out, it's actually even simpler and easier than we realized — at least, that's according to a neat little hack from TikToker Jack Callaghan (@jack.designs).
@jack.designs This is how to clean your microwave in one of the simplest and easiest ways! And it's all natural because all you need is a lemon 🍋 #cleaninghacks #ecocleaning #naturalcleaning #motivation #anxietyrelief ♬ original sound - Jack Callaghan
The scoop
Callaghan, a popular TikToker, shared the hack with his nearly 600,000 followers, and it really couldn't be simpler.
First, you fill a microwave-safe container around halfway with water. Then, you take half a lemon, squeeze some of its juice into the water, and throw the squeezed lemon in with it. Then, microwave the lemon/water concoction on high for three minutes. Finally, wipe the whole microwave down with a damp cloth.
And voila! Now you have a clean microwave without having used a single commercial cleaning product.
This hack should work with any citrus fruit, so if you're short of lemons but you have half of a lime or grapefruit sitting around, feel free to use that instead. The key is that the citric acid itself acts as a natural cleaner and antibacterial.
How it's helping
Commercial cleaning products are effective at the job they're designed for, but they also result in thousands of chemicals being washed into streams and rivers, where they can affect the environment and enter the food chain.
In addition, making your own cleaning products at home reduces the amount of plastic you buy. Plastic waste is piling up in landfills at an ever-increasing rate, with a lot of it ending up in the oceans. And even if you recycle your plastic appropriately, only a small percentage of it actually ends up getting recycled.
This hack is also a great way to make use of a bit of food that may otherwise have ended up becoming waste. All around, it's great for your wallet, your microwave, and the planet.
What Everyone's Saying
Jack's TikTok followers were excited to try the hack for themselves.
"I don't own a microwave, but I want to clean it now," writes one.
"Just the tip I needed! Thanks!" writes another.
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