Microware Caught on Fire: What to Do Safely, How to Clean Quickly & How to Avoid Effectively

A microwave can be used for a variety of tasks, including heating leftovers, popping popcorn, and cooking potatoes. However, microwave on fire may happen or even burn your house down. Microwave fire usually happens when you have placed certain materials or foods that are not supposed to be put in a microwave or starts when food overheats. Some other obscure reasons will also cause a fire in a microwave even nothing is in it.

Fire in the microwave should be handled carefully to avoid future danger. Even a spark alone in the microwave is very dangerous. In this article, you will learn what to do when microwave caught on fire and how to clean up microwave after fire, as well as how to avoid future fires. 

What to Do If Microwave Catches Fire Quickly & Safely 

There are two different microwave fire causes you may encounter while using the microwave. You should act accordingly based on the situation you are in. Keep calm and take the following actions if your microwave is catching fire:

What to Do If Microwave Catches Fire by Food

When you accidentally heat food in a metal or aluminum foil container in the microwave, the food can ignite during the heating process. Residual oil or food scraps can also start a fire. If you cook popcorn or chicken breasts for too long, the food could also catch fire in the microwave.

What to do: If you notice a small fire in the microwave while heating, immediately unplug the power cord and close the door of the microwave or keep it closed. The fire will die out for a lack of oxygen. If it's a grease fire, you can throw some salt or baking soda into the fire to smother the flames.

What to Do If Microwave Cough on Fire with Nothing in It

Can a microwave catch on fire when not in use? The answer is yes. If your microwave caught on fire with nothing in it, that is more dangerous. Appliance fire happens mainly because of bad home wiring, especially in old houses. A broken microwave can also cause an appliance fire. 

What to do: If it happens, unplug the cord and outlet if it is safe to do so. If the fire is small, you may smother some baking soda to put it out. When an appliance fire happens, it is recommended to have an electrician check your wiring. You may need a new circuit if you see the lights dim when the microwave starts. If the appliance fire never reached the wall, it means your home wiring is fire and you just need to replace your microwave. 

How to Clean A Microwave That Caught on Fire

If the food microwave caught on fire inside, usually, you need to try really hard to scrap the burnt food remnants off, but you don't have to if you use this dryer sheet hack. 

Step 1. Soak a few dryer sheets in a mixture of warm water and dish soap.

Step 2. Unplug the microwave. You should always unplug the power source when cleaning the electric stove. 

Step 3. Put the dryer sheets in the microwave. Place them on the burnt food remanent. 

Step 4. Wait a few hours and then use a dryer sheet to wipe the inside of your microwave.

A dryer sheet can soften the food remnant inside the microwave. Given time, you can effortlessly clean your microwave after food catches on fire. Actually, dryer sheets can do a lot more than that. 

How to Remove Microwave Fire Smell

If your microwave caught fire because of burnt food, it leaves a strong odor of smoke. After cleaning it several times, you may still smell it inside. To get rid of the odor, you can place a cup of vinegar inside there. You can use half vinegar and half water or just use vinegar. 

Step 1: Turn on the microwave for 5 minutes or so to make sure the water is boiled. 

Step 2: Open the microwave and you can see the bubbles holding steam, which will loosen up any crap inside the microwave. 

Step 3: Now you can use a cloth to wipe off the inside of your microwave. If you don't want to do that, you can put a box of baking soda in here overnight. It will remove any other odor after you've wiped it down with a cloth. Baking soda can also be used to clean a toilet bowl. 

How to Prevent Fire in Microwave

Appliance fire is hard to prevent but it is very rare, but food fire is quite common and you can avoid it from happening ahead of time. Here are the 7 tips to help you prevent the microwave fire hazard.

1. Do not dry or sterilize any cloth materials in microwave ovens.

2. Clean the microwave oven regularly. As mentioned, food remanent may result in a fire when heating. Cleaning the microwave regularly will reduce fire potential. 

3. Never use paper products in microwave ovens. Paper products such as paper launch bags, paper towels, and takeout containers, are easy to burn in the microwave. So don't microwave paper products unless the materials are specifically approved for microwave use. 

4. Never heat flammable or combustible liquids like cooking oils in the microwave because it will lead to fire or even explosion. Actually, heating any liquid including water in the microwave is dangerous if you overheat it. Even Overheated water turns into steam that can penetrate your skin and can give you 3rd-degree burns instantly.

5. Do not overheat food than the manufacturer's instructions. As mentioned, overheating popcorn has a fire risk. 

6. Never use metal materials like metal bowls or aluminum foil in microwave ovens. As you know metals are never safe to heat in a microwave. 

7. Do not microwave grapes and raisins. If you microwave grapes, you'll see a flash of sparks and white-hot plasma. If you microwave raisins, you will see they start to smoke and catch on fire. 

Final Thoughts

That's everything you need to know about microwaves catching on fire. When you buy a new microwave, it is always recommended to read the manufacturer's guide and safety precautions before using it. It is also important to keep an eye on the microwave when it is on.