Have you ever burned popcorn, or anything else for that matter, in the microwave? The smell of burned popcorn has the amazingly irritating ability to linger for days, sometimes a week or more. Perhaps the worst part of that smell is how it can transfer to whatever food you cook in the microwave from that point onward. So, what can we do about it? There is one trick that can be very effective and removing the smell, and as an added bonus this technique also makes it much easier to wipe down a soiled microwave. Here’s what you do…

Find the biggest microwave-safe bowl you have and fill it up with water. Add some sort of pleasing spice or essential oil to the water. For instance, cinnamon or vanilla extract work quite well. Heat the water in the microwave until it boils. However, it is extremely important you leave the bowl in the microwave until the water has time to cool…at least 10 minutes. When you open the door and remove the bowl of water, you’ll experience a pleasing smell free of burned popcorn. As far as the cleaning goes, the moisture from the boiling water coats the walls of the microwave and loosens the dirt and grim making it easy to wipe clean!