I am not ashamed of my microwave.

Okay, question for you. Who has a microwave?? Raise your hand! Higher!! No shame! Although I am most perplexed as to why anyone would be ashamed of their own little bundle of contained radioactivity, I just wanted to go on record to say this:

1) I love my microwave.

2) I use it every day.

3) It's a beautiful, sleek, sassy stainless steel.

And now for a short history of our stainless steel beauty...

Steve bought our new microwave about 4 years ago when our old, teeny, tiny little white microwave started humming and buzzing furiously every time we'd use it. Steve trundled off to Best Buy in search of a new microwave. Nothing fancy, I told him. Basically the same thing we already had (minus the furious humming and buzzing). Imagine my surprise when he came home with THIS...

Look! There's my hilariously elongated face and fingers! Cool! Anyway, I was shocked, speechless, and totally STOKED out of my mind. Did I mention this thing is HUGE?? Because it is! "What happened?" I asked Steve, confused by the beauty . "Well," he replied, "This was the best. And I know how you feel about stainless steel."

Yep. I love this guy.

And that is a short history of my microwave. Don't you feel enlightened?

Lately, though, my microwave has desperately needed a good cleansing. So just for fun, I thought I'd post something PRACTICAL for a change: my favorite method for cleaning my microwave!!!! Aren't ya'll just SO excited? I beg of you; contain yourselves!

And now, without further ado...

My favorite method for cleaning my microwave.

By Mary Johnson the first, and quite possibly the last.

1) Slice a lemon in half.

2) Place one of the lemon halves in a coffee cup.

3) Fill with water.

4) Microwave for 2 minutes; let sit for 5 minutes in the microwave. No peeking!!

5) Using your favorite all-purpose cleaner, wipe down the inside of the microwave with the greatest of ease. The steam of the water helps that cooked-on spaghetti sauce come right off, and the lemon deodorizes like no one's business! Goodbye, stale microwave stench!!

IT'S SO EASY, and very effective. I like to wipe it down with a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water, and a microfiber cloth. I shall now be so bold as to expose the inners and outers of my microwave...I'm living dangerously today, folks!

Gleaming, glamour girl.

Spotless. For now.

What more can I possibly say?

I've included this picture because it shows my approval and satisfaction of a job well done. Oh, and because it looks like there are a bunch of knives sticking into my head. Awesome!

I discovered this cleaning method while perusing an old issue of Real Simple magazine. What's your favorite way to clean your microwave? Inquiring minds want to know! If you don't have a favorite way to clean your microwave, that's okay; just shout out your favorite kind of sandwich or something completely and utterly random. There are no prizes for this; just a fun way to get to know ya'll better! And now, if you would excuse me, I need to go smell my microwave.