This Viral Microwave Cleaning Hack Is as Simple as It Is Affordable

TikTok couple jeffandlaurenshow must not have known much in life, and certainly must be surprised by nearly everything they come across, given the tremendous amount of videos they post to popular social media platforms claiming they wish they knew certain things sooner.

The couple, who constantly post what they believe to be life hacks, have shared a cleaning tip that is neither new nor innovative, but must be novel to them, at least.

The cleaning hack, which claims to make microwave cleaning a no-hassle errand, elicited a large amount of comments, garnered a ton of views, and prompted many to state the obvious — as well as to share their own microwave cleaning tips.

Continue reading below to learn the jeffandlaurenshow's microwave cleaning hack that you can try at home.

The TikTok influencer couple jeffandlaurenshow often claim they wish they knew certain life hacks sooner, an obvious technique employed by influencers to bait potential viewers into engaging with their content.

In a May 2024 video, the creators tried out a microwave cleaning hack wherein simple ingredients like water and vinegar could clean a dirty microwave with caked-on grime.

"Use one cup of water and 1/4 cup vinegar and microwave for five minutes. Let solution rest, then wipe clean," the couple writes in the caption of the video.

While simplistic and cited by countless influencers, bloggers, and writers many times over the years, vinegar is nevertheless a phenomenal recommendation as a cleaning agent that is affordable, can be combined with water to dilute to a safe amount, and effectively removes stains of all kinds.

"I add fresh lemon juice and the half lemon I squeezed to the bowl. Works and smells really fresh," one user commented. True, while vinegar is a planet-friendly cleaning solution, the acetic acid in vinegar can be quite odorous and may be a trigger for certain individuals.

Lemon essential oil and lemons themselves are renowned for their cleaning features and ability to deodorize certain environments. Ideally, the lemon helps offset the smell of the vinegar.

It should be noted, however, that vinegar is not officially a disinfectant in the eyes of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Still, that doesn't stop countless people from employing vinegar in their green cleaning routine to effectively clean around the home.

As someone who has always lived in places where hard water causes unsightly stains on shower doors and dishes alike, I can attest that vinegar is an amazing solution to the problems created by hard water stains.

All of that said, vinegar and water seem to be a safe mixture when diluted to a safe amount, usually as directed in the instructions on the side of bottles of vinegar. If you mix the water and vinegar in a microwave safe bowl and monitor it during the few minutes you heat it up in the microwave, you are likely following a responsible routine that is friendly on the planet and probably effective at cleaning minor stains in your microwave.