The Easiest Way To Keep Your Microwave Clean Is Already In Your Kitchen

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

With your stomach grumbling, you rush to microwave those leftovers you're craving. But as the door swings open, what a sight. There are stalactites of cheese and grease clinging to the oven's roof, and splatters cover every other surface. If only that other person in your house had covered their dish with something before firing up the waves. Wax paper is a great candidate for this job. It doesn't absorb and stick to food like a paper towel does, and a standard household roll costs less than most plastic splatter lids you can buy. This easy way to keep your microwave clean is unsurprisingly simple: Cut a piece of wax paper that's a few inches longer than the dish you'll be microwaving, and place it on top of your food. Tuck the corners of the paper under your plate or bowl to hold the sheet in place during cooking, and punch in those numbers.

You might balk at the thought of exposing your heating food to this product. Is it safe? Will dangerous chemicals leach out from the wax? Can it catch fire?! Unfortunately, there are a few reasons to think twice before putting this household item in your microwave. However, following some simple guidelines will keep you and your home out of harm's way.

Before moving forward, some sources don't consider microwaving wax paper to be safe at all. Yet, others judge that using wax paper to cover food for reheating is safe, but for short lengths of time. Anything over two minutes may leave you with melted wax coming into contact with your food. There's plenty of unpleasantness that comes with melted wax, even those labeled "natural." Most brands of wax paper use paraffin coating. This is a petroleum byproduct that may raise your eyebrows, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Food Safety Authority both deem this wax to be food-safe. Other natural coatings like beeswax or waxes made from plant sources might leave you feeling a bit safer, but there's no guarantee that these substances don't contain some contaminants.

How about fire risk? Wax paper has a slight risk of igniting in a microwave, but limiting its heating time, along with monitoring it while the oven is running, can lessen the dangers. Still, if this gives you pause, give microwaving wax paper a miss. Check out types of heat-resistant parchment paper, a product that's generally favored over wax paper for microwave cooking. Parchment paper isn't completely free of disconcerting chemicals, either. Go with vetted non-toxic brands like If You Care Parchment Baking Paper that comes in rolls, or Biocean Unbleached Parchment Paper that comes in pre-cut sheets. You can use both of these products as part of your own DIY compost, too.