The $2.50 kitchen staple that finally rid my dirty microwave of 'horrific stench'

9honey Living's The Wash Up: Your 30-day spring cleaning guide is a month-long series aimed at making your annual house clean easier with hacks and expert advice.

There's nothing worse than having a stinky microwave.

My little blue microwave is adorable but until recently it reeked to the high heavens and no matter how many times I sprayed and wiped the inside, the horrific stench wouldn't budge.

For months I simply put up with it, resigned to the fact that I'd always have a foul-smelling appliance.

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But in the spirit of spring cleaning I decided to have one last crack at ridding it of the bad smell with three budget cleaning hacks.

And let me tell you, I was floored when the $2.50 kitchen staple in the back of my pantry finally had my microwave smelling fresh.

Lemon slice hack

The first budget hack to remove bad microwave smells involves sliced lemons to remove the odour. The method is simple:

1. Cut a lemon into slices or halves and place in a small, microwave-safe bowl of water.
2. Microwave it on high for three minutes.
3. Leave the microwave door shut for five minutes to let it steam.
4. Open the door, remove the bowl and wipe down the inside.

I picked up a medium lemon from Coles for $1.20 and gave the hack a red hot go.

Sadly, the results were minimal.

While it did make my microwave slightly lemon-scented and steamy, the persistent stink was still very much there.

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Bicarb soda hack

The second hack involved using bicarb soda to eliminate the stink and again, the method was simple:

1. Mix bicarb soda with water to make a thick paste.
2. Apply to all the surfaces inside your microwave (walls, plate, etc.) and leave to sit for at least 10 minutes.
3. Wipe away the bicarb soda with a dry cloth and leave the microwave to air dry.

I splashed out for the $4.50 resealable tub of Mckenzies Bi Carbonate Soda at Coles for this hack and now wish I hadn't.

Applying the paste turned out to be messy and difficult, as it wanted to clump in corners and edges rather than spread evenly.

Wiping it out with a dry cloth also made a huge mess and only seemed to move the soda around, so I ended up using a damp cloth – much more effective.

Unfortunately, this hack did little for the smell. I think it lessened the bad odour a little bit, but not enough to actually make a big difference.

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Vinegar hack

My mum has been cleaning everything with vinegar since I was a kid, so I was hopeful when I learned about a hack to de-stink your microwave with it. Here's the method:

1. Add equal parts water and white vinegar to a small, microwave-safe bowl.
2. Microwave it on high for five-10 minutes.
3. Open the door, remove the bowl and wipe down the inside.

So with the last drops of a $2.50 bottle of Cornwell's White Vinegar I had stashed in the kitchen, I made the mixture an hoped for the best.

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For the first time, I wasn't disappointed.

When I opened my microwave the foul smell was gone, replaced with the tang of vinegar steam which dissipated after a few minutes.

I wiped down the inside and left the door open to air-dry and now you'd never know my microwave had ever smelled bad in the first place.

Naturally, this is the hack I'll be turning to next time my appliances start smelling.

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