How to Clean Microwave Vent – Easy Process 2023

Published by Ahmad Jamal on May 17, 2022 | Last updated on January 9, 2023

It may have been so long since you’ve cleaned your microwave filters, and they are most probably waiting for thorough cleaning to get right back to working as efficiently as when you’ve obtained your microwave.

So you should ask yourself two important questions, how long has it been since you cleaned the microwave filters, and how to clean microwave vent.

Fortunately, I’ll help you in this Cleaners Advisor guide with the second question, and after that, I’ll tell you when exactly you’ll need to clean your microwave vent.


Why Do You Need to Know How to Clean Microwave Vent

After you use the microwave, some splatter of the food & beverages you’ve already heated can be a real pain when trying to deal with the microwave again, as it produces a greasy type of dirt inside the machine.

The microwave vent, however, contains filters that get rid of that grease for good, but they get greasy themselves in the process.

Moreover, the vents are the passage for the air to get outside the microwave, and with the aforementioned grease, vents get too greasy and need periodic cleaning.

Cleaning Microwave vent will be the best way to make sure the microwave exhaust fans continue to operate efficiently.

That’s why you need to know exactly how to clean microwave vent, but before that, let’s get down to the items and equipment you’ll need in the process.

how to clean microwave vent

Items & Equipment You’ll Need Before Knowing How to Clean Microwave Vent

  1. Screwdriver.
  2. Dry Cloth.
  3. Pressure Water & Sink.
  4. Soapy Water.
  5. A Bucket.
  6. Bristle Brush.

Elephant in the Room: How to Clean Microwave Vent

Now that you’ve got your equipment ready, you should know that microwaves have 2 types of filters, one on the top of the microwave, and the other on the bottom.

The one on the top is the charcoal filter, while the one on the bottom is the grease filter.

Therefore, knowing how to clean microwave vent means knowing how to clean both filters separately, and this is where I’ll guide you in this sector of the guide.


Starting with Grease Filter

The grease filter is located at the bottom of the microwave, it’s easily located and you don’t have to open any small windows or search for it underneath any other part of the microwave.

If you’re having any trouble locating it, check the user manual it’ll show you exactly where it is, but I suppose you won’t need to resort to that.

Start with unplugging the microwave off power, for obvious safety reasons.

After you’ve located the filter, remove it from the microwave, and sink it in the bucket of soapy water, or into the sink with pressure water, and add some soap to it.

Leave the grease filter in the soapy water for a minute, then get on it with the bristle brush, clean it thoroughly.

You’ll know when to stop cleaning by the way it looks, and you can feel that it’s grease-free now.

If it’s still greasy, give it another go.

Now, put the filters to dry for 4-6 hours, or you can dry them using a piece of soft, clean cloth.

After that, you can re-install them into the microwave once again.

Next Is The Charcoal Filter

This microwave’s Charcoal filter is located behind the vent near the top of the unit, you’ll have to remove a handful of screws using the screwdriver, to be able to access remove the cover.

This will provide you with access to the charcoal filter that you’ll find in the middle of the vent.

Once accessed, you should remove the charcoal filter.

You shouldn’t clean it; you should replace it with a new one.

Once you replace the old & used charcoal filter with a new one, you’re good to go, re-install the cover, put the screws back, and get it done with.


How Often You Should Clean Microwave Vent

As we moved on with different cleaning directions in regard to both microwave vent filters, it’s the same when it comes to how long you need to wait before cleaning the microwave vent.

As for the Grease Filter, you should clean it once per month for a perfect microwave performance free of grease.

As for the charcoal filter, replacing it once per month is pretty expensive, so I advise you to replace it twice a year, once per 6 months.

how to clean microwave vent

How to Clean Microwave Vent FAQ


To Wrap Up

Mastering how to clean microwave vent is an essential part of keeping your microwave running efficiently.

You should know how the vent filters operate and how they can be removed & cleaned, to be able to master how to clean microwave vent.

If you have any additional questions, leave them in the comments section below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I possibly can.