How to Get Rid of Burnt Popcorn Smell – 4 Tested & Approved Methods [2023 Guide]

Published by Ahmad Jamal on March 22, 2023

Many things can lead to burning popcorn by mistake, and it is pretty easy to burn beforehand.

However, once it does, it makes it really hard to get that bad smell out of your microwave.

Therefore, this CleanersAdvisor guide will help you master how to get rid of burnt popcorn smell in 4 different methods.

Moreover, our experts will take you through a step-by-step procedure, in which you’ll be able to know what to do before you start getting rid of burnt popcorn smell, how to do it properly and in different ways and methods, and what to do afterward.

How Does Popcorn Get Burnt That Often?

Microwaves are used to make tasks easier and more convenient inside the kitchen, however, there are many things that disrupt us from working as usual, whether they are the kids, pets, or family members who require your immediate attention.

Therefore, you’ll probably miss a timing or two during a whole month of focusing on your kitchen tasks with full attention.

Here are some of the most probable reasons why you burnt popcorn inside the microwave:

  1. You just forget to turn the microwave off after putting the popcorn on for a longer period.
  2. A family member is new to dealing with popcorn and set the timer wrong.
  3. You didn’t follow instructions on how long to leave it there due to the aforementioned disturbance.
  4. You’re new to the microwave or the popcorn brand, and you’re used to an older version of either one of them.
How to Get Rid of Burnt Popcorn Smell

Before Getting Rid of Burnt Popcorn Smell

Now, before you start mastering How to Get Rid of Burnt Popcorn Smell, here is what you should do before you start:

1. Attempt to Get Rid of the Smell Source Naturally

Most of the time, natural methods are way better than other alternatives.

Therefore, try to get rid of the smell naturally, by disposing of the source of bad smell first.

Start by putting the burnt popcorn into a bag, tie it as tight as you can, and put it in the garbage outside your house.

2. Ventilate Your House

Since we already got rid of the source, now let’s let the natural air help us get rid of the burnt popcorn smell.

Open the windows and doors, allow natural air to move in and out of the house, providing the best air ventilation possible.

Moreover, you can use electric fans to control the airflow in other areas inside the house to aid you with it.


How to Get Rid of Burnt Popcorn Smell

We’ll continue our attempt to keep it as natural as possible, by choosing natural methods and tools in mastering How to Get Rid of Burnt Popcorn Smell, and those methods include:

1. Coffee

You may have heard it first here, but coffee is a great option when it comes to removing unwanted smell or scent.

Put fresh coffee into a bowl with half a cup of water, and mix them up.

Put the bowl into the microwave and turn it on for 3-4 minutes max.

Don’t open the door yet, leave it there for another 4-5 minutes, then open the door and remove the bowl.

We’re not done yet, clean and dry all the surfaces inside the microwave, as the coffee scent has already removed and replaced the burnt popcorn smell.

2. Lemon Juice

Are you a fan of lemon scent instead of coffee scent? Then this next method is for you.

Do the same as you did with coffee, but instead of mixing coffee with a cup of water in a bowl, squeeze two halves of the lemon into the bowl, creating lemon juice.

Don’t throw the squeezed halves away, put them in the bowl, and similar to what you did with coffee, put the whole bowl with squeezed lemon halves inside the microwave and turn it on for 3 minutes.

Just make sure they don’t burn inside the microwave, if you sense they’re starting to do so, turn it off immediately.

After you’ve turned it off, wait for 4-5 minutes, then open the microwave door, and enjoy the clean surfaces, and perfect lemon scent.

But don’t forget to use a damp cloth to clean the inside of your microwave afterward.

How to Get Rid of Burnt Popcorn Smell

3. Vinegar

You can use vinegar to get rid of burnt popcorn smell as well, all you need to do is mix equal parts of water and white vinegar at a 1:1 ratio into the microwave bow.

Repeat the same boil for 3 minutes in the microwave and leave it for 5 minutes before opening the door.

Then all you need to do is clean up after the vinegar was put in the microwave, and enjoy the burnt-smell-free microwave.

4. Baking Soda

Baking soda works as a pretty impressive deodorizer for nearly all types of bad odor.

Therefore, use it to create a baking soda mixture by mixing 2 spoons of baking soda into a bowl of water, just make sure it’s still liquid and hasn’t turned into a solid material.

Now, microwave the bowl for 5-6 minutes this time, and let it stay inside the microwave for nearly an hour.

This whole hour is when the baking soda is doing its work and sucking away all the bad odor.

Then clean up afterward.

However, you can still use baking soda in the same method, but without turning on the microwave, but you’ll need to make it spend more time inside.

Create the same mixture and put it inside without turning on the microwave, and leave it there for 8-12 hours, preferably overnight, and then it’ll take that time to work magic on the bad odor inside the microwave.

Here’s a Video explaining the process:


What to Do After Getting Rid of Burnt Popcorn Smell?

  1. Use Air Fragrance to create a better smell inside the house.
  2. Use your preferred essential oils to restore the beautiful smell you’re used to.
  3. You can use Incense as well.
  4. Spread out baking soda inside the house for further cleansing of the bad smell.
  5. Clean the Upholstery if the smell is worse than expected, using distilled vinegar & fabric softener mixed in a spray bottle.

To Wrap Up

This is how to master How to Get Rid of Burnt Popcorn Smell, by trying one of 4 different methods of getting rid of the bad burnt smell.

We’ve also provided different tips on what to do before and after getting rid of the smell.

Feel free to ask us in the comments section below if you have faced any hurdles in the process, and our CleanersAdvisor experts will provide solutions as soon as possible.