Since they started filling homes in the late 1900s, microwave ovens have made simple cooking a breeze for the culinarily challenged.
But if you’re just using your microwave to reheat leftovers, pop popcorn, and heat up those frozen TV dinners, you’re really missing out on all the little things it can do to make everyday tasks way easier. From sterilizing sponges to freshening up stale donuts, here are 10 cool ways to use your microwave to its full potential.
1. Need to remove a stamp you already stuck on a letter? Dab a few drops of water on it and microwave the letter to make peeling it off super easy.
2. Drape a few pieces of bacon over the bottom of a bowl, place a plate underneath, and microwave for a quick and tasty snack.
3. Remove the husks from a corn on the cob, wrap it in a damp paper towel, then nuke it and start nibbling!
4. Sterilize your cutting board quickly after chopping up meat by wetting the board, lathering soap on top, and placing it in the microwave.
5. Turn those stale donuts into soft, warm deliciousness by heating them in the microwave.
6. Clean out your nasty, food-encrusted microwave by cutting a lemon in half, squeezing some juice into a bowl of water, then dropping the halves in and heating the bowl in the microwave.
7. Cut the ends off an onion and microwave it for 30 seconds to avoid tearing up while chopping.
8. Make homemade potato chips by chopping potatoes into thin slices and microwaving them for three minutes on each side.
9. Create a makeshift heating pad by filling a sock with uncooked rice and microwaving it.
10. Clean up your nasty sponges by dampening them and squeezing a little dish soap on top. A minute in the microwave will make it good as new!
