20 surprising things you can do with your microwave

Most homes have microwave ovens and that’s not surprising. The appliance is great not just for reheating leftover food items but also for preparing frozen dinners quickly.

These days, however, the microwave has become a very versatile appliance. It’s not just for reheating and thawing foods anymore. To give you an idea about the things you can do with it, here’s a list of 20 surprising but practical microwave uses.

Advertisement

1. Sterilize garden soil.

Unsplash Source: Unsplash

Believe it or not, putting your garden soil in the microwave can help kill any unwanted pests. It’s also an effective way to get rid of unwanted weed seeds in your soil.

Just remember to use clean, microwave-safe containers and use moist soil. For all the information you need in sterilizing your garden soil, read this guide.

Advertisement

2. Give new life to your mascara.

Unsplash Source: Unsplash

If you notice your mascara starting to get clumpy, don’t throw it right away. Instead, microwave it for about thirty seconds to bring back its normal texture.

3. Re-liquify crystallized honey.

Unsplash Source: Unsplash
Advertisement

A jar of honey that has solidified into crystals isn’t bad honey. It just makes it difficult to get the right amount of honey you need. To make it easier for you to scoop honey, microwave the jar first. This should help liquefy the honey again.

4. Bring new life to stale bread.

Unsplash Source: Unsplash
Advertisement

This hack is considered the fastest way to make stale bread soft again. To start, you’ll need to moisten a part of your paper towel by soaking it n cold water. Wring out as much water as you can and wrap it around your bread. Put the bread inside your microwave and heat it for 10 seconds. Remove the bread and the paper towel before serving.

5. Cut onions without shedding any tear.

Unsplash Source: Unsplash
Advertisement

Cooking is a fun activity. Cutting onions? Well, not so much. If you want to cut onions without crying, use your microwave. Just remember to cut the ends of your onion before microwaving it for 30 seconds. Do this hack before slicing it.

6. Make colorful yarns.

Unsplash Source: Unsplash

With Koolaid powder and your microwave, you can make colorful balls of yarn. The trick is to combine the powder with a small amount of water and your yarn. Set your microwave to run for a couple of minutes to allow the wool to absorb the color.

Advertisement

7. Bake potatoes.

Unsplash Source: Unsplash

It’s not true that you can’t bake potatoes in a microwave without creating a huge mess. If you poke holes in your potatoes using a fork, it’s actually possible.

8. Make potato chips.

Unsplash Source: Unsplash
Advertisement

Not a fan of baked potatoes? Don’t worry. You still have another option- make potato chips! Slice your potatoes as thin as you can. Coat the slices with olive oil before arranging them on your plate. Microwave for about 5 minutes.

9. Create foamy milk for your latte.

Unsplash Source: Unsplash
Advertisement

There’s no need for you to buy an expensive frother when you have a microwave at home. To create nice milk for your latte, all you need to do is put your milk in a jar and start shaking until you see bubbles forming. Then, heat the milk for 30 seconds in your microwave before adding it to your cup.

10. Disinfect your sponge.

Unsplash Source: Unsplash

The sponge in your kitchen can harbor millions of bacteria. If you fail to disinfect it from time to time, you can end up making your family sick. To avoid that, you can disinfect your sponge by microwaving it for about two minutes.

Advertisement

11. Remove stamps.

Unsplash Source: Unsplash

Once a stamp gets stuck on paper, it’ll be hard to remove them. Fortunately, by adding a few drops of water to the stamp and microwaving your envelope for about 20 seconds, you’ll be able to loosen its adhesive. You can reuse the stamp after doing this hack.

12. Prepare your beans fast.

Unsplash Source: Unsplash
Advertisement

You don’t really need to soak your beans for several hours just to cook your meal. By placing them in a bowl filled with water and a bit of baking soda, you can make the process faster and easier. In fact, all you need is to microwave the beans for 10 minutes and let them soak for another 30 minutes.

13. Get more lemon juice.

Unsplash Source: Unsplash
Advertisement

Before squeezing your lemons, consider putting them in the microwave for a minute first. It should help you get more juice. Plus, it also makes it easier to squeeze the lemons.

14. Make a cake in a mug.

Unsplash Source: Unsplash

Craving for cake? With your microwave, you can bake a cake in minutes. There are tons of recipes online. Here’s a nice recipe if you want to try making a chocolate mug cake.

Advertisement

15. Steam vegetables.

Unsplash Source: Unsplash

Your microwave isn’t just great for steaming frozen vegetables. With a bit of water, you can also microwave fresh vegetables.

16. Make dough rise faster.

Unsplash Source: Unsplash
Advertisement

The dough rising process can take more than 45 minutes. If you’re in a hurry, consider heating your dough in the microwave. Usually, 10% power is enough. After heating it, you can take the dough out and let it sit. It should rise within 10 to 15 minutes.

17. Make your plates warm.

Unsplash Source: Unsplash
Advertisement

Serving food on warm plates helps make food stay hot longer. Plus, it creates this nice and warm feeling when eating. So, the next time you prepare your family’s dinner, heat your plates in the microwave first.

18. Prepare your own caramel sauce.

Unsplash Source: Unsplash

If you have corn syrup, vanilla extract, butter, water, and sugar, you can make your own caramel sauce using your microwave. You can check out the steps here.

Advertisement

19. Make jam in minutes.

Unsplash Source: Unsplash

Don’t have a lot of free time but craving a nice jam? Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to make jam in the microwave.

20. Make new crayons from old ones.

Unsplash Source: Unsplash
Advertisement

Take your broken crayons and remove the paper wrappers before putting them in the microwave. Use a greased cupcake tin for this. After microwaving the crayons, take the tin out and wait for your new crayons to solidify.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: Spotlight Stories, Home Hacks

Advertisement