Sure, microwaves are one of the greatest kitchen inventions of our time. Most of us are too young to remember the days before you could just pop food in and heat it up in a matter of minutes.
While modern-day microwaves can take on quite a bite of abuse, there are certain things that just don’t belong in the microwave. Microwaving these 5 things is a sure fire way to ruin your microwave, create a huge mess, and call for Dallas microwave repair:
Plastic
Plastic plates, cups, and to-go containers just don’t belong in the microwave. First of all, they can begin to melt, leaving plastic residue in your food (not fun). Secondly, as plastic is heated, it secretes BPA, a substance known to disrupt your hormones and cause other health issues. The same applies to styrofoam.
Paper Bags
A bag of popcorn goes in the microwave – why can’t other paper bags? It’s simple. Popcorn bags are made for the microwave, specially formulated with a substance in the liner to absorb radio waves in the microwave. Regular paper bags don’t have this; therefore, they can break down, catch fire!, or even emit their own toxins and fumes into the microwave. No thanks.
Travel Mugs
It’s tempting to heat your coffee in your travel mug before leaving for work, but don’t do it! Travel mugs – whether stainless steel or plastic – are just not designed to be heated in the microwave. The stainless steel mugs may not heat because steel is common in the construction of the microwave, plus, it may cause other interferences with the microwaves. Plastic mugs – even those that say they are microwave safe – may melt, so avoid them all together.
Foil
Most people know this, but it’s worth repeating. Any liner or material that contains foil cannot go into the microwave. If it does, it will likely cause sparks in the microwave, as the waves reflect off of the foil. This can be extremely dangerous – not to mention a surefire way to need microwave repair.
Nothing
Why would anyone run the microwave with nothing in it? It seems pretty straightforward, but people do it everyday, and the results are not good. Without any food in the microwave, the waves simply bounce around aimlessly and can cause severe damage to the microwave components.
