After much use, your microwave's interior paint may begin to peel.
After many years of use, a microwave may begin to decline in appearance and operation. One possible issue that may occur is the peeling of the interior paint. Since peeling paint can both become a fire hazard and contaminate food cooked in the unit, it's important to prevent and repair the interior paint when it peels.
Causes
When food splatters onto the interior of a microwave and isn't cleaned, it can bake onto the surface and harden, creating a "hot spot." These hot spots get warmer than the rest of the microwave's interior during the cooking process, which can lead to the deterioration of the paint in that area of the microwave. Another thing that may damage the interior of the microwave is the use of sharp utensils.
Possible Dangers
Aside from causing the flaking of the interior paint of the microwave, hot spots that form in a microwave can create other issues as well. The spots where food is baked onto the surface, or where the interior paint has been scratched by a utensil, may spark when the microwave is running. To prevent this sparking, the interior of the microwave must be smooth. So if paint is peeling and hanging from the inside of the microwave, this creates a possible fire hazard.
Prevention
When it comes to peeling paint on the inside of a microwave, the best course of action is prevention. You can stop peeling paint before it starts by always cleaning up spills or splatters from the inside of the microwave as soon as they occur. Once peeling begins, though, use fine-grit sandpaper to remove the hanging pieces of paint from the microwave's interior to prevent further peeling. The microwave is safe to use in this condition.
Repair
To fully repair a microwave with peeling paint to like-new condition, you not only must remove the paint that is peeling but repaint the microwave so that it doesn't rust. You can buy paint made specifically for microwave interiors at appliance stores, but you can use any standard gloss enamel paint to cover the exposed areas of the microwave interior. After painting, allow the microwave to dry for at least 24 hours before use.
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