I Learned How To Get Rid of Burnt Popcorn Smell the Hard Way

I did one of the dumbest things anyone can do when I was using the microwave this weekend which left me scrambling on Google to figure out how to fix it.

It was Saturday and I was alone at home and hungry for a snack, so I decided I would make some popcorn. Usually, we have stove popped popcorn, but I'm lazy so I've been buying small boxes of microwave popcorn for when I'm alone. Yes, lightly buttered. Don't judge.

I put the bag in the microwave and put the timer on for 5 minutes. The package says it takes 2 to 2 and half minutes, but it's never done by then, so I add on the extra time and stop it when I hear the popping stop. But this time, I was big dummy.

I figured I had about 2 minutes before it needed to be checked so quickly ran down to the basement to put my laundry in the washer. Suddenly I smelled smoke, ran upstairs and there was white smoke all through the kitchen.

I broke the most important rule of making microwave popcorn that the printed clearly on the bag. "Do not leave microwave unattended."

I opened the windows, turned on all the ceiling fans, the stove fan and put a box fan in the window to blow the smoke out. It cleared pretty quickly, but there was a horrid burnt popcorn smell all through the kitchen. So how do I get rid of it?

I'm sure I'm not the only one that has done this so here's a handy tip I found from northgateappliance.com. They recommend several methods to get rid of the smell, but the one that worked for me was to mix a cup of water and a cup of vinegar in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 3 minutes. When it's done, keep the door closed for about 15 to 20 minutes then clean inside with a sponge or brush.

I had to do a couple of scrubs to get the smell to go away, but now it's gone and I'm never allowed to make microwave popcorn again.

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