The microwave is often used to cook or reheat food the quickest and easiest way. Despite earlier beliefs that it can cause cancer, expert said that the microwave's cooking method is actually the most effective at keeping vitamins and minerals intact, according to Harvard Health Publication.
However, the microwave is also great for other uses aside from heating TV dinners and below are some suggestions. (For cautionary measure, never take your eye off the microwave when you're doing any of these.)
Sterilize Seedling Soil
For those who love gardening, use the microwave to heat the soil you'll use to grow your seedlings. It will help ward off pests and fungi that can kill your plants and you won't have to use pesticides as much. Horticulturist Laura Pottorff suggests two ways to do this, via the Colorado State University site: using yogurt containers or polypropylene bags and water.
Check out the video below.
Clean a Pair of Socks
You've probably seen this done in movies and it actually works in real life. The heat from a microwave is effective at killing germs, so you will never be without a pair of clean, fresh-smelling socks again. Soak the socks in a bowl of soap and water for a few minutes, then rinse and then pop it in the microwave for two minutes. Watch the video below for the procedure:
Make a Heating Pad
You can use old socks as an inexpensive, but effective, heating pad to relieve sore muscles. Cut the socks to an ideal size, then fill them up with rice. Sew to seal the open sides. Put the homemade heating pad into the microwave each time you'd like to use it. For added therapeutic effect, you can dab essential oils like lavender or eucalyptus on the homemade heating pad.
Make Play Dough for the Kids
If you'd like to whip up something to entertain the kids (maybe while you color in your NSFW coloring book), you can make a homemade version of Play-Doh with a few kitchen ingredients in the microwave. The process is so simple that the children can help. Why not do this for the weekend? You'll need flour, water, salt, oil, cream of tartar and plain flour, according to Kids Spot. Watch the video below for the process.
Revive Dry Mascara
If you have only used your mascara a few times and it has dried up, then try heating it for less than 40 seconds in a microwave. To ensure safety, put the mascara stick in a microwavable container filled with water before heating, according to The Guardian.
Disinfect Sponges
Zap cleaning sponges in the microwave for a few minutes to disinfect and kill the germs. It's effective 99.9 percent of the time, according to Good Housekeeping. The sponge should be saturated in about 1/4 cup of water and then nuked on high for one minute.
