Cleaning your microwave doesn't have to be a chore with this handy hack.

We all know how important it is to keep our homes clean –but let's face it, there are some areas that we don't give the love and attention we probably should. Keeping on top of the vacuuming is usually an easy job because we can see the dirt on our floors, but spots that are hidden away behind doors often go unchecked.

One of those often-forgotten areas is the microwave. You stick leftovers in there for a couple of minutes to heat them up and then very quickly shut the door and don't give cleaning the appliance a second thought.

But dirt and grime can build up inside your microwave very quickly - especially if you've ever warmed up something like soup or pasta sauce and have witnessed the mess that can coat the walls.

Thankfully though, there's an easy way you can clean stuck-on grime from your microwave in minutes. According to a viral clip shared online, you only need three common items to do it.

In a video posted on TikTok by a woman named Beatriz, she explained that all you need to do is get a microwavable dish and fill it with two cups of water, one cup of lemon juice, and one teaspoon of washing up liquid.

Pop the dish into the microwave and turn the appliance on for five minutes. Once the timer has finished, keep the microwave door closed to allow the steam to sit for another 15 minutes.

Once you've done that, you can take the dish out of the microwave and wipe down the appliance with a sponge. The cleaning mixture should have loosened all the stubborn dirt, making cleaning a breeze.

Beatriz added in her video's caption that to finish the job, you should take out the glass plate in your microwave and wash it with warm water and more washing up liquid.

Commenters on her post were quick to thank her for the tip, while some others offered their own cleaning suggestions - including one claim that you can leave out the lemon juice and achieve the same result.

However, lemon juice is often added to give the appliance a fresh smell.

One person said: "Thanks a lot! Nice life hack."  Another added: "Thank you, this really works." 

If you're on a cleaning spree ahead of Christmas, try out this game-changing hack to remove years of tea stains from your cups. You can also use this natural item to clean limescale from your showerhead.