One of the most simple (but perhaps irritating) tips for maintaining your microwave boils down to keeping it clean. Sure, cleaning your kitchen appliances isn’t exactly a fun chore, but it’s pretty important when it comes to your microwave. Maybe you only clean it when there’s a sizable mess—but you shouldn’t leave those small, everyday stains, says John Bedford, founder of Viva Flavor, a site dedicated to helping amateur cooks explore the world of food and drink. “Food that remains on the sides will continue to absorb energy during future operations, and will burn the interior over a longer period of time,” he explains. Basically, your microwave is expending unnecessary effort to “heat up” the lingering remains of your past meals, which will eventually impact the components and shorten the lifespan of the appliance,” Bedford says. So wipe down your microwave after every use. He also recommends giving it a deeper clean once a month, which includes the exterior and the mechanisms of the door as well.