11 ways you’re shortening the life of your microwave

Of course, food isn’t going in your microwave totally alone. Make sure that anything else you’re putting in there is not going to cause problems either. You likely already know that metal is a big no-no, but other materials can also damage your oven. Plastic, in particular, could present an issue. “Any plastic that isn’t [microwavable] could melt, and even small smudges of melted plastic inside the microwave can cause problems,” warns Walton Holcomb, founder of BrewSmartly. You don’t want that in your microwave or anywhere else near your food. And you should also make sure that you’re not microwaving any packaging that might contain tiny bits of metal, like an accent or a leaf.