Our 5 year old oven's interior surface appears to

Hello - Interior cleaning after convection, mix or broil cooking:

Spatters may occur because of moisture and grease. Wash immediately after use with hot, soapy water. Rinse and polish dry. Harder to remove spatters may occur if oven is not thoroughly cleaned or if there is long time/high temperature cooking. If so, you may wish to purchase an oven cleaner pad with liquid cleaner within it-not a soap filled steel pad-for use on stainlessor porcelain surfaces. Follow manufacturer's directions carefully and be especially cautious not to get any of the liquid cleaner in the perforations on the wall or ceiling or any door surfaces. Rinse thoroughly and polish dry. After cleaning the interior thoroughly, residual grease may be removed from the interior ducts and heater by simply operating the oven on 450 F for 20 minutes without food. Ventilate the room if necessary.

Interior cleaning after microwave cooking:

Cleaning is easy because no heat is generated to the interior surfaces; therefore, there is no baking and setting of spills or spattering. To clean the interior surfaces, wipe with a soft cloth and warm water. DO NOT USE ABRASIVE OR HARSH CLEANERS OR SCOURING PADS. For heavier soil, use baking soda or a mild soap; rinse thoroughly with hot water. NEVER SPRAY OVEN CLEANERS DIRECTLY ONTO ANY PART OF THE CONVECTION MICROWAVE OVEN.

Hi,

Scratches and bare spots are fairly common, but should be addressed as soon as they arise so the corrosion will not spread and arcing does not occur.

Unplug the power cord and remove the turntable and the support that is under the turntable. Clean the surface of the support wheels or any other part that rubs on the oven cavity.

Take some mild sanding cloth or scotchbright and clean the bare and rusted areas in the microwave. Use appliance touch up paint to re-coat the surface. You can find the touch up at most anywhere that sells appliances, it comes in a plastic bottle similar in appearance to fingernail polish, yes it does have a brush inside.

Let it dry per the instructions on the bottle or 24 hours if not specified.

your mag has gone bad and possible that the inverter board as well, not really worth the hassel

It would appear that no one knows how tofix this problem. I have the same problem and the only sugestions I get is to replace the door.

Probably rust stains bleeding through, try CLR. Don't get it too wet or the panel behind it will rust more. Use one of those vacuum type cleaning machines that spray a little and picks it it back up Good Luck. We owe this attempt in honor of Billy Mayes.Good Luck

why is it rusting?

This is just okay but if you're quite doubtful you may bring this to any appliance service center for repaint

just use sand paper to clean the rust then use some high temperature paint (sold in tins) eg spray paint but it must be labeled high temperature and spray 2 to 3 coats . your microwave should be safe again

Hello SusanWargin,
In my opinion ( and that is all it is).. I have always stood by the old litmus test whereby : if the cost to repair is close to or exceeds the cost to replace, then replacement makes sense. From the description you've presented and considering your micro is 12 years old, there is a reasonable chance that other components ( magnetron, transformer et al) will begin failing and end up costing more and more. So.. I would support your decision to replace with a new one. (again, this is only my opinion but I say this with sincerety and some experience with these appliances) ...Good Luck deciding..

From GEAppliances.com: Microwave - Cleaning Recommendations To minimize the possibility of electric shock, unplug the microwave from the power supply before attempting any maintenance or cleaning. Spills and spatters clean up easily with a damp, soapy paper towel or sponge. It is best to clean soil as soon as it appears. Baking soda and water may also be used. If the food has cooked onto the interior, heat one cup of water on full power for three minutes. The heat and steam help to soften the food. After the three minutes, allow five additional minutes stand time then clean as usual. A non-abrasive scrubbing pad cleaner works well for stubborn stains. You may use mild dish washing liquid or cleaners specifically listed for cleaning interiors of microwave ovens such as MicroBryte® (wx10x3030) or Microwave Oven Magic®. We do not recommend using other detergent based cleaners because they can cause the plastic parts to crack. You may purchase microwave interior cleaner by calling our parts department at 1-800-626-2002, on-line from GE Parts or from your local grocer. For stainless steel interiors of microwave/convection models, we recommend a plastic, soap-filled scouring pad. Rubbing gently with this pad will help remove soil. For the door surfaces (both interior and exterior) We recommend you use only mild, non-abrasive soaps, or detergents applied with a sponge, or soft cloth. For the control panel Wipe with a soft, damp cloth. Dry immediately with a soft cloth. Do not spray any solution directly onto the controls Important: Commercial Oven Cleaners, abrasive cleaners, or cleaners containing ammonia or bleach (can make the plastic brittle) should not be used on any part of the microwave. -- From me - Maybe local restaurants in your area would have some tips? Otherwise, try a Google search for keywords: cleaning stainless steel oven