Have you cleaned your microwave filter? If you are like us, you may not know that your microwave oven has a microwave oven until we stumbled upon a virus microwave filter cleaning hacker on Tiktok.

However, according to a cleaning expert, if you want to keep your best microwave oven in good working order, this is a trick to turn to.

When TikTok user @mamasknowbest revealed the dirty secret hidden in the charcoal filter of your microwave oven, we first noticed this hack.

"This is to remind you to replace the charcoal filter in the microwave oven," she said. In the clip below, she removes the lid on the top of the microwave oven, revealing a filter that looks dirty.

"You should change the filter every 6 months. So, when I wait for my new arrival, I will clean this up," she wrote and captioned the video.

@mamasknowbest often shares home care and cleaning tips in her own name. She soaks the filter in soapy water and then uses a sponge to scrub the area under the lid. Before rinsing everything off, she also cleaned the lid.

The video has received 236,000 likes since its first release and has been shared 41,500 times. However, according to Lily Cameron, cleaning expert at Fantastic Services, the last job you should add to your cleaning to-do list is the microwave charcoal filter.

She explained that not all microwave ovens have these filters, mainly ultra-range fan microwave ovens, which are not common.

"These filters can be charcoal (such as the filters in the TikTok video) and grease filters, and they are made of stainless steel or aluminum," Lily said.

Although you should clean and replace the grease filter regularly, she explained that it is best to only replace the charcoal filter.

"Cleaning or replacing [grease filters] is very important because they can clean the air circulating in the kitchen." If these filters are covered with grease, they will not be able to filter the air at all.

She explained that cleaning the charcoal filter is a meaningless job. They cannot be cleaned at all. After some time, they will need to be replaced because they are not reusable long-term filters.

If in doubt, read the information on how to clean the microwave. Or, check your manual for instructions-if you can find it...