Most homes today have microwaves.We use them to heat up just about everything. Our children probably even know more about them then we do. But did you know that microwaves can cause exploding water! Super heated water that doesn’t even look like it is boiling can explode all over you.
Here is what is on the FDA’s safety website about this issue.
The FDA has received reports of serious skin burns or scalding injuries around people’s hands and faces as a result of hot water erupting out of a cup after it had been over-heated in a microwave oven. Over-heating of water in a cup can result in superheated water (past its boiling temperature) without appearing to boil.
This type of phenomena occurs if water is heated in a clean cup. If foreign materials such as instant coffee or sugar are added before heating, the risk is greatly reduced. If superheating has occurred, a slight disturbance or movement such as picking up the cup, or pouring in a spoon full of instant coffee, may result in a violent eruption with the boiling water exploding out of the cup.
What Can Consumers Do to Avoid Super-Heated Water?
Follow the precautions and recommendations found in the microwave oven instruction manuals, specifically the heating time.
Do not use excessive amounts of time when heating water or liquids in the microwave oven.
Determine the best time setting to heat the water just to the desired temperature and use that time setting regularly.
So next time you tell your kids to go cook up their instant oatmeal or hot chocolate, think about what could happen!
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