How to Clean an Air Fryer? Instant Cleaning Hacks of 2023

An Air Fryer is no doubt a kitchen appliance that’s becoming a need of almost every household these days.

It uses hot air and prepares instant recipes including French fries, roasted chicken, or crispy veggies.

However, to make sure that it works perfectly, you need to take care of it and that’s possible only when you clean it deeply.

To help you out in this regard, I’m going to answer “How to clean an air fryer?” using personal experiences and some professional cleaning hacks.

Give it a read till end and I’m sure you’d make your appliance as clean as new within a short time.

Let’s dive right inside:

Dos and Don’ts of Cleaning an Air Fryer:

Before I start with the cleaning hacks and methods, you must know some of the dos and don’ts before cleaning this modern kitchen appliance.

For instance;

Never use metal utensils, steel wire brushes, or hard sponges while removing food particles from the appliance. It could damage its non-sticking plate causing the food to stick more often.

Never submerge or soak the whole air fryer in water. Come on! It’s an electronic machine, after all.

Always clean the air fryer while it’s plugged out of the main socket.

In the end, don’t start cleaning until the appliance has cooled down properly.

Follow these tips before you start the deep cleaning process.

Many people also ask me when should they clean their air fryer. So, here’s my stance on this question:

How Often an Air Fryer Needs Cleaning?

The answer’s simple, such a kitchen appliance needs regular cleaning after every use. That is,

What to Clean After Every Use?

Right after you make something in an air fryer, let it cool down completely. Remove pan, tray, and frying basket. Wash them either manually with dish soap or place them in a dishwasher. (Make sure that the parts are dishwasher-safe before you put them into it).

Don’t forget to use a damp cloth cleaning the interior part of the air fryer. It will remove any grime or grease collected on the appliance after you use it once.

What to Clean After Few Uses?

Though I recommend cleaning an air frying appliance regularly, things could go south as well.

For instance, you’ll forget cleaning the appliance while trying to prepare something in a hurry.

This is where the appliance starts collecting gunk and it requires deep cleaning.

To deep clean an air fryer, I recommend following the step-by-step guide that I use more often for removing intense debris from the appliance.

Have a glance at it:

How to Deep Clean an Air Fryer in Simple Steps?

Before we move forward, here’s a list of things you’ll need to pull of the cleaning operation conveniently:

Things You’ll Need:

• A damp microfiber cloth and a soft sponge. (For scrubs)
• Dish soap liquid. (The one you use normally for kitchen chores)
• Baking Soda. (Works like a charm while removing grime and gunk)
• A soft scrubbing brush. (You can get one at any local store)
• A dry cloth or paper towel.

Steps to Follow:

Unplug the Air Fryer:

Unplug the appliance from main socket and let it cool down for at least 30 minutes.

Removing and Washing Pan and Tray:

Detach the pan and tray from machine and wash them with liquid dish soap. Scrub each accessory in a way that it gets rid of leftover food particles easily.

If you still see stubborn stains on pan and tray, then soak them in soapy water for at least 10 minutes before you start scrubbing.

Rinse them thoroughly and place the accessories in a slopy position. Let them dry naturally.

Cleaning the Interior Using Dish Soap and Soft Sponge:

Here comes the tricky part!

Cleaning the interior of an air fryer requires proper attention and care. Don’t pour any water in there.

Take a damp sponge, pour a pinch of liquid dish soap on it, and start scrubbing it gently.

Make sure that you cover each area while scrubbing the interior.

Clean it out with a damp microfiber followed by a dry paper towel.

See if the interior is cleaned enough or not. If not, then follow the same method until you think it has got rid of the grease and grime.

Wiping Down the Heating Element:

Also important!

Simply put the appliance upside down and start wiping the heating element and area around it with a sponge or a damp cloth.

Dry it out with paper towels respectively.

Best Way of cleaning an Air Fryer from Hard Residue:

If you see stubborn stains and hard residue on the air fryer, then don’t panic at all.

Simply make a paste of water and baking soda in a small bowl. Then take a scrubbing brush, soak it in that paste and scrub the hard residue or backed on grease with it.

Let the paste remain there for a while and then wipe it out with a clean cloth.

Thorough Drying:

Always dry all removable parts before you reassemble them back. Never put wet parts or it will cause electrical short circuits, which you certainly don’t need considering how expensive these air frying machines are.