How To Deep Clean Air Fryer? [4 Ways]
Want to restore the shiny look of your air fryer? I have shared some quick ways to deep clean air fryer and remove burnt and baked-on grease.
Keeping your air fryer clean is essential for its performance and prolonging its lifespan. Here we will walk you through the complete process of deep cleaning your air fryer.
By following these instructions, you'll have a sparkling air fryer ready for your next delicious and healthy meal.
How To Deep Clean Air Fryer? [4 Ways]
To deep clean your air fryer, you can create a mixture of vinegar and water or baking soda and water. Apply it to the dirty greasy parts and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Wipe it off with a damp kitchen cloth and restore the real shine of your air fryer.
Follow Kitchen Hanker's step-by-step guide to restore the beautiful finish of your air fryer.
Assemble Your Cleaning Tools
Put all necessary cleaning tools on the table before you start cleaning your air fryer. These tools are;
- Damp cloth
- Soft toothbrush
- Non Abrasive Scrub
- Safe Dishwasher liquid or degreaser
- Lemon/ vinegar/ baking soda
- skewers/toothpicks
| PRO TIP: Though we have outlined the best way to clean the air fryer, it's still wiser to read out the user manual before making the final call. Please also make sure the removable parts of the air fryer are dishwasher safe or not! Or if your air fryer's manufacturer is coming up with any specific cleaning guide to follow.
Let Your Air Fryer Cool Down
Unplug your air fryer, empty it, and let it cool for a few minutes. Leave its basket open to cool down before dissembling its removable parts (tray, pan, and basket).
Remove Any Loose Food Junk
For a basket-style air fryer, empty leftover food crumbs from the basket into a trash can. For oven-style, pull out its debris tray and shake off the crumbs to avoid further buildup.
Start Cleaning The Removable Parts
Cleaning grease from the air fryer basket is as simple as cleaning any other pan or cooking pot. Instead of plain soapy water, we would suggest using warm water to get rid of baked-on grease or burned food.
Left basket/pan in warm soapy water for 10 minutes before you start scrubbing.
Soaking in soapy water can also help remove the foul smell from the air fryer. Or, we would recommend squeezing half a lemon over the basket and leaving it for 20 minutes before washing the air fryer basket again.
You must watch this quick video for cleaning the air fryer basket:
Clean The Inside Of The Air Fryer
To clean the inside of the air fryer, wipe off its surface using a sponge with a little soap or a dishwasher. Do the final wipe with a damp cloth to avoid soap residue.
Remove Grease From The Heating Coil
To clean the heating element, place the air fryer upside down, and use a damp sponge to wipe out dirt or grease.
You can also use a toothbrush to thoroughly scrub the air fryer interior.
Avoid making the coil extra wet with any soap or dishwasher as this can cause issues like the air fryer not heating up properly or not working at all.
Wiping Off The Air Fryer Exterior
Outside of the air fryer doesn't catch much dirt, so its cleaning is easy. Cleaning the exterior could be done the same as the interior of the air fryer. Take a damp cloth and start wiping the exterior.
We additionally polished the outside surface with a paper towel, you can do the same for an extra shiny look.
Drying Air Fryer Parts
Before resembling, double-check if your air fryer is completely dry with no wet and soapy remains. That's a wrap of deep cleaning an air fryer in easy steps.
With the above-mentioned steps, you can clean ninja air fryers, instant vortex, Philips, Cuisinart, and air fryers from many other brands.
Cleaning Air Fryer With Water Should Be A Daily Ritual!
Is air-frying food part of your everyday cooking? Instead of deep cleaning, only wash its used parts with water to remove grease and empty the leftover debris.
Moreover, wipe off any oil or grease if left within the interior surface, and reassemble your air fryer for the next fried session.
You can also occasionally wipe its exterior and heating coil with a damp cloth after a few uses to avoid extra clutter while deep cleaning.
Here is an important point to remember, folks!
Do not forget to dry out the heating coil and other parts before plugging the air fryer for the next use.
How To Clean An Air Fryer With Vinegar
Don't want to waste hours scrubbing and wiping off an air fryer! We can hear your answer!
Here is a golden tip that will save much of your time and energy.
- Make a cleaning solution of vinegar and water (in ½, ½ proportion)
- Soak your air fryer's removable parts in the solution for 5-7 minutes.
- Scrub it and wipe it clean with a paper towel.
Vinegar helps remove sticky oil from the air fryer and goes well against the lingering smell of leftover food.
How To Clean An Air Fryer With Baking Soda
If you want to clean baked-on grease from an air fryer oven, we have got a solution for you!
We applied baking soda paste on charred fat in deep crevices, and the results were astonishing.
Here’s how you can do that:
- Make a thick paste of baking soda with water
- Apply it gently on tough grease and leave for a few minutes
- Start scrubbing soft and wipe it using a kitchen towel.
Air Fryer Cleaning Hacks You Should Know!
Let's understand some dos and don’ts of cleaning any kitchen utensil.
- Never use metal scrapers, abrasive sponges, or wire brushes to remove grease particles from air fryer crevices. This practice can potentially scrap off the air fryer’s non-stick coating that may get mixed in your food while air frying.
- Always remember, that safety comes first when working with an electrical appliance. Since an air fryer is everyone's favorite kitchen appliance, fully submerging its body into water for cleaning purposes is a big NO. Also, you cannot clean the air fryer while it's plugged in.
- Use specific food-grade cleaners for air fryers or check for what the user guide suggests.
Word of caution!
Improper maintenance results in air fryer producing E1, E2, and E3 errors and impacts its life span.
Air Fryer Cleaning Tiktok Videos
Below we are posting some TikTok videos sharing different air fryer cleaning hacks. Hope you are going to love it.
FAQs
Why do you need to deep clean your air fryer?
An air fryer works by blowing hot air around the food, giving it a perfect brown crumb-like deep frying. Not cleaning the air fryer means allowing hot heat to blend in grease, crust pieces, and whatnot.
This food debris will eventually build up and can hinder the accuracy of the air frying process. In short, your air fryer won't produce the same crisp fried food in the long run.
Cleaning an air fryer may look intimidating, but that's the only way to keep air frying power consistent throughout its lifespan. When your food doesn't come out crispier and takes longer to air fry, it's time you take air fryer cleaning seriously!
How often should you clean the air fryer?
Ideally, no oil gunk will pile up if you generously clean the air fryer after each use. The only parts that need gentle washing with soap after every use are the air fryer basket, its pan, and the grease tray.
How to clean the nooks and corners of your air fryer?
Do you ever wonder why a foul smell or smoke comes out while air frying food? It is because grease or food chunks accumulate in the drawer, basket holes, or within the heating coil.
The more this trapped grease burns after every use, the more mess you have to deal with later.
Now, what to do with this rigid fat residue in deep crevices?
Here is why we list a skewer or a toothpick as a necessary cleaning tool. A skewer will help in picking out any stuck grease and dirt.
Wrapping Up!
Now you know the guidelines for the deep cleaning air fryer, don't put off this important task for tomorrow. Just follow the above-mentioned simple cleaning tips for the air fryer and thank us later. Let us know which cleaning method worked best for you. Drop us a comment if you need a cleaning tip for your other kitchen appliances, and we will get your needs covered up!